provincial temples for nuns ［国分尼寺］ ( kokubun-niji): Temples for nuns established in the provinces of Japan by an edict of Emperor Shōmu in 741. Nuns at these temples were expected to seek, through the power of the Lotus Sutra, to remove the sufferings and obstacles of the women of Japan. The temples for nuns were formally called “temples for the eradication of past offenses by the power of the Lotus Sutra.” See also provincial temples.