, formal name Suigetsu-in Gyoran-ji (水月院魚藍寺), is a
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
in 4 Mita,
Minato, Tokyo
is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is also called Minato City in English.
It was formed in 1947 as a merger of Akasaka, Azabu and Shiba wards following Tokyo City's transformation into Tokyo Metropolis. The modern Minato ward exhibits ...
, Japan.
It is located in the mountain side of
Tsuki no Misaki
, meaning "Headland of the Moon", was a name formerly in use for part of a plateau in Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo in Japan. One explanation of the name is that it was considered a particularly good place to view the moon over what is now Tokyo Bay.
...
.
Origin of the name
The name was chosen because the principal image is Gyoran Kanzeon Bosatsu (魚藍観世音菩薩), whose figure is a maiden with her hair tied in a Chinese style topknot (唐様).
The following is a Chinese tale of the time of the Tang dynasty. The Buddha appeared in a beautiful maiden's figure, selling fish in a bamboo basket, and spread Buddhism. The sculpture was made based on this story.
See also
*
Glossary of Japanese Buddhism
This is the glossary of Japanese Buddhism, including major terms the casual (or brand-new) reader might find useful in understanding articles on the subject. Words followed by an asterisk (*) are illustrated by an image in one of the photo galle ...
.
References
Buildings and structures in Minato, Tokyo
Buddhist temples in Tokyo
Temples of Avalokiteśvara
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