Geographic coordinates 36.3375_N_139.4522_E Opened 1197 | Affiliation Shingon Completed 1197 Phone +81 284-41-2627 | |
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Similar Orihime Shrine, Ashikaga Station, Kanayama Castle, Mito Castle, Ashikagashi Station | ||
Banna-ji (鑁阿寺 Banna-ji?), nicknamed Dainichisama, is a Buddhist temple in Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. It was built by Ashikaga Yoshikane in 1197 during the Kamakura Period on the site of what had been an early fortified residence in Japan. It became a historic landmark in March 1921 and the main hall was designated a national treasure on May 17, 2012.
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History
The temple is located on a 40,000-square meter site, that had been a fortified residence of the Ashikaga Clan.
Current site
Although Banna-ji is a temple, there are many defensive features on site that indicate its earlier use as a castle, including earthen ramparts and a water moat enclosing the main bailey of this site. There are four extant gates, which date to the 1500s. This site was included in a list of Japan's Top 100 Castles in 2006 by the Japan Castle Foundation.