Chojuji Temple is a Tendai Buddhist temple located in Kihara, Tomiai-machi, Minami Ward, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture. It is a branch temple of Enryakuji Temple on Mount Hiei and is widely known by the name Kihara Fudoson, after its principal deity, Fudo Myoo, the Buddhist deity associated with protection and the defeat of evil.
Chojuji is counted among Japan’s Three Great Fudo Temples, together with Naritasan Shinshoji Temple in Narita, Chiba Prefecture, and Ryusenji Temple in Meguro, Tokyo. It is also the nineteenth temple on the Kyushu Thirty-Six Fudo Sacred Sites pilgrimage route.
The temple’s best-known event is its annual grand festival, held every February 28. During the festival, ascetic practitioners perform demanding rituals, including fire-walking, in which they cross a bed of glowing embers barefoot, and yudate, a ritual involving sitting in a cauldron of boiling water.
These dramatic practices are intended as acts of religious discipline and devotion. The festival attracts tens of thousands of worshippers and visitors, creating a lively atmosphere around the temple. Special bus services operate on the festival day to accommodate the large number of visitors.
According to temple tradition, Chojuji was founded by Saicho, also known as Dengyo Daishi, during the Enryaku era, between 782 and 806. In its heyday, the temple was so influential that it was known as the foremost center for Buddhist lectures and discussion in western Japan.
The temple’s principal image is a standing statue of Fudo Myoo, said to have been carved by Saicho himself. Tradition holds that he carved the image with a prayer accompanying every stroke of the blade. A handwritten copy of the Lotus Sutra, specifically the chapter on the lifespan of the Buddha, is said to be preserved inside the statue.
During the period around the Ninpei or Hogen eras in the twelfth century, the warrior Minamoto no Tametomo, also known as Chinzei Hachiro Tametomo, is said to have traveled to Kyushu and settled in Higo Province. He built a fortified residence on Mount Kihara and deeply revered the temple’s Fudo Myoo, worshipping the deity as a guardian against misfortune approaching from the northeast.
During the Kamakura period, Minamoto no Yoritomo is said to have restored the temple buildings and donated land for its support. The donation reportedly included 18 cho of paddy fields and 8 se of temple grounds. Yoritomo also designated Chojuji as a place for prayers on behalf of the ruling authority.
During the Tensho era, the Christian daimyo Konishi Yukinaga ruled part of Higo Province. The temple suffered when its lands were confiscated during this period.
After Yukinaga was defeated at the Battle of Sekigahara, Kato Kiyomasa inherited his former territory and supported the temple’s restoration. Chojuji was thus able to recover from a period of hardship and continue its religious activities.
During the Meiji Restoration, the anti-Buddhist movement known as haibutsu kishaku led to the temporary closure of Chojuji. Because the site was recognized as an important historical temple location in the region, the temple was later revived by relocating Somiji-in, associated with Gokurakuji Temple in Uto, to the site.
Chojuji’s mountain name is Gankaizan, and the mountain behind the temple, Mount Kihara, is also known as Gankai-yama. According to legend, Minamoto no Tametomo once shot down wild geese flying over the mountain with his famous bow. The geese thereafter began to circle around the mountain rather than fly directly over it, giving rise to the name Gankai-yama, meaning “the mountain around which geese circle.”
The temple’s principal image of Fudo Myoo is also known as Mizuhiki Fudo. Local tradition tells of a severe drought that caused the rice fields below the mountain to dry up, leaving villagers in distress.
The villagers prayed to Fudo Myoo for help. Miraculously, water is said to have flowed into the fields, and traces of muddy water were found on the deity’s feet. The story gave rise to the name Mizuhiki Fudo and reflects the community’s longstanding faith in the deity’s power to protect local livelihoods.
The temple grounds cover approximately 6,600 square meters. Within this area are several religious buildings, statues, and sacred places that reflect the temple’s long history.
The Niomon Gate houses two guardian statues, each measuring more than nine shaku in height. These figures stand at the entrance to the temple grounds, symbolically protecting the sacred precinct.
The main hall displays a plaque bearing the characters “Gankaizan.” The inscription was written by Hosokawa Okifumi, also known by the literary name Otsu-o, the fifth lord of the Uto Domain.
The Kannon Hall houses two statues of Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion: one standing and one seated. The images are among the temple’s objects of worship.
Other structures and religious sites on the grounds include the Daishido Hall, the mausoleum of Minamoto no Tametomo, a bell tower, the monks’ living quarters known as the kuri, and a small study hall.
The grounds also contain a stone statue of Dengyo Daishi and a stone pagoda known as a hōkyōintō, erected by the Buddhist priest Gochō Risshi.
Three waterfalls, known as the First, Second, and Third Waterfalls, serve as places for waterfall ascetic training. Practitioners use the flowing water as part of their religious discipline.
Mitarai Pond is also known as Fudo no Mitarai. Benzaiten, a Buddhist deity associated with water, music, and prosperity, is enshrined here. According to local belief, anyone who catches fish from the pond will incur a curse, and the pond is therefore treated with respect.
The Okunoin, or inner sanctuary, is located on the former site of Minamoto no Tametomo’s fortified residence. It enshrines five Buddhist figures: Amida Nyorai, Kannon, Seishi Bosatsu, Fudo Myoo, and Bishamonten.
Chojuji holds religious observances throughout the year, many of which are connected with the worship of Fudo Myoo.
January 1–3: Shusho-e, a series of New Year Buddhist services.
February 3: Setsubun observance, featuring bean throwing to drive away misfortune and welcome good fortune.
February 28: Spring Grand Festival, featuring the fire-walking and boiling-water rituals.
May 28: Summer Grand Festival.
October 28: Autumn Grand Festival.
December 28: Year-end prayer service for Fudo Myoo.
The 28th of every month: Monthly festival day. The principal image, normally kept inside its shrine cabinet, is opened for worshippers to view.
Chojuji has a traditional devotional poem, or goeika, associated with its faith in Fudo Myoo:
“Through the long ages, the sword that destroys the demons of karma brings down evil; the blessings of Kihara Fudo are truly powerful.”
The poem expresses the belief that the deity’s wisdom and power overcome evil and bring protection to those who pray at the temple.
From Kumamoto Sakuramachi Bus Terminal, take a Kumamoto Bus service bound for Uto Station via Jonan. Get off at the Kihara Fudoson-mae bus stop and walk approximately five minutes, or about 380 meters, to the temple.
Additional buses operate on February 28 for the grand festival.
From Uto Station on the JR Kyushu Kagoshima Main Line, the temple is approximately ten minutes away by taxi.
The temple is approximately 3.8 kilometers from the Jonan Smart Interchange on the Kyushu Expressway and about 9 kilometers from the Matsubase Interchange.
Chojuji Temple brings together centuries of Buddhist faith, warrior-era legends, and demanding ascetic traditions. Its connection with Saicho, Minamoto no Tametomo, and Minamoto no Yoritomo forms an important part of its historical identity, while the annual fire-walking and boiling-water rituals remain its best-known events.
Visitors can explore the 6,600-square-meter temple grounds, see the Niomon Gate and Kannon Hall, and discover the legends associated with Gankai-yama and Mizuhiki Fudo. For those visiting on February 28, the grand festival offers a rare opportunity to witness traditional religious practices that continue to attract tens of thousands of worshippers.