Shonenji Temple, Takachiho

Shonen-ji (正念寺) is a temple of the Jōdo Shinshū (Pure Land) school of Buddhism. It is located in Takachiho Town, Miyazaki, on Kyūshū, Japan's southernmost main island.

The Shonen-ji temple complex is situated at the base of Genbuzan mountain, about 12 km outside central Takachiho. It was established there in 1578 by Tanio Yoshimura following the destruction of Genbu-jo, the Yoshimura clan's castle. Genbu-jo was burned and the principal Yoshimura family members killed when the Christian daimyō, Ōtomo Sōrin, invaded from Bungo Province in the north. According to temple records, Tanio Yoshimura experienced a revelation following the loss of the castle and then committed himself and his successors to a religious life in atonement for the many deaths that had occurred.

In accordance with Jōdo Shinshū tradition, the position of head priest at Shonen-ji is hereditary through the eldest son. The present head priest, Junsho Yoshimura (b. 1958), is the seventeenth generation of his family to serve at Shonen-ji. Shonen-ji is unique (June 2011) among Japanese temples in that the English wife of the head priest is herself an ordained Kiyoshi (senior priest).

In May 2006, Shonen-ji established a branch temple in the Kishinoue section of central Takachiho. The Kishinoue Kaikan (see image below) includes a meeting hall, a mausoleum, and an English school.

Takachiho-cho

 * A Shōrō-mon (鐘楼門) stands at the main entrance to the temple. In 1978, a new bell was installed to mark the 400th anniversary of Shonen-ji's founding. The tower itself was rebuilt as a 3x2 ken (bay) structure in 1986.
 * Shonen-ji's Hon-dō (本堂) measures 7x7 ken (bays). The hall has been destroyed by fire twice in its history. The present structure dates from the early 20th century.
 * Nokotsu-dō (Mausoleum) 3x2 ken
 * Kaikan (Meeting Hall). Opened in December 2000.
 * Community Hall

Central Takachiho

 * Kishinoue Kaikan (Branch temple, mausoleum, and English school) in the Kishinoue section of central Takachiho.