|
Kongōrin-ji
, also known as (from its location) is a Buddhist temple of the Tendai sect located in the town of Aishō, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. The ''honzon'' of the temple is Kannon Bosatsu. The temple was founded in the early Heian period and together with Saimyō-ji in Kōra and Hyakusai-ji in Higashiōmi the temple forms a group of three temples known as . The complex includes a Main Hall that is designated as National Treasures, which contains many statues from the Heian period onwards which are Important Cultural Properties and a garden designated as National Place of Scenic Beauty. History The foundation of Kongōrin-ji is not certain. According to the temple's legend, it was founded by Gyōki at the request of Emperor Shōmu in 737 or 741AD, but there is no documentary evidence to corroborate this. The area in which the temple was built was under the control of the powerful Hata clan, an immigrant clan active in Japan since the Kofun period, and the clan was in no doubt con ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aishō, Shiga
280px, Kongōrin-ji Hondō, a National Treasure is a town located in Echi District in eastern Shiga Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 21,411 in 8310 households and a population density of 940 persons per km2. The total area of the town is . Geography Aishō is located in east-central Shiga Prefecture in the flatlands of the Ōmi Basin. Surrounding municipalities Shiga Prefecture * Hikone * Higashiōmi * Kōra * Taga * Toyosato Climate Aishō has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Aishō is 12.9 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1810 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.7 °C, and lowest in January, at around 1.3 °C. Demographics Per Japanese census data, the population of Aishō has grown slightly over the past 50 years. History The are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hyakusai-ji
is a Buddhist temple in the Hyakusaiji neighborhood of the city of Higashiōmi, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. It belongs to the Tendai school of Japanese Buddhism, and together with Kongōrin-ji and Saimyō-ji is regard as one of the "Three Great Temples" east of Lake Biwa. It was designated a National Historic Site in 2008. History Hyakusai-ji is located on the western flank of the Suzuka Mountains, east of Lake Biwa. According to the temple, Prince Shotoku erected this temple in 606 AD after his tutor from Goguryeo, the monk Hyeja, found a cedar tree in the mountains glowing with a mysterious light. The prince carved an image of an eleven-faced Kannon Bosatsu directly into the living wood of the tree and had a hall built around it. Although Hyeja was from Goguryeo, the temple is named after the Korean kingdom of Baekje as the layout of the temple was patterned after the temple of Ryuun-ji in that kingdom. However, the first appearance of the temple in the historical documentati ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saimyō-ji (Kora)
, also known as or as is a Buddhist temples in Japan, Buddhist temple of the Tendai, Tendai sect located in the town of Kōra, Shiga, Kōra, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. The ''honzon'' of the temple is Bhaisajyaguru, Yakushi Nyōrai, the Buddha of healing. The temple was founded in the early Heian period and together with Kongōrin-ji in Aishō, Shiga, Aishō and Hyakusai-ji in Higashiōmi the temple forms a group of three temples known as . The complex includes several National Treasure (Japan), National Treasures and a garden designated as Monuments of Japan, National Place of Scenic Beauty. History The foundations of Saimyō-ji are uncertain. According to the temple's legend, in the year 834, the monk Sanshū, while on a meditative walk along the western shore of Lake Biwa, saw purple clouds are a good omen in Mahayana Buddhist mythology in the eastern sky across the lake. A dazzling light suddenly appeared. The monk, interpreting this phenomenon as a sign of celestial power ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea in the south. The Japanese archipelago consists of four major islands—Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu—and List of islands of Japan, thousands of smaller islands, covering . Japan has a population of over 123 million as of 2025, making it the List of countries and dependencies by population, eleventh-most populous country. The capital of Japan and List of cities in Japan, its largest city is Tokyo; the Greater Tokyo Area is the List of largest cities, largest metropolitan area in the world, with more than 37 million inhabitants as of 2024. Japan is divided into 47 Prefectures of Japan, administrative prefectures and List of regions of Japan, eight traditional regions. About three-quarters of Geography of Japan, the countr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kajō
, also romanized as Kashō, was a after '' Chōji'' and before ''Tennin.'' This period spanned the years from April 1106 through August 1108. The reigning emperors were and . Change of era * February 6, 1106 : The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events. The previous era ended and the new one commenced in ''Chōji'' 3, on the 9th day of the 4th month of 1106. Events of the ''Kajō'' era * October 3, 1106 (''Kajō 1''): Petitions seeking mitigation of "evil influences on the Emperor" were presented at major Shinto shrines. * August 19, 1107 (''Kajō 1, 19th day of the 7th month''): In the 21st year of Emperor Horikawa''-tennō''s reign (堀河天皇21年), the emperor died at the age of 29; and the succession (''senso'') was received by his only son. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Toba is said to have acceded to the throne (''sokui'').Titsingh p. 178 Brown, pp. 320; Varley, p. 44; a distinct act of ''senso'' is unrecognized prior to Emperor Tenji; and all s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hata Clan
Hata clan was an immigrant clan active in Japan since the Kofun period (250–538), according to the history of Japan laid out in ''Nihon Shoki'' (720). Origins The origin of the clan has been a debated topic for many Japanese historians and scholars. Many have suggested different kingdoms of East Asia starting from Baekje, Qin Dynasty, Gaya to Silla. Ancient accounts Baekje The first mention of Hata clan was in ''Nihon Shoki'', describing an immigrant clan (known as " Toraikei (渡来系)" in Japanese) arriving in Japan led by Yuzuki no Kimi from Baekje. According to the ''Nihon Shoki'', during the reign of Emperor Ōjin, Yuzuki no Kimi visited Japan from the Kingdom of Baekje where he stated that he had long wanted to emigrate to Japan, but the Kingdom of Silla would not permit him to do so. Having enjoyed the experience of meeting 120 people of his clan at Mimana. Yuzuki no Kimi left Japan but soon returned, in 283, with additional members of his clan "from 120 dis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kofun Period
