Mōtsū-ji: Difference between revisions

Mōtsū-ji
Mōtsū-ji
毛越寺
	The Pure Land garden of Mōtsū-ji. The rocks are arranged to represent the rocky coast of Iwate.
Religion
Affiliation	Buddhist
Deity	Yakushi Nyōrai
Rite	Tendai
Status	functional
Location
Location	58 Osawa, Hiraizumi-chō, Nishiiwai-gun, Iwate-ken
Country	Japan
	Shown within Iwate Prefecture Mōtsū-ji (Japan)
Geographic coordinates	38°59′16″N 141°06′29″E / 38.987817°N 141.108022°E
Architecture
Founder	Ennin
Completed	850
	UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iv
Designated	2011
Reference no.	1277
Website
	Official website
	Special National Historic Site of Japan Special Place of Scenic Beauty

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The modern temple of Mōtsū-ji with an incense burner in the foreground

Mōtsū-ji (毛越寺) is a Buddhist temple of the Tendai sect in the town of Hiraizumi in southern Iwate Prefecture, Japan, and also refers to the historic area surrounding it containing the ruins of two older temples, Enryū-ji (圓隆寺) and Kashō-ji (嘉祥寺) in a Jōdo (Pure Land) garden. The current temple was built in the 18th century and bears no relation to the ancient temple structures that once stood here. In June 2011, Mōtsū-ji was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as "Historic Monuments and Sites of Hiraizumi".

History[edit]

Mōtsū-ji was founded in 850 by Ennin (Jikaku Daishi). At the time, the area was a frontier between Yamato Japan and the Emishi of the Tōhoku region of northern Honshū.

In the mid-12th century, Fujiwara no Motohira, the second Northern Fujiwara lord, built a temple here called Enryū-ji. There is also a possibility that Motohira's father Fujiwara no Kiyohira built an earlier Enryū-ji on this site before he died in 1128. If so, it is supposed that this original temple was consumed by fire soon after its completion in the war of succession between Motohira and his brother Koretsune. The temple built by Motohira around 1150 would then have been a copy of his father's temple.

Motohira's Enryū-ji must have been spectacular by any standards. The main hall contained a monumental statue of Yakushi Nyōrai, the Buddha of Healing, with monumental statues of the Twelve Divine Generals (Jūni Shinshō), sculpted by Unkei with crystal eyes; an innovation at that time. The hall itself was brightly painted and decorated with precious wood, gold, silver and jewels. The main hall was surrounded by other buildings including a lecture hall, a circumambulation hall, a two-story main gate, a bell tower and a sutra repository. The temple's name placard was written by Fujiwara no Tadamichi (藤原忠通) and the ornamental poem slips by Fujiwara no Norinaga.

At the height of its glory Mōtsū-ji is said to have had 40 buildings and up to 500 subsidiary chapels for meditation, many of which used rare woods and precious materials in their construction, in the manner of nearby Chūson-ji.

Once Enryū-ji was completed Motohira ordered an almost exact copy to be built beside it, Kashō-ji. He did not live to see it completed. His son and heir, Hidehira, accomplished that task. Kashō-ji also contained a monumental statue of Yakushi Nyōrai but the walls were decorated with paintings illustrating the Lotus Sutra.

After the downfall of the Northern Fujiwara clan, all of the buildings were destroyed by fires, either natural or in conflicts, and the temple was completely in ruins by 1226.^[1]

Current status[edit]

The temple was rebuilt during the Edo period; however, the current structures were not located on the original foundations and are not reconstructions of the original buildings. The current temple buildings consist of a Hondō enshrining a Yakushi Nyōrai, and a Jogyō-dō meditation hall. The Oizumi-ga-ike pond and surrounding Pure Land garden is preserved much as it was 800 years ago. The designer of the garden is unknown, but was clearly familiar with the Sakuteiki (an 11th-century treatise on garden making). The garden consists of a large pond with two islands, one peninsula on the southeast shore, and three on the south shore. On the north shore of the pond are the remains of the original main hall, bell tower and sutra repository. In the original garden, bridges connected this hall with the central island (which was shaped like a magatama) and the great south gate. The shoreline, with its beach, peninsulas and rugged mountain rocks, is thought to represent the seacoast. There are beautiful plantings of cherry trees, irises, lotus, bush clover and maples. Various festivals are held throughout the year.

