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 ...

of the

Nichiren Shū Nichiren (16 February 1222 – 13 October 1282) was a Japanese Buddhist priest and philosopher of the Kamakura period. Nichiren declared that the Lotus Sutra alone contains the highest truth of Buddhist teachings suited for the Third Age of ...

located in the city of Kamogawa in

Chiba Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama Prefecture to the ...

, Japan. Along with

Kuon-ji is a major Buddhist temple in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. Founded by Nichiren in 1281 it is today the head temple of Nichiren Shū. While the Ikegami Honmon-ji in Tokyo is also the Nichiren sect's administrative centre, Kuon-ji today plays an im ...

Yamanashi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Yamanashi Prefecture has a population of 817,192 (1 January 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,465 km2 (1,724 sq mi). Yamanashi Prefecture borders Saitama Prefecture to the no ...

Ikegami Honmon-ji is a temple of the Nichiren Shū south of Tokyo, erected where Nichiren is said to have died. Also Nichiren's disciple Nikkō spent the rest of his life at this temple. The temple grounds also include Nichiren Shū's administrative headqua ...

in the south of

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

, and

Seichō-ji , also known as , is a Nichiren Buddhist temple located in the city of Kamogawa in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Along with Kuon-ji in Yamanashi Prefecture, Ikegami Honmon-ji in the south of Tokyo, and Tanjō-ji also in Kamogawa City, Seichō-ji ...

also in Kamogawa City, Tanjōji is one of the "Four Sacred Places of Nichiren Shū."

History

A temple was founded on the location of

Nichiren Nichiren (16 February 1222 – 13 October 1282) was a Japanese Buddhist priest and philosopher of the Kamakura period. Nichiren declared that the Lotus Sutra alone contains the highest truth of Buddhist teachings suited for the Third Age of B ...

's birthplace in October 1276 by one of his disciples, Nichike. However, this early temple was destroyed by an earthquake in

1498 Year 1498 (Roman numerals, MCDXCVIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 1498th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 498th year of the 2nd mill ...

, and again by an earthquake and

tsunami A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explo ...

1703 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Thursday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 9 – The Jamaican town of Port Royal, a center of trade ...

, and was subsequently relocated further inland. The original site is now located offshore due to

land subsidence Subsidence is a general term for downward vertical movement of the Earth's surface, which can be caused by both natural processes and human activities. Subsidence involves little or no horizontal movement, which distinguishes it from slope move ...

. The temple underwent an expansion and reconstruction in the early 1700s under the sponsorship of

Tokugawa Mitsukuni , also known as , was a Japanese daimyo who was known for his influence in the politics of the early Edo period. He was the third son of Tokugawa Yorifusa (who in turn was the eleventh son of Tokugawa Ieyasu) and succeeded him, becoming the seco ...

. However, with the exception of the

Niōmon is the Japanese name of 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 regio ...

, all structures in the temple burned down in a fire in 1758. The temple has slowly reconstructed since that time, and has added numerous structures in the late 20th century through the efforts of a vigorous lay organization.

Important structures and cultural treasures

* Niōmon, 1703, Tangible Cultural Property of Chiba Prefecture * Main Hall, 1991 * Soshi-dō, 1842 * Honshi-den Hoto Pagoda, 1988 * Treasury, 1989 * Kyakuden, 1933 *Seven mandalas inscribed by Nichiren (Kamakura period)

Gallery

Nioomon-Tanjō-ji.jpg, Niōmon Tanjō-ji-bell.jpg, Tanjō-ji bell Honshi-den Hoto-Tanjō-ji.jpg, Honshi-den Hoto (Treasure Stupa) Inside of Hondo-Tanjō-ji.jpg, Interior of Hondo Goyozo-Tanjō-ji.jpg, Goyozo Exterior view of Tanjō-ji.jpg, Exterior view

References

External links

Tanjō-ji at Nichiren Shū official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tanjo-ji Religious organizations established in the 1270s Buddhist temples in Chiba Prefecture Nichiren Nichiren-shū temples Kamogawa, Chiba Chiba Prefecture designated tangible cultural property