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Enkaku-ji (Okinawa)

1945 disestablishments in JapanBuddhism in the Muromachi periodBuddhism in the Ryukyu IslandsBuddhist archaeological sites in JapanBuddhist temple stubs
Buddhist temples in Okinawa PrefectureBuildings and structures in Japan destroyed during World War IIInfobox religious building with unknown affiliationReligious buildings and structures completed in 1494Rinzai temples
Enkaku ji(Shuri)200703
Enkaku ji(Shuri)200703

Enkaku-ji (円覚寺, Okinawan: ウフティラ ufutira, lit. "the great temple") was a Rinzai Buddhist temple and royal bodaiji of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, in Naha, Okinawa. The temple was erected during the reign of King Shō Shin (r. 1477–1526), the first abbot being Kaiin Shōko (芥隠承琥). It was also used as bodaiji of Ryukyuan kings. Ryukyuan kings would visit Enkaku-ji, Tennō-ji and Tenkai-ji after their genpuku and investiture.Enkaku-ji was recognized as a national treasure of Japan in 1933, but it was destroyed in the 1945 battle of Okinawa. Only the sōmon (general gate) and Hōjō Bridge (放生橋) were reconstructed in 1968 because of lack of historical records. The government of Okinawa Prefecture began plans to reconstruct its sanmon in 2014.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Enkaku-ji (Okinawa) (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Enkaku-ji (Okinawa)
Hojo Bridge, Naha

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 26.218333333333 ° E 127.71944444444 °
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円覚寺総門

Hojo Bridge
900-8585 Naha
Japan
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Enkaku ji(Shuri)200703
Enkaku ji(Shuri)200703
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Sonohyan-utaki
Sonohyan-utaki

Sonohyan-utaki (園比屋武御嶽, Okinawan: スヌファンウタキ Sunufan-utaki) is a sacred grove of trees and plants (utaki) of the traditional indigenous Ryukyuan religion. It is located on the grounds of Shuri Castle in Naha, Okinawa, a few paces away from the Shureimon castle gate. The utaki, or more specifically its stone gate (石門, ishimon), is one of a number of sites which together comprise the UNESCO World Heritage Site officially described as Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu, and has been designated an Important Cultural Property by the Japanese national government.While the gates were once opened only for the king, today they are always closed, and so the gates have in a way become a sacred space themselves, representative of the actual sacred space behind them. Many travellers and locals come to pray at the gates.The stone gate was first built in 1519, during the reign of Ryukyuan king Shō Shin, though the space had been recognized as a sacred utaki prior to that. Whenever the king left the castle on a journey, he would first stop at Sonohyan-utaki to pray for safe travels. The site also played an important role in the initiation of the High Priestess (聞得大君, kikoe-ōgimi) of the native religion. The gate is said to be a prime example of traditional Okinawan architecture, and shows many signs of Chinese influence, along with a Japanese-influenced gable in the karahafu style. It was severely damaged in the 1945 battle of Okinawa, but was restored in 1957, and officially designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, along with a number of other sites across Okinawa Island. The utaki, i.e. the sacred grove itself, was once much larger than it is today, an elementary school and other buildings having encroached upon the space.