A Shingon Buzan temple in Sawara, Katori, enshrining Fudo Myo-o. Supported by Sawara merchants of the Tone River shipping trade as parishioners, it flourished as the temple's fortunes grew. Located near the historic preservation district, floats pass the temple during the Sawara Grand Festival, creating a scene where festival and faith merge.

Joenji temple is said to have been founded around the Oei era (1394–1428), and has long maintained the flame of Shingon Buzan Buddhism, a tradition tracing its lineage to the monk Kukai, in the town of Sawara, Katori. While the precise circumstances of its founding remain unclear, it is believed tha…