Sōfuku-ji

Top choice in Nagasaki


In Teramachi, this Ōbaku temple (Ōbaku is the third-largest Zen sect after Rinzai and Sōtō) was built in 1629 by Chinese monk Chaonian. Its red entrance gate (Daiippo-mon) exemplifies Ming-dynasty architecture. Inside the temple you can admire a huge cauldron that was used to prepare food for famine victims in 1681, and a statue of Mazu (aka Maso), goddess of the sea, worshipped by early Chinese seafarers. There are excellent descriptions in English throughout the grounds.

Transportation

  • tram: Sōfuku-ji

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Nagasaki attractions

1. Nakashima-gawa Bridges

0.41 MILES

Parallel to Teramachi, the Nakashima-gawa is crossed by a picturesque collection of 17th-century stone bridges. At one time each bridge was the distinct…

2. Megane-bashi

0.41 MILES

The best known of several bridges that cross the Nakashima-gawa, the Spectacles Bridge is so called because the reflection of the arches in the water…

3. Kōfuku-ji

0.43 MILES

This temple in Teramachi dates from the 1620s and is noted for the Ming architecture of the main hall. Like Sōfuku-ji, it is an Ōbaku Zen temple – and the…

4. Shinchi Chinatown

0.49 MILES

During Japan's long period of seclusion, Chinese traders were theoretically just as restricted as the Dutch, but in practice they were relatively free…

5. Dejima

0.63 MILES

In 1641 the Tokugawa shogunate banished all foreigners from Japan, with one exception: Dejima, a fan-shaped, artificial island in Nagasaki harbour. From…

6. Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum

0.77 MILES

Designed by Kuma Kengo (the architect behind Tokyo's Nezu Museum and 2020 Olympic Stadium), this museum straddles a canal in an environmentally friendly…

7. Dutch Slopes

0.77 MILES

The gently inclined flagstone streets known as the Dutch Slopes were once lined with wooden Dutch houses. Several buildings here have been beautifully…

8. Ko-shashin-shiryōkan

0.77 MILES

In the Dutch Slopes, this quiet museum showcases the area's history through historic photographs (note that most signage is in Japanese). The combined…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "japan/kyushu/nagasaki/attractions/sofuku-ji/a/poi-sig/429554/356734",
      "destination": "Nagasaki",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "Japan",
      "city": "Nagasaki",
      "position": "superzone"
    }