Enmeiin (延命院) is a Buddhist temple belonging to the Chizan-ha branch of the Shingon school (真言宗智山派) of Buddhism. The temple was founded in 1063 in Utsunomiya city downtown by Souen Fujiwara (藤原宗円). The 18 meter tall Aesculus tree shown in the middle of the photo is believed to be 350 years old. This tree is special in Tochigi Prefecture because the genus of Aesculus is the symbol tree of the prefecture.
In general, Buddhist temple grounds include a cemetery and take care of memorial services for the deceased...
This is also an entry for Show Me Japan Vol 1, Issue 14. If you want to see nice photos taken in Japan, don't forget to visit!
