is a Buddhist temple located in the town of Ōtaki

Otaki, Chiba

is a town located in Isumi District, Chiba, Japan, occupying the center of the Bōsō Peninsula. The town is known for its association with Edo period general Honda Tadakatsu and its prominent castle. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 10,794 and a population density of 83.1 persons...

 in Chiba Prefecture

Chiba Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...

, and is a temple of the Nichiren

Nichiren Buddhism

Nichiren Buddhism is a branch of Mahāyāna Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th century Japanese monk Nichiren...

 sect. The temple was given its name in 1253, and is a reference to the opening line of the Lotus Sutra

Lotus Sutra

The Lotus Sūtra is one of the most popular and influential Mahāyāna sūtras, and the basis on which the Tiantai and Nichiren sects of Buddhism were established.-Title:...

. Myōhōshō-ji is located deep in the Bōsō Hill Range

Bōsō Hill Range

The is a mountain range on the Bōsō Peninsula of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The highest point in the Bōsō Mountain Range is at Mount Atago, with an altitude of . The hill range runs from roughly in a line from Mobara or Ōamishirasato to Kisarazu, but is not formally defined. It is an important part...

 in the center of the Bōsō Peninsula

Boso Peninsula

thumb|Locationthumb|Landsat image with high-resolution data from Space Shuttle is a peninsula in Chiba prefecture on Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It forms the eastern edge of Tokyo Bay, separating it from the Pacific Ocean....

. The temple had fallen into nearly complete ruin by 1904, but was slowly rebuilt starting in 1931 by Nichiren Buddhists.

Hydrangea plantings

Myōhōshō-ji is a popular tourist destination as a result of being an “ajisai-dera”, or hydrangea temples. Since 1951 the temple has planted and maintained 20,000 hydrangea bushes as part of a prayer garden, which are in blossom during the month of August. The garden is also well known for its himeharu cicadia population. Myōhōshō-ji is a popular destination to watch the first sunrise on New Year’s Day.

Transportation

Myōhōshō-ji is not accessible by public transportation, but is located an hour's drive from Japan National Route 297 between Tateyama

Tateyama, Chiba

is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of September 2010, the city had an estimated population of 49,315 and the population density of 447 persons per km². The total area was 110.21 km²...

 and Ichihara

Ichihara, Chiba

is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of August 2010, the city has an estimated population of 279,080, with a population density of 758 persons per km². The total area of Ichihara was 368.20 km²...

.