ABOUT
About this spot
Enpukuji is an independent temple of the Shingon tradition in Baba-cho, Choshi, Chiba Prefecture. Its mountain name is Iinumasan and its main image is the Eleven-Headed Kannon. It is commonly called Iinuma Kannon, is Temple No. 27 on the Bando 33 Kannon pilgrimage, and was recognized in 2016 as a Japan Heritage component under the name Iinuma Kannon. Temple tradition says a fisherman netted a statue of the Eleven-Headed Kannon in 724 and that Kukai consecrated it in the Konin era (810-824). From the Kamakura period the temple prospered under the patronage of the local Unagami clan, and in 1591 it received a vermilion-seal grant from Tokugawa Ieyasu. Several buildings, including the pagoda and Kannon hall, were lost in the air raids of 1945 and later rebuilt; a five-story pagoda was added in 2009. The grounds include the Choshi Daibutsu, the five-story pagoda, a bell tower and the Nio gate. The Daibutsu is a seated Amida Buddha about 5.4 meters tall, made in 1711. The pagoda is about 33.55 meters high. The Iinuma benchmark stone on the grounds is a certified civil engineering heritage site. Please check visiting hours with the temple before you go.
Last updated October 26, 2026