Buddhist temple
Mizusawa-dera
水澤寺（みずさわでら）
Shibukawa, Gunma Prefecture
A temple in Ikaho-machi, Shibukawa, familiar by the name “Mizusawa Kanzeon,” with the mountain name Gotokusan. Its principal image is an Eleven-faced Thousand-armed Kanzeon Bosatsu said to have been the personal devotional image of Ikaho-hime.
English pages are the site’s own translations of its Japanese pages. The sources cited are in Japanese. 日本語で読む
Prayers associated with this place
Principal image: Eleven-faced Thousand-armed Kanzeon Bosatsu
History and things to know
According to the temple's tradition, it was founded about 1,300 years ago by Ekan Sōjō, a monk from Goguryeo, at the imperial wish of both Empress Suiko and Empress Jitō, and the temple's name is said to come from a plaque written by Empress Suiko. It lost many of its halls in repeated fires; the official guide states that the present buildings, after a temporary hall of the Daiei era, were put in order through a great reconstruction lasting 33 years from the Hōreki era.
Introduced by this site, based on materials from the shrine or temple and public bodies.
Related kami and buddhas
Before you visit
On the official website it is introduced under the name “Mizusawa Kanzeon.”
Official website of the shrine or temple (may be in Japanese)
Sources (in Japanese)
- 水澤寺「御祭神・御本尊・由緒の公式案内」（2026-10-22 確認）
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