Jochi-ji
The Jōchi-ji ( Japanese 浄 智 寺 ) is a Buddhist temple in the Yama-no-uchi ( 山 ノ 内 ) district of the Japanese city of Kamakura (Kanagawa Prefecture), not far from the Kita-Kamakura train station . He belongs to the Engaku-ji branch of the Rinzai-shū and was part of the Gozan system.
history
The exact origins of the Jōchi-ji are unclear. The official founders are Hōjō Munemasa ( 北 条 宗 政 ; 1253-1281), third son of the fifth Shikken Hōjō Tokiyori (1227-1263), and Munemasa's son, Hōjō Morotoki ( 北 条 師 時 ; 1275-1311). Since the temple was not completed until the year of Munemasa's death, his wife, Hōjō Masamura ( 北 条 政 村 ; 1205–1273), and his younger brother, Hōjō Tokimune (1251–1284), were involved in the building and opening probably.
Unusually , three monks are considered to be the first rulers : Nanshu Kōkai ( 南 洲 宏 海 / 南 州 宏 海 , aka . Shin'o Zenji, 真 応 –,? -1303), who gave this honor to his Chinese master Daxiu because of his young age Zhengnian ( 大休正念 , Dàxiū Zhèngniàn ; Jap. 大休正念 , Daikyu Shōnen ; 1214-1289) transferred, which in turn favor of his own master Wuan Puning ( 兀菴普寧/兀庵普寧 , Wuan Pǔníng ; 兀菴普寧 / 兀庵普寧 , Gottan Funei;? –1276) wanted to do without, but died before the completion of the temple and had previously returned to China in 1265 after Hōjō Tokiyori, who had invited him to Japan, died.
architecture
Little has been preserved of the former size of the Jōchi-ji. All buildings are new constructions that were completed after the Great Kanto earthquake . Nonetheless, these and other, older, artifacts in the temple are popular destinations for tourists.
Near the entrance is the Kanro-no-i ( 甘露, 井 ), one of the ten wells of Kamakura ( 鎌倉 十 井 , jussei ).
The Shōrō-mon ( 鐘楼 門 ), a two-story combination of gate tower and bell tower, is an architectural unusual feature . On the upper floor, the windows of which are in the katōmado style ( 火 灯 窓 ), there is a bell from 1340.
Go- Honzon are the wooden statues of the Buddhas of the three times ( 三世 仏 , san-sei-butsu ): Amida Nyorai , Shaka Nyorai and Miroku Nyorai . The Shaka statue probably dates back to 1370, with the other two dating back to the mid-15th century. They are all located in Butsu-den ( 仏殿 ) called Donge-den ( 曇華 殿 ) , the main hall of the temple, where they are flanked on their left by a Bodhidharma statue and on the right by two statues of the priests Nanshu and Daikyū . In the back of the hall is a statue of the Kannon Bodhisattva, part of a Kannon pilgrimage route in the region.
Other historically significant statues owned by the temple include a statue of Bodhisattva Jizō from the late Kamakura period and a statue of Idaten ( 韋 駄 天 ) from the 14th century. These two are currently on loan from the Kamakura Museum ( 鎌倉 国宝 館 , Kamakura-kokuhōkan ).
There are two old trees near the donge-den : a Kōya-maki , which is said to be the largest tree in Kamakura, and a Hakuunboku ( 白雲 木 ), whose flowers only bloom in a week in early May.
In the back yard of the temple there are gardens made of flowers and bamboo, as well as grotto tombs ( yagura ), in which there are some cenotaphs and stone statues, including one of the deity Ugajin ( 宇 賀 神 ) and one of Hoteison ( 布袋 尊 ).
Web links
- Information on A Guide to Kamakura - English
- Information on Kamakura Citizens Net - English
- Information on Kamakura City website - English
- Photo gallery - Japanese
Coordinates: 35 ° 20 ′ 0.2 ″ N , 139 ° 32 ′ 46.7 ″ E