Chūson-ji

Chūson-jí
中尊寺
Religion
AffiliationBuddhist
DeityShaka Nyōrai
RiteTendai
Statusfunctional
Location
Location202 Hiraizumi-Koromonoseki, Hiraizumi-chō, Nishiiwai-gun, Iwate-ken
CountryJapan
Shown within Iwate Prefecture
Chūson-ji (Japan)
Geographic coordinates39°00′05″N 141°05′59″E / 39.001446°N 141.099833°E / 39.001446; 141.099833
Architecture
FounderEnnin
Completedc.850
TypeCultural
Criteriaii, iv
Designated2011
Reference no.1277
Website
Official website

Chūson-ji (中尊寺) is a Buddhist temple in the town of Hiraizumi in southern Iwate Prefecture, Japan. It is the head temple of the Tendai sect in Tōhoku region of northern Honshu. The temple claims it was founded in 850 by Ennin, the third chief abbot of the sect. George Sansom states Chūson-jí was founded by Fujiwara no Kiyohira in 1095. Chūson-jí was designated as a Special Historic Site in 1979 and in June 2011 was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a part of the "Historic Monuments and Sites of Hiraizumi".