is a
Rinzai temple of the
Myoshin-ji branch located in
Niiza city,
Saitama prefecture
is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Saitama Prefecture has a population of 7,338,536 (1 January 2020) and has a geographic area of 3,797 km2 (1,466 sq mi). Saitama Prefecture borders Tochigi Prefecture ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, a city just outside
Tokyo.
History
The temple was founded in
Iwatsuki, Saitama in 1375 by Sekishitsu Zenkyū, who had served as the Abbot of
Engaku-ji,
Tenryū-ji and
Shōfuku-ji. During this period the original temple was destroyed in 1590 during an attack on
Iwatsuki Castle
is a Japanese castle located in Iwatsuki-ku, Saitama, in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. At the end of the Edo period, Tateyama Castle was home to the Ōoka clan, ''daimyō'' of Iwatsuki Domain, however the castle dates from the Muromachi period and w ...
by
Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
It was rebuilt in 1603 by
Tokugawa Ieyasu and moved to Niiza city sixty years later. The temple grounds are situated in a
forested area and is considered to be a national monument. Heirin-ji differs from other temples in the Tokyo area by having no temple markets nor public festivals held at the temple.
The temple remains a training temple for monks, who can often be seen working in the grounds. The grounds of the temple preserve a stretch of the
Musashino woodlands. Animals such as
raccoon dogs that are now not often seen in the city are found around the temple. The grounds also provide a roost for a large number of
Japanese crows. The gardens are notable for the
maple trees in autumn and the ''
ume'' blossoms in early spring. The bell, with the ''ume'' blossom, was the inspiration for one of
Toshi Yoshida Toshi may refer to:
* Toshi (given name), people with the given name ''Toshi''
* Toshihiko Tahara (born 1961), Japanese idol singer, a solo vocalist
* Toshi (musician) (Toshimitsu Deyama, born 1965), a Japanese singer and musician
* Toshi (come ...
's wood block prints.
[McDonagh]
Gallery
Image:Heirinji temple bell stand.jpg, Temple bell of Heirinji.
Image:Heirinji_temple_guardian.jpg, Nio, a temple guardian.
Image:Heirinji_face_of_guardian.jpg, Nio, a temple guardian.
Image:Heirinji_inner_gate.jpg, The thatched inner gate.
Image:Heirinji_temple_bell.jpg, The temple bell.
Image:Heirinji Kannon.jpg, A statue of Kannon a goddess of mercy.
Image:Heirinji_autumn_colours.jpg, Maple tree in autumn at Heirinji
Notes
References
*
*
1375 establishments in Asia
Myoshin-ji temples
14th-century Buddhist temples
Natural monuments of Japan
Buddhist temples in Saitama Prefecture
1370s establishments in Japan
Saitama Prefecture designated tangible cultural property
Prefecturally designated scenic spots
Designated historic sites of Saitama Prefecture
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