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Yokohama Kanteibyo Temple

God of Wealth in Chinatown

The Yokohama Kanteibyo Temple in Yokohama's Chinatown was built about 150 years ago and has been damaged by earthquakes and fires three times, and was last rebuilt in 1990. The temple is built in the style of a Taiwanese temple and is dedicated to Holy Emperor Lord Guan Yu, who is regarded as the god of wealth by local Chinese merchants.

The Guan Yu Faith has been passed down in China for a long time, and a wooden statue of Holy Emperor Lord Guan Yu came to Japan across the ocean in 1862, resulting in the founding of Yokohama Kanteibyo Temple 橫濱關帝廟 (Kuan Ti Miao).

The temple is located in Yokohama Chinatown, it has survived the trials and tribulations of the past 150 years from a small shrine, to become what it is today. The temple was destroyed three times by the Great Kanto Earthquake and fires, the Fourth Reconstruction Was Completed in 1990.

Carvings on the Ridge

Yokohama Kanteibyo Temple is a Hokkien-Taiwanese Chinese-style building. Behind the archway is the Extremely Intricately Carved Main Hall, with stone lions and Huabiao monuments in front.

Manywhere Trivia:
The stone used for this pair of stone lions was from Taiwan, and they were dug out of the ruins after the 1986 fire and have been guarding the site ever since.

This hall is dedicated to Holy Emperor Lord Guan Yu (Guan Sheng Di Jun), and is flanked by Guanyin Bodhisattva (Kannon) and Earth Mother Goddess. In the eyes of local Chinese, Guan Sheng Di Jun is the embodiment of the God of Wealth, so the temple, surrounded by Chinese restaurants, has a strong incense culture, and it has become a daily routine for many Chinese merchants in the neighborhood to come here to pay homage.