Gokoku-ji (Okinawa)

Gokoku-ji
護国寺
Entrance to main prayer hall. The mitsu-tomoe mon (crest) of the Ryukyuan royal family, and paulownia crest of the Japanese government can be seen flanking the doors.
Religion
AffiliationShingon Buddhism
DeityKannon Bosatsu
Location
Location1-25-5 Wakasa, Naha, Okinawa
CountryJapan
Architecture
FounderRaijū
Completed1367
Website
http://w1.nirai.ne.jp/njm/index.html

Gokoku-ji (護国寺; "Protection of the Nation Temple") is a Shingon Buddhist temple in Naha, Okinawa. Established in 1367, the temple served as a major national temple for the Okinawan kingdom of Chūzan and the unified Ryūkyū Kingdom which would follow. It is well known for its associations with Christian missionary Bernard Jean Bettelheim and with the 1853-1854 visits by Commodore Matthew Perry to Okinawa.