is a

Buddhist temple A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in Buddhism represen ...

located in the Teramoto neighborhood of the city of Kawachinagano,

Osaka Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Osaka Prefecture has a population of 8,778,035 () and has a geographic area of . Osaka Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefecture to the northwest, Kyoto Prefecture ...

, in the

Kansai region The or the , lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo and Shiga, often also Mie, sometimes Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori. The metropolita ...

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 ...

. It is one of the head temples of the Kōyasan Shingon-shū branch of

Shingon Buddhism Shingon monks at Mount Koya is one of the major schools of Buddhism in Japan and one of the few surviving Vajrayana lineages in East Asia, originally spread from India to China through traveling monks such as Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra. K ...

. The temple has several National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties. Its precincts were designated a National Historic Site in 1972. and a

Japan Heritage is a programme sponsored by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, aimed at valorization by local governments and other bodies, that sees individual Cultural Property (Japan), Cultural Properties across the different categories as well as other not yet d ...

site.

History

According to tradition,

En no Gyōja ( b. 634, in Katsuragi (modern Nara Prefecture); d. c. 700–707) was a Japanese ascetic and mystic, traditionally held to be the founder of Shugendō, the path of ascetic training practiced by the ''gyōja'' or ''yamabushi''. He was banish ...

founded a temple called "Unshin-ji" in the year 701. Just over a century later, in 808,

Kūkai Kūkai (; 27 July 774 – 22 April 835Kūkai was born in 774, the 5th year of the Hōki era; his exact date of birth was designated as the fifteenth day of the sixth month of the Japanese lunar calendar, some 400 years later, by the Shingon sec ...

visited this temple and initiated worship of the

Big Dipper The Big Dipper ( US, Canada) or the Plough ( UK, Ireland) is a large asterism consisting of seven bright stars of the constellation Ursa Major; six of them are of second magnitude and one, Megrez (δ), of third magnitude. Four define a "bowl" ...

, building seven cairns corresponding to the seven main stars in that constellation, which still remain in the precincts to this day. Kanshin-ji is the only temple in Japan that enshrines the Big Dipper. Again per tradition, Kūkai returned to the temple in 815 and carved a statue of

Nyoirin Kannon Guanyin () is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara ( sa, अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion. She ...

and renamed the temple "Kanshin-ji". While there are innumerable folklore references to Kūkai visiting some location and carving a statue with his own hands, the image attributed to Kūkai at this temple is stylized as a work of the 9th century and is accompanied by four gold and bronze Buddha statues also dating to the same period, so the

Nara period The of the history of Japan covers the years from CE 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the cap ...

origins of the temple are not disputed. Per the temple own illustrated history, the "Kanshinji Engimonocho", the temple was rebuilt by order of

Emperor Junna was the 53rd emperor of Japan, Emperor Junna, Ōharano no Nishi no Minenoe Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency according to the traditional order of succession. Junna reigned from 823 to 833. Traditional narrative Junna had six empre ...

in 827, with the work begun by Kūkai's chief disciple, Jichie (Doko Daishi) and continued by his own disciple Shinshō. By the

Kamakura period The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle bet ...

, it was a very large temple with more than 50 subsidiary chapels. Kanshin-ji was also the ''

bodaiji A in Japanese Buddhism is a temple which, generation after generation, takes care of a family's dead, giving them burial and performing ceremonies in their soul's favor.Iwanami kojien The name is derived from the term , which originally meant jus ...

'' for the

Kusunoki clan Kusunoki (written: or , lit. "camphor tree") is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese manga artist *, Japanese samurai *, Japanese samurai *, Japanese samurai *, Japanese samurai *, Japanese samurai *, Japanese ...

, and thus had strong connections to the

Southern Court The were a set of four emperors (Emperor Go-Daigo and his line) whose claims to sovereignty during the Nanboku-chō period spanning from 1336 through 1392 were usurped by the Northern Court. This period ended with the Southern Court definitively ...

during the

Nanboku-chō period The Nanboku-chō period (南北朝時代, ''Nanboku-chō jidai'', "North and South court period", also known as the Northern and Southern Courts period), spanning from 1336 to 1392, was a period that occurred during the formative years of the Mur ...

