Shoshazan Engyō-ji Temple

Engyō-ji Temple (written in common-use kanji as 円教寺, pronounced Engyōji in Japanese) is located on Mount Shosha in Himeji City, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. It is one of the special head temples of the Tendai sect, with the mountain name (sangō) “Mount Shosha” and the principal objects of worship being the Shaka Triad (Śākyamuni Buddha with attendants). It is listed as Temple No. 27 on the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage. The title of Chōri (head priest) was conferred by Emperor Go-Shirakawa.

As the largest temple on the Saigoku 33 Pilgrimage, Engyō-ji is often called the “Hiei-zan of the West” due to its location on Mount Shosha, and in the medieval period it was considered one of the three great Tendai training centers, along with Mount Hiei and Mount Daisen. Despite being located in Harima Province, far from Kyoto, it enjoyed strong imperial and aristocratic patronage, with successive emperors and retired emperors visiting for worship.

Temple Layout
The grounds of Engyō-ji are divided into three valleys according to the terrain:

• East Valley: From the Niōmon Gate to the Jūmyō-in area.

• Middle Valley: Centered around the Mani-den (Kannon Hall).

• West Valley: Home to the Sannodō complex (Jōgyō-dō, Daikō-dō, and Shoku-dō) as well as the Oku-no-in (Inner Sanctuary).

Mount Shosha, where the temple complex is located, rises 371 meters above sea level, and the entire area is designated as the “Mount Shosha Wildlife Protection Area (Special Protection Zone)” by Hyōgo Prefecture.

History and Features
From 1398 (Ōei 5) until the Meiji Restoration, Engyō-ji enforced a ban on women entering the mountain. Female devotees could only offer prayers and leave votive tablets at the Women’s Hall (Nyonin-dō, now Nyoirin-ji) at the foot of the mountain. The temple grounds also contain the family graves of the Honda clan, lords of Himeji Domain, including retainers of Honda Tadatoki and the grave of Miyamoto Mikinosuke, adopted son of the famed swordsman Miyamoto Musashi.

Beyond its religious and historical significance, Engyō-ji is renowned as a filming location due to its grand scenery and historic atmosphere. It was featured in the 2003 Hollywood film The Last Samurai, as well as in NHK Taiga dramas such as Musashi (2003) and Gunshi Kanbei (2014), and in numerous other films including Genji Monogatari: Sennen no Nazo (2011), Tenchi Meisatsu (2012), Sekigahara (2017), and Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins (2021).