is a Nichiren-sect

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

in the city of Shimoda,

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 ...

. It is noteworthy as the location of the signing ceremony for the Treaty of Amity and Commerce (also known as the ''Harris Treaty'') between the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

of Japan and the

United States of America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguo ...

on July 29, 1858. Due to this connection, the temple grounds and main hall have been designated as a National Historic Site.

History

Ryōsen-ji was founded in 1635 by the prelate Nitchō, with the support and patronage of 2nd Shimoda bugyō Imamura Masanaga and was later rebuilt in 1826. The

Hondō 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, thi ...

was again reconstructed in 1945. Three large ''

Gorintō ("five-ringed tower") is a Japanese type of Buddhist pagoda believed to have been first adopted by the Shingon and Tendai sects during the mid Heian period. It is used for memorial or funerary purposesKōjien Japanese Dictionary and is therefo ...

'' stone monuments on the grounds (the graves of a number of the Shimoda ''bugyō'') are designated as Shimoda City historic monuments. During the visit of

Commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (India), in India ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ' ...

Matthew Calbraith Perry Matthew Calbraith Perry (April 10, 1794 – March 4, 1858) was a United States Navy officer who commanded ships in several wars, including the War of 1812 and the Mexican–American War. He led the Perry Expedition that Bakumatsu, ended Japan ...

to Shimoda in 1854 in one of the initial attempts by the United States to end the national isolation policy of the Japanese government, the temple was designated as his shore residence. Currently, the road from Ryōsen-ji to the port, which Perry and his men must have used during their stay, is named “Perry Road”, and there are a records that Perry held military parade-style reviewing ceremonies for this men in the precincts of the temple. The

military band A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind instrument, wind and percussion instruments. The conducting, conductor of a ...

which accompanied Perry's squadron also performed occasionally in the grounds of this time, making it the site of the first Western music concert in Japan. William Heine, a German painter who accompanied the Perry Expedition, made a

lithograph Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the miscibility, immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by ...

of one of these events, a copy of which is displayed at Ryōsen-ji. Adjacent to the temple is , which displays a number of artifacts related to Commodore Perry, the

Black Ships The Black Ships (in , Edo period term) were the names given to both Portuguese merchant ships and American warships arriving in Japan in the 16th and 19th centuries respectively. In 1543, Portuguese initiated the first contacts, establishing a ...

, and contact between Japan and the West. In recent years, the temple has also been noted for the profusion of

jasmine Jasmine (botanical name: ''Jasminum'', pronounced ) is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family of Oleaceae. It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania. Jasmines are wid ...

flowers in its gardens. The temple is a ten-minute walk from Shimoda Station.

References

*Statler, Oliver. ''Shimoda Story''. Tuttle International (1971). pages 40. 44–45

External links

Ryōsen-ji home page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryosen-ji Buddhist temples in Shizuoka Prefecture Museums in Shizuoka Prefecture Historic Sites of Japan Nichiren-shū temples Shimoda, Shizuoka Izu Province

History

See also

References

External links