Shimōsa Kokubun-ji (original) (raw)

The Shimōsa Kokubun-ji (下総国分寺) is a Buddhist temple located in the city of Ichikawa, Chiba, Japan, belonging to the Shingon-shu Buzan-ha sect. The present temple is of uncertain foundation, but claims to be the direct descendant of the original Nara period provincial temple ("kokubunji") of former Shimōsa Province. which fell into ruins sometime in the Kamakura period. The Nara-period temple ruins were designated a National Historic Site in 1967, and the area under protection includes the site of a kiln used to produce roof tiles used by the temple. The area designated was expanded in 2002