Bitchu Kokubunji Temple

The Bitchu Kokubunji Temple is a Buddhist temple in Okayama Prefecture. Bitchu in its name is the historical name for this area and Kokubunji is a category of Buddhist temples that were built in the Nara period (710-194) throughout Japan to protect the country from natural disasters and help in the administration of different regions. The buildings that can be seen today are later creations, and they were rebuilt in the Edo period (1600-1867). The Bitchu Kokubunji is famous for its five-storey pagoda (gojunoto) which makes for great photographs, especially when the flowers are blooming in the fields surrounding the temple. There is also a cycling route that leads past the temple.