Mōtsū-ji is designated as both a Special Place of Scenic Beauty and a Special National Historic Site.^[2]

Annual events[edit]

January 20: The Jogyodo 20th Night Festival and "Ennen no Mai" Dance
May 1–5: Spring Fujiwara Festival and Ennen no Mai Dance
June 20 - July 10: Ayame Matsuri or Iris Festival
August 16: Daimonji Matsuri or Bon Fire Festival
September 15–30: Hagi Matsuri or Japanese Bush Clover Festival
November 1–3: Autumn Fujiwara Festival and Ennen no Mai Dance

References[edit]

^ Yiengpruksawan, Mimi Hall (1998). Hiraizumi: Buddhist Art and Regional Politics in Twelfth-Century Japan. Harvard University Press. pp. 107–111. ISBN 0-674-39205-1.
^ "毛越寺庭園". Cultural Heritage Online (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 5 April 2020.

External links[edit]

Media related to Motsuji at Wikimedia Commons

[1] Yiengpruksawan, Mimi Hall (1998). Hiraizumi: Buddhist Art and Regional Politics in Twelfth-Century Japan. Harvard University Press. pp. 107–111. ISBN 0-674-39205-1.

[Bunka-2] "毛越寺庭園". Cultural Heritage Online (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 5 April 2020.

