Buddhist temple
Yūkoku-ji
熊谷寺（ゆうこくじ）
Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture
A Jōdo-shū nenbutsu practice hall in Kumagaya with the mountain name 蓮生山. Its principal image is the “Shōko no Amida Nyorai,” said to have been handed down in the Kumagai family. Rensei's grave is said to be in its grounds.
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: standing Shōko Amida Nyorai (the “Shōko no Amida Nyorai”)
History and things to know
According to the temple's tradition, it originated when Kumagai Jirō Naozane, after returning home from Kyoto, set up a hermitage within his castle and revered Amida Nyorai as the principal image of his nenbutsu. In Tenshō 19 the priest Banzui'i collected donations, built a great temple complex and named it 蓮生山 Yūkoku-ji. After it burned in a fire in Ansei 1, rebuilding proceeded from Meiji 36, and a ceremony to install the buddha was held in Taishō 4.
Introduced by this site, based on materials from the shrine or temple and public bodies.
Before you visit
According to the official guide, ordinary visits are not accepted; the temple can be visited only on particular service days such as the Flower Festival (Hana Matsuri) and the Great Segaki service.
Official website of the shrine or temple (may be in Japanese)
Sources (in Japanese)
- 熊谷寺「御祭神・御本尊・由緒の公式案内」（2026-10-22 確認）
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