. In 1334,

Emperor Go-Daigo Emperor Go-Daigo (後醍醐天皇 ''Go-Daigo-tennō'') (26 November 1288 – 19 September 1339) was the 96th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')後醍醐天皇 (96) retrieved 2013-8-28. according to the traditional order ...

built an imperial palace within the precincts of the temple, and from December 1359 to September 1360 it was the residence of

Emperor Go-Murakami (1328 – March 29, 1368) was the 97th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, and a member of the Southern Court during the Nanboku-chō period of rival courts. He reigned from September 18, 1339, until March 29, 13 ...

, whose grave is also within the precincts of the temple. The Tatekake-to chapel is a square one-story building, but is actually the first story of an unfinished Three-story pagoda. According to folklore,

Kusunoki Masashige was a Japanese samurai of the Kamakura period remembered as the ideal of samurai loyalty. Kusunoki fought for Emperor Go-Daigo in the Genkō War to overthrow the Kamakura shogunate and restore power in Japan to the Imperial Court. Kusunoki ...

had the building constructed to pray for the success of the

Kenmu Restoration The was a three-year period of Imperial rule in Japanese history between the Kamakura period and the Muromachi period from 1333 to 1336. The Kenmu Restoration was an effort made by Emperor Go-Daigo to overthrow the ruling Kamakura Shogunate a ...

, but was defeated and killed at the

Battle of Minatogawa The Battle of Minatogawa (), also known as the Battle of Minato River, was a battle of the Nanboku-chō Wars fought near the Minato River in Settsu Province (present day Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture) on 5 July 1336. The Imperial forces loyal to Emp ...

before the structure was completed. During the

Muromachi period The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate (''Muromachi bakufu'' or ''Ashikaga bakufu''), which was officially established in 1338 by t ...

, the temple continued to prosper under the patronage of the

Hatakeyama clan The was a Japanese samurai clan. Originally a branch of the Taira clan and descended from Taira no Takamochi, they fell victim to political intrigue in 1205, when Hatakeyama Shigeyasu, first, and his father Shigetada later were killed in battle ...

, but during the

Sengoku period The was a period in History of Japan, Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the Feudalism, feudal system of Japan under the ...

Oda Nobunaga was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period. He is regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. Nobunaga was head of the very powerful Oda clan, and launched a war against other ''daimyō'' to unify ...

seized most of the temple's territory. The temple was rebuilt under

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cour ...

, and his son

Toyotomi Hideyori was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who first united all of Japan. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga. Early life Born in 1593, he was Hideyoshi's second son. The birth of Hideyori cre ...

restored the Main Hall and various structures. During the

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...

, the ''

hatamoto A was a high ranking samurai in the direct service of the Tokugawa shogunate of feudal Japan. While all three of the shogunates in Japanese history had official retainers, in the two preceding ones, they were referred to as ''gokenin.'' However ...

'' Kainosho clan sponsored the temple and during the

An'ei was a after ''Meiwa'' and before ''Tenmei.'' This period spanned the years November 1772 through March 1781. The reigning emperors were and . Change of era * 1772 : The era name was changed to ''An'ei'' (meaning "peaceful eternity") to mark t ...

era (1772-1781), the temple had over 30 subsidiary chapels. However, this was reduced to only 12 by the

Keiō was a after '' Genji'' and before '' Meiji''. The period spanned the years from May 1865 to October 1868. The reigning emperors were and . Change of era * May 1, 1865 (''Genji 2/Keiō 1, 7th day of the 4th month'') : The new era name of ''K ...

era (1865-1868).

