
Tenpukuji Temple
temple
天福寺
Tenpukuji Temple was founded in 1688 partly to serve as cover for Hidden Christians under the temple registration system.
Founded in 1688 partly to serve as cover for Hidden Christians under the temple registration system. The Higashi-Kashiyama area was administered by the comparatively tolerant Saga domain, and Christians used their nominal Buddhist affiliation to avoid detection while maintaining their own prayers and rites, including a 'sutra-annihilating prayer' recited before Buddhist funeral services. When Christianity was legalized in 1873, the congregation split into roughly equal thirds: those who returned to Catholicism, those who maintained the Hidden Christian tradition, and those who became practicing Buddhists. The temple's most significant object is a 50-centimeter Maria Kannon statue with traces of blue paint on the head.
Remove shoes before entering any hall. Look for a shoe rack at the entrance. Carry a plastic bag for your shoes if none is provided.
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