Saimyō-ji (Tochigi Prefecture)

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Main hall
Plan of the temple (see text)
Temple guardian

The Saimyō-ji ( Japanese 西明寺 ) with the mountain name Tokko-san ( 独鈷山 ) and the lower punch name Zenmon-in ( 善門院 is) a temple of Buzan branch ( 豊山派 Buzan-ha ) of the Shingon direction Buddhist. The temple is located on Tokko Mountain in Mashiko ( Tochigi Prefecture ), Japan. According to the traditional count, it is the 20th of the 33 temples in the Kantō region .

history

According to tradition, the temple was started by priest Kūkai in the 9th year Tempyō (737). In 739 Ki no Arimaro ( 紀 有 麻 麿 ) expanded the temple. In the 12th century the temple fell into disrepair, but when Utsunomiya Kagefusa ( 宇 都 宮 景 房 ) became Ōdanna in 1209, the temple was rebuilt. In 1255, the 5th regent of Kamakura- Bakufus , Hōjō Tokiyori (1227-1263) made sure that the temple complex was completed. Then the Kamakura shogunate collapsed and the riots broke out during the time of the Namboku-cho , with the temple being destroyed. Reconstruction took place in the Muromachi and Edo periods . This is how the system was created as we find it today.

The attachment

The way from the road up to the temple, the Sandō ( 参 道 ), leads through a dense Shii forest , which is registered as a natural monument of the prefecture. The path ends in a staircase that leads to the temple gate ( 山門 Sanmon ; in plan 1). It is designed here as a Niō gate ( 仁王 門 Niō-mon ), i.e. as a gate with the two temple guards to the right and left of the passage and as a tower gate ( 楼門Rōmon ). The gate dates from 1492 and is registered as an Important Cultural Property of Japan .

Next to the temple gate is a three-story pagoda ( 三重 塔 Sanjū-no-tō ; 2), which is rather unusual at the top with sheet copper. It is registered as an Important Cultural Asset of Japan . Next to it is the high bell tower ( 鐘楼 Shōrō ; 3), in front of it you can see the main hall ( 本 堂 Hondō ; 4), both buildings are registered as cultural assets of the prefecture. On the right side is the Emma-dō ( 閻 魔 堂 ; 5), in which a "Laughing Emma " is worshiped. Behind it is the small Kōbō-Daishi-dō ( 弘法 大師 堂 ; 6), i.e. the pavilion dedicated to the temple founder Kūkai .

Remarks

  1. ↑ Ōdanna ( 大 檀那 ) was the name for a family that was responsible for a temple.

literature

  • Tochigi-ken no rekishi sampo henshū iinkai (Ed.): Saimyo-ji . In: Tochigi-ken no rekishi sampo. Yamakawa Shuppan, 2008. ISBN 978-4-634-24609-6 . P. 297.

Web links

Commons : Saimyō-ji  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 36 ° 27 '10 "  N , 140 ° 7' 2.5"  E