Gallery

File:Kusunoki masashige-zou.JPG, Kusunoki Masashige statue Kubiduka.JPG, Kusuniki Masashige head mound NYOIRIN KANSHINJI.JPG, hozon Nyoirin Kannon Bosatsu Kanshinji kariteimotendo.jpg, Kariteimoten-do Tatekakenotou.jpg, Tatekake-no-to Kanshinji Onshikodo.jpg, Onshiko-do Inventory for Kanshinji.jpg, Inventory for Kanshinji

Cultural Properties

National treasures

; The Main Hall of Kanshin-ji was built at the beginning of the Muromachi period. However, its predecessor building seems to have been built during the Heian period, then rebuilt in its current form and has been repaired several times. Toyotomi Hideyori repaired it in 1613. The architectural style is a eclectic blend of traditional Japanese elements with elements of Zen architecture newly-arrived from China. It was designated a National Treasure in 1952. ; The main image Nyoirin Kannon is a Kannon that is s of Kanshin-ji is a seated wooden statue of Nyoirin Kannon, dating from the Heian period.It is 109.4 cm high and was carved from a single block of ''Kyara'' incense wood. The statue is believed to have been carved in the Jōwa ra (834-848) under the patronage of the empress of

Emperor Saga was the 52nd emperor of Japan,#Kunaichō, Emperor Saga, Saganoyamanoe Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency according to the traditional List of Emperors of Japan, order of succession. Saga's reign spanned the years from 809 through 823 ...

, Tachibana no Kachiko. It is a ''

hibutsu are Japanese Buddhist icons or statues concealed from public view. ''Hibutsu'' are generally located within Buddhist temples in shrines called . They are generally unavailable for viewing or worship, although they are brought out for specific rel ...

'' hidden image and is open to public display only on April 17 and April 18 annually. ; The Kanshinji engi shizaichō is a document created during the Heian period and is dated 883 AD. It is extremely rare for a document written on paper to have survived in such good preservation. The document consists of two parts. The gives the reasons why Kanshin-ji was built and its early history. The second part is an inventory of the property that the temple had at that time.

Important Cultural Properties

Buildings and structures

*Shoin *Tatekake-to *Karitemoten-do *Onshiko-do

Paintings

* Mahāpratisarā, painting on silk

Statues

*Kanzeon Bodhisattva, standing statue, gold and bronze statue (image height 33.3 cm) * Kanzeon Bodhisattva, standing statue, gold and bronze (image height 18.3 cm) *Shaka Nyorai, standing statue, gold and bronze (partial) *Nyoirin Kannon, standing statue, gold and bronze (partial), (at Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts) *Aizen Myoo, seated statue, wooden *Fudo Myoo, seated statue, wooden *Aizen Myoo, seated statue, wooden, in ''

zushi is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of June 2012, the city has an estimated population of 58,087, and a population density of 3,350 per km². The total area is . Geography Zushi is located at the head of Miura Peninsula, facin ...

'' (owned by Emperor Go-Murakami) (image height 6.2 cm) *Nyoirin Kannon, seated statue, wooden *Four heavenly kings, standing statues, wooden *Shaka Nyorai, seated statue, wooden *Yakushi Nyorai, seated statue, wooden *Hosho Nyorai, seated statue, wooden *Maitreya Bodhisattva, seated statue, wooden *Sho-Kannon Bosatsu, standing statues (6), wooden (image height 166.5 cm, 167.0 cm 180.3 cm, 163.5 cm, 167.9 cm, 170.2 cm) *Nyoirin Kannon, seated statue, wooden *Jizo Bosatsu, standing statue, wooden *Holy Monk, seated statue, wooden, in ''zushi''

Crafts

*One pair of gold and bronze lotus vase (Kebyo) *Iron lantern, Joei 2nd year inscription *One set red breastplate armor, said to have belonged to Kusunoki Masashige

Documents

*Kanshinji Engi (Emperor Go-Kameyama's book, Emperor Go-Komatsu's book) Volume 2 *Chusonji Sutra (166 gold and silver sutras, 50 gold sutras) 216 volumes *Kanshinji Documents (688) 29 volumes, 2 volumes, 360 copies

References

External links

Osaka Prefecture home page
{{in lang, ja Buddhist temples in Osaka Prefecture Kawachinagano Kōyasan Shingon temples 8th-century Buddhist temples Important Cultural Properties of Japan National Treasures of Japan