fugen tera

Fugenji is an ancient temple of the Rinzai Myōshinji sect located in Notsumachi, Usuki City, Oita Prefecture. Its founding is traditionally dated to 1429 (Eikyō 1), with the eminent priest Gessō Gishu credited as its founder. Gessō Gishu established numerous temples across Kyushu, and Fugenji was built to serve as a spiritual center for the local community. During the era when the Ōtomo clan of Bungo fervently embraced Zen Buddhism, the temple flourished under the patronage of the local lord. In the Edo period, it became deeply integrated into the lives of local residents through the danka system, nurturing faith through memorial services and annual events. Supported by the devout faith of local people, the temple survived the turbulent wave of anti-Buddhist sentiment in the Meiji era and continues to uphold its Buddhist teachings today.