Masuda · JP

Kyoon Temple

Kyoon Temple, or Kyōon-ji (暁音寺), is a Pure Land (Jōdo-shū) Buddhist temple tucked into the old castle-town lanes of Nanaochō in Masuda, western Shimane. Founded in 1543 and moved to its present site in 1601, it carries a quiet architectural treasure: a timber gate joined by a skirted bell tower that has become one of the most recognizable landmarks of Masuda's historic quarter. What makes a stop here worthwhile is how a single temple tells the story of Masuda as a medieval fortress town. The crooked approach road in front was once a deliberate defensive bend, and the temple grounds occupy the site of a senior retainer's residence. The gate-and-bell-tower view, set against the shoulder of Nanao Mountain, is part of an officially recognized Japan Heritage landscape devoted to the culture of the Masuda clan.