Joshoji Temple built in 1598（定勝寺）

Joshoji, a Buddhism temple, in Suhara area is a quite beautiful temple and a historical treasure of Okuwa village. The current Joshoji was built in 1598 after washed away by the Kiso River a couple of times. It was designated as the Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1952.

The temple has a long stone stairs toward the gate with olden stone monuments at both sides, witch welcome you to the spiritual space of the village.

In autumn, the color of the stairs changes from green to red and yellow. It is quite beautiful.

Autumn is a special season to make the stairs coloful

The end of the stairs is the main gate or Sanmon (山門), which leads you the precinct of the temple, where you see Kuri (庫裡), the temple kitchen, and Hondo (本堂), the mail hall, and the Japanese garden.

On the hill behind the garden, you see Bonsho (梵鐘), a temple bell, which rings every morning and evening. It also rings 108 times at 12 A.M between the last day of the year and the first day of the year called Joyano-kane (除夜の鐘).

When you go to Hondo, you enter Kuri first. The entrance of Kuri is large and the ceiling is very high. You can see the back of the roof directly behind beams. Since Kuri is a kitchen, big kitchen stoves are there with quite large iron pots.

After taking off your shoes, go left to Hondo. A corridor to Hondo is very special, which makes a sound like a bird singing when you walk on it. The board of corridor is called the floorboard with Japanese nightingale singing or Uguisu-bari (鴬張) in Japanese. It was said the floorboard is equipped for security purpose. When a stranger comes in, steps on the floorboard make the sound like the bird singing that works as an alert.

Hondo had a large space with tatami mats. At the center of the hall, Shaka Triad (釈迦三尊) are placed.

At the left, a huge Daruma Daishi (達磨大師) is placed, of which eyes are quite powerful and you may feel Daruma Daishi sees everything even in your mind.

Behind the Shaka Triad, there are the huge number of mortuary tables (位牌) of the temple supporter families called Danka (檀家) on both side.

After exploring Joshoji temple, you may feel as you get closer to the soul of the village people when you exit the main gate and step down the stairs.