Nanzo-in (南蔵院) is a Shingon Buddhist temple in Sasaguri, Fukuoka, Japan. It is notable for its bronze statue of a reclining Buddha, said to be the largest bronze statue in the world.
Gate to Nanzo-in in Sasaguri, Fukuoka, Japan.Nanzo-in was originally located on Mount Kōya, but local anti-Buddhist authorities threatened to destroy the temple in 1886.[1] Public outcry lead to a decade-long effort to have the temple transferred to Sasaguri.[2] It was moved in 1899, under the leadership of Sasaguri priest, Hayashi Satoshiun.[3] Nanzo-in is the main location among the 88 temples that make up the Sasaguri pilgrimage route, one of the three famous walking pilgrimages in Japan.[4][5]
Today, the temple and its surrounding grounds receive more than 1 million visitors annually.[citation needed]
LotteryA chief priest of Nanzo-in once won the lottery after laying his ticket next to a statue of Daikoku.[6] The temple claims that others who have made a similar effort have also won the lottery, bringing the temple associations with luck and lottery tickets.[7]
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