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Buddhist temple in Iwate Prefecture, Japan}}
+{{Infobox religious building
+| name = Mōtsū-ji
+| native_name = 毛越寺
+| native_name_lang = ja
+| image = 230728 Motsuji Hiraizumi Iwate pref Japan37s3.jpg
+| image_size = 300
+| alt =
+| caption = The Pure Land garden of Mōtsū-ji.{{pb}}The rocks are arranged to represent the rocky coast of Iwate.
+| map_type              = Japan Iwate Prefecture#Japan
+| relief              = 1
+| location = 58 Osawa, Hiraizumi-chō, Nishiiwai-gun, Iwate-ken
+| coordinates = {{coord|38.987817|141.108022|format=dms|display=inline,title|type:landmark_region:JP_scale:10000}}
+| religious_affiliation = [[Buddhist]]
+| rite = [[Tendai]]
+| deity = [[Bhaisajyaguru|Yakushi Nyōrai]]
+| country = Japan
+| functional_status = functional
+| website = {{Official website|1=http://www.motsuji.or.jp/}}
+| founded_by = [[Ennin]]
+| year_completed = 850
+| designation1 = World Heritage Site
+| designation1_type = Cultural
+| designation1_criteria = ii, iv
+| designation1_date = 2011
+| designation1_number = [http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1277 1277]
+| footnotes          = {{box|background=white|align=center|wide=yes|border size=3px|border color=brown|text align=center|[[Monuments of Japan|Special National Historic Site of Japan]]}} {{box|background=white|align=center|wide=yes|border size=3px|border color=green|text align=center|[[Monuments of Japan|Special Place of Scenic Beauty]]}}
+}}
 [[File:Motsu-ji.jpg|thumb|The modern temple of Mōtsū-ji with an incense burner in the foreground]]
-{{nihongo|'''Mōtsū-ji'''|毛越寺}} refers to the Buddhist temple of the [[Tendai]] sect in [[Hiraizumi]] and to the historic area surrounding it containing the ruins of two older temples, Enryū-ji (圓隆寺) and Kashō-ji (嘉祥寺) in a Jōdo ([[Sukhavati|Pure Land]]) garden. The current temple was built in the 18th century and bears no relation to the ancient temples that once stood here. In June 2011, Mōtsū-ji was listed as a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] as "[[Historic Monuments and Sites of Hiraizumi]]".
+{{nihongo|'''Mōtsū-ji'''|毛越寺}} is a Buddhist temple of the [[Tendai]] sect in the town of [[Hiraizumi, Iwate|Hiraizumi]] in southern [[Iwate Prefecture]], [[Japan]], and also refers to the historic area surrounding it containing the ruins of two older temples, {{nihongo|Enryū-ji|圓隆寺}} and {{nihongo|Kashō-ji|嘉祥寺}} in a Jōdo ([[Pure Land Buddhism|Pure Land]]) garden. The current temple was built in the 18th century and bears no relation to the ancient temple structures that once stood here. In June 2011, Mōtsū-ji was listed as a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] as "[[Historic Monuments and Sites of Hiraizumi]]".
+==History==
-Previous to the 12th century this area was apparently known as Mōtsū, or Kegosu being an alternate reading of the Chinese characters 毛越. These characters mean 'hair' and 'boundary' and refer to the boundary between [[Japan]] and the 'hairy people' or [[Emishi]] beyond. In other words this was at one time the northern boundary of Japan.
+Mōtsū-ji was founded in 850 by [[Ennin]] (Jikaku Daishi). At the time, the area was a frontier between [[Yamato people|Yamato]] Japan and the [[Emishi]] of the [[Tōhoku region]] of northern [[Honshū]].
-In the mid 12th century [[Fujiwara no Motohira]], the second [[Northern Fujiwara]] lord, built a temple here called Enryū-ji. There is also a possibility that Motohira's father [[Fujiwara no Kiyohira]] built an earlier Enryū-ji on this site before he died in 1128. If so, it is supposed that this original temple was consumed by fire soon after its completion in the war of succession between Motohira and his brother Koretsune. The temple built by Motohira around 1150 would then have been a copy of his father's temple.
+In the mid-12th century, [[Fujiwara no Motohira]], the second [[Northern Fujiwara]] lord, built a temple here called Enryū-ji. There is also a possibility that Motohira's father [[Fujiwara no Kiyohira]] built an earlier Enryū-ji on this site before he died in 1128. If so, it is supposed that this original temple was consumed by fire soon after its completion in the war of succession between Motohira and his brother Koretsune. The temple built by Motohira around 1150 would then have been a copy of his father's temple.
+Motohira's Enryū-ji must have been spectacular by any standards. The [[Main Hall (Japanese Buddhism)|main hall]] contained a monumental statue of [[Bhaisajyaguru|Yakushi Nyōrai]], the Buddha of Healing, with monumental statues of the [[Twelve Divine Generals]] (Jūni Shinshō), sculpted by [[Unkei]] with crystal eyes; an innovation at that time. The hall itself was brightly painted and decorated with precious wood, gold, silver and jewels. The main hall was surrounded by other buildings including a lecture hall, a circumambulation hall, a two-story [[Sanmon|main gate]], a [[Bonshō|bell tower]] and a [[Kyōzō|sutra repository]]. The temple's name placard was written by {{nihongo|[[Fujiwara no Tadamichi]]|藤原忠通}} and the ornamental poem slips by [[Fujiwara no Norinaga]].
-[[File:Oizumi ga ike.jpg|thumb|The lake in front of Enryū-ji called Oizumi-ga-ike. The rocks are arranged to represent the rocky coast of Iwate. The lone cherry tree marks the location of Enryū-ji's bell tower]]
+At the height of its glory Mōtsū-ji is said to have had 40 buildings and up to 500 subsidiary chapels for meditation, many of which used rare woods and precious materials in their construction, in the manner of nearby [[Chūson-ji]].
-Motohira's Enryū-ji must have been spectacular by any standards. The main hall contained a monumental statue of [[Yakushi]], the Buddha of Healing, with monumental statues of the [[Twelve Divine Generals]] (Jūni Shinshō). They had been sculpted by [[Unkei]] with crystal eyes; an innovation at that time. The hall itself was brightly painted and decorated with precious wood, gold, silver and jewels. The main temple was surrounded by other buildings including a lecture hall, a circumambulation hall, a two story main gate, a bell tower and a sutra repository. The temple's name placard was written by [[Fujiwara no Tadamichi]] (藤原忠通) and the ornamental poem slips by [[Fujiwara no Norinaga]].