The is an era in the history of Japan from about 300 to 538 AD (the date of the introduction of Buddhism), following the Yayoi period. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes collectively called the Yamato period. This period is the earliest era of recorded history in Japan, but studies depend heavily on archaeology since the chronology of historical sources tends to be distorted. ''Kofun'' is Japanese for the type of tumulus, burial mound dating from this era. It was a period of cultural import. Continuing from the Yayoi period, the Kofun period is characterized by influence from China and the Korean Peninsula; archaeologists consider it a shared culture across the southern Korean Peninsula, Kyūshū and Honshū. On the other hand, the most prosperous keyhole-shaped burial mounds in Japan during this period were approximately 5,000 in Japan from the middle of the 3rd century in the Yayoi period to the 7th century in the Asuka period, and many of them had huge tom ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ennin
, better known in Japan by his posthumous name, Jikaku Daishi (), was a priest of the Tendai school of Buddhism in Japan, and its third . Ennin was instrumental in expanding the Tendai Order's influence, and bringing back crucial training and resources from China, particularly esoteric Buddhist training and Pure Land teachings. He is most well known for integrating esoteric practices ('' Taimitsu'') with the teachings of the ''Lotus Sutra.'' His journey to Tang China (838–847) and his subsequent writings profoundly influenced Japanese Buddhism. Life Birth and origin He was born into the Mibu () family in Shimotsuke Province (present-day Tochigi Prefecture), Japan and entered the Buddhist priesthood at Enryaku-ji on Mt. Hiei (Hieizan) near Kyoto at the age of 15. Studying under Saichō, the founder of Japanese Tendai Buddhism, Ennin excelled in his studies, particularly in the ''Lotus Sutra'' and Tiantai meditation practices. After Saichō’s death, Ennin sought to de ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shingon
is one of the major schools of Buddhism in Japan and one of the few surviving Vajrayana lineages in East Asian Buddhism. It is a form of Japanese Esoteric Buddhism and is sometimes called "Tōmitsu" (東密 lit. "Esoteric [Buddhism] of Tō-ji"). The word ''shingon'' is the Kan-on, Japanese reading of the Traditional Chinese characters, Chinese word ('), which is the translation of the Sanskrit word mantra. The Chinese Esoteric Buddhism, Zhēnyán lineage was founded in China (c. 7th–8th centuries) by Indian Vajracharya, vajrācāryas (esoteric masters) like Śubhakarasiṃha, Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra. These esoteric teachings would later flourish in Japan under the auspices of a Buddhist monk named Kūkai (, 774–835), who traveled to Tang dynasty, Tang China and received these esoteric transmissions from a Chinese master named Huiguo (746–805). Kūkai established his tradition at Mount Kōya (in Wakayama Prefecture), which remains the central pilgrimage center of Sh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kamakura Period
The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle between the Taira clan, Taira and Minamoto clan, Minamoto clans. The period is known for the emergence of the samurai, the warrior caste, and for the establishment of feudalism in Japan. There are various theories as to the year in which the Kamakura period and Kamakura shogunate began. In the past, the most popular theory was that the year was 1192, when Minamoto no Yoritomo was appointed . Later, the prevailing theory was that the year was 1185, when Yoritomo established the , which controlled military and police power in various regions, and the , which was in charge of tax collection and land administration. Japanese history textbooks as of 2016 do not specify a specific year for the beginning of the K ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Important Cultural Property (Japan)
An The term is often shortened into just is an item officially classified as Tangible Cultural Property by the Japanese government's Agency for Cultural Affairs (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) and judged to be of particular importance to the history, arts, and culture of the Japanese people. Classification of Cultural Properties To protect the cultural heritage of Japan, the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties was created as a under which important items are appropriated as Cultural Properties,In this article, capitals indicate an official designation as opposed to a simple, unofficial definition, e.g "Cultural Properties" as opposed to "cultural properties". thus imposing restrictions to their alteration, repair and export. Besides the "designation system", there exists a , which guarantees a lower level of protection and support to Registered Cultural Properties. Cultural Properties are classified according to their nature. Items ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Main Hall (Japanese Buddhism)
Main hall or Main Temple is the building within a Japanese Buddhist monastery compound ('' garan'') which enshrines the main object of veneration.Kōjien Japanese dictionary Because the various denominations deliberately use different terms, this single English term translates several Japanese words, among them ''butsuden'', ''butsu-dō'', ''kondō'', ''konpon-chūdō'', and ''hondō''. ''Hondō'' is its exact Japanese equivalent, while the others are more specialized words used by particular sects or for edifices having a particular structure. Kondō (Asuka and Nara periods) The term started to be used during the Asuka and Nara periods. A ''kondō'' is the centerpiece of an ancient Buddhist temple's ''garan'' in Japan. The origin of the name is uncertain, but it may derive from the perceived preciousness of its content, or from the fact that the interior was lined with gold. This is the name used by the oldest temples in the country.Iwanami Nihonshi Jiten A ''kondō'', for exa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
