Confidence
| Field | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Temple name | 97% | Top-right red rectangular seal clearly reads 「篠粟 第一番」(Sasaguri #1); the red square seal lower-left reads 鷲頭山 + 南蔵院 — confirms Nanzō-in. The central calligraphy "南無釋迦如来" (Namu Shaka Nyorai) matches Nanzō-in's bronze reclining Buddha (Shakyamuni Nirvana statue), the temple's signature image. |
| Pilgrimage number (Sasaguri #1) | 99% | Sasaguri Shikoku 88-temple pilgrimage starts at Nanzō-in. The 「第一番」 seal is unambiguous. |
| Date | 97% | Right column legibly reads 令和七年 三月 廿三日 = 23 March 2025 (Reiwa 7) |
Identification
- Name (Japanese): 鷲頭山 南蔵院
- Name (Romanized): Jutōzan Nanzō-in
- Type: Buddhist temple — 高野山真言宗 (Kōyasan Shingon-shū) — head temple of the 篠栗四国八十八ヶ所霊場 (Sasaguri Shikoku 88-Temple Pilgrimage)
- Pilgrimage: Sasaguri Shikoku 88 #1 (篠栗八十八ヶ所第一番札所)
- Honzon (this goshuin's calligraphy): 釈迦如来 (Shakyamuni Buddha) — referencing the temple's giant bronze Reclining Buddha (Nehan-zō / 涅槃像)
- Location: Sasaguri-machi, Kasuga District, Fukuoka Prefecture
- Date received: 令和七年三月廿三日 = 23 March 2025 (Reiwa 7)
Reading the goshuin
| Element | Reading | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 篠粟 第一番 | Sasaguri (88-temple pilgrimage) #1 | Top right, red rectangular seal |
| 南無 | Namu — "I take refuge in" | Right column top, small brush |
| 釋迦如来 | Shaka Nyorai — Shakyamuni Buddha | Center, large brush |
| 釈迦如来 (red round seal, partially overstamped) | Shaka Nyorai red seal in tensho | Center, behind calligraphy |
| 鷲頭山 + 南蔵院 (red square) | Jutōzan + Nanzō-in — temple name seals | Bottom-left + lower-right, red squares |
| 別格本山 | Bekkaku-honzan — "special-rank head temple" | Bottom-left, red rectangular |
| 令和七年三月廿三日 | Reiwa 7, 3 March 23 = 23 March 2025 | Right column, brush |
| 南無大師 | Namu Daishi — "Hail to the Daishi (Kūkai)" | Right column, in red rectangular seal |
About the temple
Nanzō-in is the head temple (総本山級 / spiritual headquarters) of the Sasaguri Shikoku 88-Temple Pilgrimage, a regional miniature pilgrimage in Fukuoka Prefecture's Kasuga District that compresses the famous Shikoku 88-Temple Pilgrimage (Henro) into a 50 km route through the mountainous Sasaguri area. The Sasaguri pilgrimage was founded in 1834 by a Sasaguri-area nun named Jiun, who had completed the original Shikoku Henro and wished to make the pilgrimage accessible to local women, the elderly, and the poor who could not travel to Shikoku itself.
The Sasaguri pilgrimage is counted alongside the Shōdoshima 88 Pilgrimage and the Chita 88 Pilgrimage as one of the 三大新四国霊場 (Three Great New Shikoku Pilgrimages) in Japan.
What it's known for — the giant Reclining Buddha
Nanzō-in's most famous feature, and what draws over 1.3 million visitors annually, is the 涅槃像 (Nehan-zō / Nirvana Buddha statue) — a colossal bronze statue of the reclining Shakyamuni Buddha at the moment of his entry into parinirvana (death). The statue measures:
- 41 meters long
- 11 meters tall
- 300 tons in weight (bronze)
It is the largest bronze reclining Buddha statue in the world, completed in 1995. The statue is built directly into the hillside above the temple, with visitors able to walk to its feet, where two of its toes are wrapped in wishing-strings (御利益紐) that connect through the bronze to the Buddha's hand.
What it's known for / the blessing
- 諸願成就 (shogan jōju) — fulfillment of all wishes
- 当病平癒 (tōbyō heiyu) — healing of present illness (the Buddha's outstretched hand reaches symbolically to the sick)
- Pilgrimage credit — completion of Sasaguri #1 / starting credit for the entire 88-temple circuit
- 宝くじ祈願 (takarakuji kigan) — lottery / windfall prayer; Nanzō-in is famously associated with a 1995 case in which the head priest won a major lottery shortly after praying at the Buddha; this gave it an enduring popular reputation as a 金運 (kin-un / financial fortune) power spot
Sources
- Nanzō-in official site: https://nanzoin.net/
- Nanzō-in Wikipedia: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/南蔵院_(福岡県篠栗町)
- Sasaguri 88 official: https://sasaguri88.la.coocan.jp/
- Sasaguri Shikoku Wikipedia: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/篠栗四国八十八箇所
- Nanzō-in Sasaguri-drive: https://sasaguri88.drive-nikki.com/nanzoin1.html
- Fukuoka Touch Nanzō-in: https://fukuoka-touch.net/nanzouin