-Once Enryū-ji was completed Motohira ordered an exact copy to be built beside it, Kashō-ji. He did not live to see it completed. His son and heir, Hidehira, accomplished that task. Kashō-ji also contained a monumental statue of [[Yakushi]] but the walls were decorated with paintings illustrating the [[Lotus Sutra]].
+Once Enryū-ji was completed Motohira ordered an almost exact copy to be built beside it, Kashō-ji. He did not live to see it completed. His son and heir, Hidehira, accomplished that task. Kashō-ji also contained a monumental statue of Yakushi Nyōrai but the walls were decorated with paintings illustrating the [[Lotus Sutra]].
+After the downfall of the Northern Fujiwara clan, all of the buildings were destroyed by fires, either natural or in conflicts, and the temple was completely in ruins by 1226.<ref>{{cite book |title=Hiraizumi: Buddhist Art and Regional Politics in Twelfth-Century Japan |pages=107–111 |author=Yiengpruksawan, Mimi Hall |publisher=[[Harvard University Press]] |year=1998 |ISBN=0-674-39205-1}}</ref>
-At the height of its glory Mōtsū-ji is said to have had 40 pagodas and 500 monasteries. But all was burned in November 1226 and never rebuilt.
+==Current status==
-Today the pond is preserved much as it was 800 years ago, but none of the original buildings exist today nor have been rebuilt. The new Motsu-ji temple sits in front of the 12th century site straddling what used to be Kuramachi Street. Now there are beautiful plantings of cherry trees, irises, lotus, bush clover and maples. Various festivals are held throughout the year. Admission is 500 yen for adults. Directly to the east across the Frontier Way Motohira's wife built [[Kanjizaiō-in]].
+[[File:Motsujibellfry.jpg|left|thumb|The belfry of Mōtsū-ji]]
+The temple was rebuilt during the [[Edo period]]; however, the current structures were not located on the original foundations and are not reconstructions of the original buildings. The current temple buildings consist of a [[Main Hall (Japanese Buddhism)|Hondō]] enshrining a Yakushi Nyōrai, and a Jogyō-dō meditation hall. The {{transl|ja|Oizumi-ga-ike}} pond and surrounding Pure Land garden is preserved much as it was 800 years ago. The designer of the garden is unknown, but was clearly familiar with the {{transl|ja|[[Sakuteiki]]}} (an 11th-century treatise on garden making). The garden consists of a large pond with two islands, one peninsula on the southeast shore, and three on the south shore. On the north shore of the pond are the remains of the original main hall, bell tower and sutra repository. In the original garden, bridges connected this hall with the central island (which was shaped like a {{transl|ja|[[magatama]]}}) and the great south gate. The shoreline, with its beach, peninsulas and rugged mountain rocks, is thought to represent the seacoast. There are beautiful plantings of cherry trees, irises, lotus, bush clover and maples. Various festivals are held throughout the year.
+Mōtsū-ji is designated as both a [[List of Special Places of Scenic Beauty, Special Historic Sites and Special Natural Monuments|Special Place of Scenic Beauty]] and a Special National Historic Site.<ref name= "Bunka">{{cite web|url=https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/215749|title=毛越寺庭園 |work=Cultural Heritage Online|publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs|language=Japanese|access-date=5 April 2020}}</ref>
 [[File:Motsuji Temple Hiraizumi 2007-01-27.jpg|thumb|The ruins of Enryū-ji temple.]]
+[[File:230728 Motsuji Hiraizumi Iwate pref Japan01s3.jpg|thumb|The main gate of Mōtsū-ji. Relocated from [[Ichinoseki Domain|Ichinoseki castle]] in 1921.]]
-Annual events include -
+[[File:Motsuji Temple, Pure Land Garden.jpg|left|thumb|Motsuji Temple, Pure Land Garden]]
-* January 20 = The Jogyodo 20th Night Festival and 'Ennen no Mai Dance
-* May 1–5 = Spring Fujiwara Festival and Ennen no Mai Dance
+==Annual events==
-* June 20 - July 10 = Ayame Matsuri or Iris Festival
+* January 20: The Jogyodo 20th Night Festival and "Ennen no Mai" Dance
-* August 16 = Daimonji Matsuri or Bon Fire Festival
+* May 1–5: Spring Fujiwara Festival and Ennen no Mai Dance
-* September 15–30 = Hagi Matsuri or Japanese Bush Clover Festival
+* June 20 - July 10: Ayame Matsuri or Iris Festival
-* November 1–3 = Autumn Fujiwara Festival and Ennen no Mai Dance
+* August 16: Daimonji Matsuri or Bon Fire Festival
+* September 15–30: Hagi Matsuri or Japanese Bush Clover Festival
+* November 1–3: Autumn Fujiwara Festival and Ennen no Mai Dance
 ==See also==
-*[[List of Special Places of Scenic Beauty, Special Historic Sites and Special Natural Monuments]]
+*[[List of Historic Sites of Japan (Iwate)]]
+* [[World Heritage Sites in Japan]]
+*[[Shiramizu Amidadō]]
+==References==
+{{Reflist}}
 ==External links==
-{{Commonscat|Motsuji}}
+{{Commons category-inline|Motsuji}}
-* [http://www.motsuji.or.jp/english/index.php Motsuji Temple] (English Web Site)
+* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100914115946/http://www.motsuji.or.jp/english/index.php Motsuji Temple] (English Web Site)
+*[https://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/spot/shritemp/motsuji.html Japan National Tourism Organization]
-{{coord|38.987817|141.108022|format=dms|display=inline,title|type:landmark_region:JP_scale:10000}}
+*[http://hiraizumi.or.jp/en/archive/sightseeing/motsuji.html Hiraizumi Tourism Association]
-{{DEFAULTSORT:Motsu-Ji}}
 {{Buddhist temples in Japan}}
+{{Authority control}}
-[[Category:Buddhist temples in Iwate Prefecture]]
+{{DEFAULTSORT:Motsu-ji}}
-[[ja:毛越寺]]
+[[Category:Buddhist temples in Iwate Prefecture]]
-[[zh:毛越寺]]
+[[Category:Buddhist archaeological sites in Japan]]
+[[Category:Special Places of Scenic Beauty]]
+[[Category:Special Historic Sites]]
+[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Japan]]
+[[Category:Hiraizumi, Iwate]]
+[[Category:Tendai temples]]
+[[Category:9th-century establishments in Japan]]
+[[Category:9th-century Buddhist temples]]
+[[Category:Mutsu Province]]
+[[Category:Religious buildings and structures completed in 850]]

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International	VIAF
National	Japan