Seiganto-ji
| Seiganto-ji | |
|---|---|
青岸渡寺 | |
Three-story pagoda with Nachi Falls in the background | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Tendai |
| Deity | Nyoirin Kannon (Chintamanicakra) |
| Location | |
| Location | 8 Nachisan, Nachikatsuura-chō, Higashimuro-gun, Wakayama Prefecture |
| Country | Japan |
| Geographic coordinates | 33°40′10″N 135°53′23″E / 33.6694°N 135.8898°E |
| Architecture | |
| Founder | Ragyō Shōnin |
| Completed | 4th century (presumed legendary) |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iii, iv, vi |
| Designated | 2004 (28th session) |
| Reference no. | 1142bis |
| Part of | Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range |
Seiganto-ji (青岸渡寺), Temple of Crossing the Blue Shore, is a Tendai Buddhist temple in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 as part of Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range. According to a legend, it was founded by Ragyō Shōnin, a monk from India. The temple was purposely built near Nachi Falls, where it may have previously been a site of nature worship. Seiganto-ji, part of the Kumano Sanzan shrine complex, is one of the few remaining jingū-ji or shrine temples following the forcible separation of Shinto and Buddhism during the Meiji restoration.
It is the first stop on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage and is also classified as an Important Cultural Property by the Japanese government.