Tochoji Temple
Fukuoka Prefecture · Japan
Duration: [2025] 20 mins [2026] 40mins. This temple's five-story pagoda is cherished by the locals as a new symbol of Hakata. The Fukuoka Daibutsu (Great Buddha) in the temple grounds is Japan’s biggest wooden seated statue of Gautama Buddha. This cypress wood statue is 10.8 meters tall and weighs 30 tons. In the pedestal of the Gautama Buddha statue lies The Hell and Pure Land Tour which signifies "experience the world of the dead, return back to life, and let go of impurities and worries." The Daishi-do hall, five-story pagoda, Kuroda clan graveyard, main hall (outside only), Rokkaku-do hall 'Fukuoka Daibutsu' and 'The Hell and Pure Land Tour' will also be visited.
Contents
8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Orientation
Welcome to Tochoji Temple, a site of immense spiritual and historical significance in the heart of Fukuoka. As you stand before its gates, you are entering the oldest Shingon Buddhist temple in Japan. …
Listen in the app2The Five-Story Pagoda — A Beacon of Red and Gold
Dominating the courtyard is the stunning five-story pagoda, reconstructed in 2011 to mark the 1,200th anniversary of the temple's founding. Standing 26 meters tall, its brilliant vermilion lacquer is a sight to behold, especially…
Listen in the app3The Great Buddha of Fukuoka — A Monumental Presence
We now move to the second floor of the main building to witness the 'Fukuoka Daibutsu'—the Great Buddha. This is one of the largest wooden seated Buddha statues in Japan, standing 10.8 meters tall and weighing 30 tons. …
Listen in the app4The Walk Through Hell and Heaven — A Spiritual Journey
Beneath the base of the Great Buddha lies a hidden corridor known as the 'Jigoku-Gokuraku Meguri'—the tour of Hell and Heaven. This is a unique ritual path that physicalizes the Buddhist concepts of the afterlife. …
Listen in the app5The Kuroda Clan Graves — Feudal Legacy
Beyond the main hall, we find a quieter corner of the temple grounds dedicated to the Kuroda family, the powerful Daimyo who ruled the Fukuoka Domain during the Edo period. Tochoji served as the 'Bodaiji'—the family funerary…
Listen in the app6The Hexagonal Hall (Rokkakudo) — Architectural Curiosity
One of the most unique structures at Tochoji is the Rokkakudo, or Hexagonal Hall. Built in the late Edo period (1842), this small building is a marvel of mathematical and artistic precision. …
Listen in the app7The Main Hall (Hondo) — Living Rituals
The Hondo, or Main Hall, is the spiritual heart of Tochoji. This is where the daily services are held and where the principal image of the temple is enshrined. …
Listen in the app8Closing
As you prepare to leave the grounds of Tochoji, take a final look at the vermilion pagoda against the sky. We have journeyed from the 9th-century foundations of Kobo Daishi to the 20th-century grandeur of the Great Buddha. …
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What is Tochoji Temple?
Tochoji Temple is a place in Fukuoka Prefecture · Japan with 8 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | Fukuoka Prefecture · Japan |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 8 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | 33.5949, 130.4138 |
| Last updated |
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