is a

Shingon 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. Kn ...

temple in Itoshima,

Fukuoka Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Fukuoka Prefecture has a population of 5,109,323 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,986 Square kilometre, km2 (1,925 sq mi). Fukuoka Prefecture borders S ...

, Japan. Its honorary '' sangō'' prefix is . It is also referred to as . According to the legend, Sennyo-ji was founded in 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 c ...

by Seiga, who came from

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

as a priest during the period. Due to its position in the north overlooking the Sea of Genkai, it has been expected from the shogunate as a prayer temple of the foremost line against the

Mongol invasions of Japan Major military efforts were taken by Kublai Khan of the Yuan dynasty in 1274 and 1281 to conquer the Japanese archipelago after the submission of the Korean kingdom of Goryeo to vassaldom. Ultimately a failure, the invasion attempts are of m ...

during 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 ...

. In its heyday has been said to be lined up to 300 priest living quarters around the temple. Sennyo-ji is a general term of this temple, and it is also referred to as the priest's lodge that was located next to the middle sanctuary, the present day site of Ikazuchi-jinja. The wooden

Avalokiteśvara In Buddhism, Avalokiteśvara (Sanskrit: अवलोकितेश्वर, IPA: ) is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. He has 108 avatars, one notable avatar being Padmapāṇi (lotus bearer). He is variably depicted, ...

statue is the subject of mountainous faith that has been enshrined in the main hall. Afterwards the priest living quarters were ruined during the long war between

Muromachi 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 ...

and

Sengoku The was a period in 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 feudal system of Japan under the Ashikaga shogunate. Various ...

periods, there only remains the priest's lodge. In 1573, however, the main hall was founded by Kuroda Tsugutaka, the 6th feudal lord of

Kuroda clan Kuroda (written: lit. "black ricefield") is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese painter *Akinobu Kuroda 黒田明伸, Japanese historian *Chris Kuroda, lighting designer and operator for the band Phish and Jus ...

. Big maple trees, which has been designated as a natural monument of Fukuoka prefecture, has been said to be planted by him.

Mount Rai is a mountain located on the border of Itoshima, Fukuoka, Itoshima, Fukuoka Prefecture, and Saga, Saga, Saga, Saga Prefecture, Japan. Outline This mountain is a part of the Mount Sefuri, Sefuri Mountain range between Fukuoka Prefecture and Saga ...

has two sanctuaries, one at the middle of the mountain and one at its peak. The middle sanctuary was founded in honor of

Emperor Suinin , also known as was the 11th legendary Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Less is known about ''Suinin'' than his father, and likewise he is also considered to be a "legendary emperor". Both the ''Kojiki'', and ...

whom he is conventionally considered to have reigned from 29 BC to AD 70. Both sanctuaries have been governed by the temple until 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 characte ...

. However, the priest's lodge in the middle sanctuary was abolished by the separation of Shinto from Buddhism, introduced after the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

. Cultural properties, such as Buddha statues including the main Buddha and the ancient documents, were moved to the main hall. The temple is also known for being a great place for cherry blossom viewing in the spring, and many people visit in the autumn to see the

fall foliage Autumn leaf color is a phenomenon that affects the normal green leaves of many deciduous trees and shrubs by which they take on, during a few weeks in the autumn season, various shades of yellow, orange, red, purple, and brown. The phenomenon i ...

Important Cultural Properties

The 4.8 meter wooden Avalokiteśvara statue in the main hall is the work of the

References

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sennyo-Ji Buddhist temples in Fukuoka Prefecture Shingon Buddhism Buildings and structures in Fukuoka Prefecture Tourist attractions in Fukuoka Prefecture Shinbutsu bunri

Important Cultural Properties

See also

References

External links