The Remains of Hyuga Kokubunji Temple are located in Saito City, Miyazaki Prefecture. They preserve the site of an ancient Buddhist temple that existed from the Nara period through to the early modern era. Hyuga Kokubunji was one of the provincial temples established throughout Japan under an imperial order issued by Emperor Shomu during the Nara period. These temples were built to protect the nation through Buddhism. The temple was abolished in 1871, and its former grounds are now designated as a National Historic Site.
Hyuga Kokubunji was established during the Nara period (710–794) under the orders of Emperor Shomu. Provincial temples, known as Kokubunji, were established in each province throughout Japan as part of a national initiative to protect the country through Buddhist faith and prayer.
The precise date when Hyuga Kokubunji was founded is not recorded. However, based on an entry in the historical chronicle Shoku Nihongi dated 756, its construction is believed to have taken place sometime between 741 and 756.
In 1788, a Buddhist itinerant monk named Gyoki visited Hyuga Kokubunji while traveling around the country. The temple had fallen into decline by that time. At the request of local residents, he became its chief priest and worked to restore it.
In 1791, a fire destroyed the temple buildings. The monk continued his restoration efforts and created Buddhist statues, including a group of five Buddhas known as the Five Wisdom Buddhas (Gochi Nyorai).
However, in 1871, the temple was abolished during the anti-Buddhist movement known as haibutsu kishaku, which accompanied the separation of Shinto and Buddhism in the early Meiji period. The buildings were subsequently dismantled.
After the temple was abolished, the Five Wisdom Buddha statues were protected by local worshippers. The temple was later rebuilt, but shortly after World War II, the building collapsed during a typhoon.
It was reconstructed once again, but the building was eventually dismantled when the Mokujiki Gochikan was constructed to house the Five Wisdom Buddha statues.
The remains of Hyuga Kokubunji are located in a relatively low-lying area in the southern part of the Saitobaru Plateau.
Archaeological investigations were first conducted in 1948 by the Hyuga Archaeological Research Group. Further excavations were carried out by the Miyazaki Prefectural Board of Education in 1961 and 1989.
These investigations identified structural remains believed to have belonged to the monks’ living quarters, known as sōbō. However, the overall arrangement of the temple’s principal buildings had not yet been clarified.
Since 1995, additional excavations conducted by the Saito City Board of Education have uncovered further remains, including ground preparation structures believed to be associated with the main hall, as well as the remains of the inner gate and corridors. These discoveries have gradually revealed part of the original layout of the temple complex.
Approximately 600 meters north of the monks’ temple site are the remains of Hyuga Kokubunniji, the provincial Buddhist convent for nuns.
The convent is believed to have stood on the grounds now occupied by Miyazaki Prefectural Tsumakō High School. The site is also known as the Suwa Archaeological Site.
Numerous roof tiles believed to have been produced during the same period as those used at the provincial government office and the monks’ temple have been excavated here. These discoveries suggest that the convent was part of the same historical and cultural setting.
However, archaeological investigations have so far identified only a ditch, and the precise arrangement of the convent’s buildings remains unknown.
The Remains of Hyuga Kokubunji were designated a Miyazaki Prefectural Historic Site on April 17, 1934. They were subsequently designated a National Historic Site on September 21, 2011.
These designations recognize the historical importance of the former temple and provide a framework for protecting and preserving the archaeological remains for future generations.
The wooden seated statues of the Five Wisdom Buddhas that once belonged to Hyuga Kokubunji were designated a Miyazaki Prefectural Tangible Cultural Property in the category of fine arts and crafts on November 1, 1996.
These Buddhist statues are important historical objects that convey the religious history of Hyuga Kokubunji. They continue to be objects of local devotion and are treasured as part of the area’s cultural heritage.
The remains of Hyuga Kokubunji are located in Miyake, Saito City, Miyazaki Prefecture. The surrounding area contains numerous archaeological and historical sites, including the Saitobaru Burial Mounds and the remains of the ancient provincial government office of Hyuga Province.
These nearby sites make the area particularly rewarding for visitors interested in the history of ancient Japan. Exploring them together provides a broader understanding of the political, religious, and cultural landscape of the former Hyuga Province.
Remains of Hyuga Kokubunji Temple: Miyake, Saito City, Miyazaki Prefecture
Coordinates: 32°06′08.70″N, 131°23′48.87″E
Remains of Hyuga Kokubunniji Temple: Mimatsu, Saito City, Miyazaki Prefecture
Coordinates: 32°06′28.87″N, 131°23′46.66″E
The Remains of Hyuga Kokubunji preserve the history of one of the provincial temples established under Emperor Shomu’s nationwide Buddhist initiative during the Nara period. Although the exact date of its foundation is unknown, historical records suggest that it was built between 741 and 756.
Its later history, including the restoration efforts of the itinerant monk Gyoki, the destruction caused by fire, and its eventual abolition during the Meiji period, reflects the changes that Buddhist institutions experienced in Japan over many centuries.
Archaeological discoveries continue to reveal the layout of the ancient temple, while the surviving Five Wisdom Buddha statues provide an important connection to its religious past. Together with the nearby convent site, Saitobaru Burial Mounds, and former provincial government office, Hyuga Kokubunji offers visitors a valuable opportunity to explore the history of ancient Miyazaki.