Kannonji Temple in Beppu- Kankaiji Temple — 別府温泉

Kannonji Temple in Beppu portrays one of the sacred sites associated with Beppu, the famous hot spring city on the eastern coast of Kyushu. Kankaiji Temple, perched on a hillside overlooking the city and Beppu Bay, has served as a place of Buddhist worship since its founding in the Kamakura period. The temple grounds offer panoramic views of the steaming landscape below, where volcanic activity feeds thousands of natural hot springs.

This oban woodblock print captures the temple within its surrounding environment of lush vegetation and rising steam. Shuho renders the architectural details of the temple buildings with precision, while the surrounding landscape of subtropical trees and thermal mists creates an atmosphere unique to this volcanic region. The print reflects the tradition of meisho-e, pictures of famous places, adapted for a modern audience interested in Japanese domestic tourism during the early Showa period.