is a

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 ...

of the

Nichiren Shū was a Buddhism in Japan, Japanese Buddhist priest and philosopher of the Kamakura period. His teachings form the basis of Nichiren Buddhism, a unique branch of Japanese Mahayana, Mahayana Buddhism based on the ''Lotus Sutra''. Nichiren declar ...

located in the city of Kamogawa in

Chiba Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, 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 ...

, Japan. Along with

Kuon-ji is a major Buddhism, 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 ...

Yamanashi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Yamanashi Prefecture has a population of 787,592 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,465 km2 (1,724 sq mi). Yamanashi Prefecture borders Saitama Prefecture to the n ...

Ikegami Honmon-ji is a temple of the Nichiren Shū south of Tokyo, erected where Nichiren is said to have died. A short walk from Ikegami Station ( Tōkyū Ikegami Line) or Nishi-Magome Station (Toei Asakusa Line), Ikegami Honmon-ji contains a number of build ...

in the south of

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, 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-j ...

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 was a Japanese Buddhist priest and philosopher of the Kamakura period. His teachings form the basis of Nichiren Buddhism, a unique branch of Japanese Mahayana Buddhism based on the '' Lotus Sutra''. Nichiren declared that the '' Lotus Sutra ...

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

1498 Year 1498 ( MCDXCVIII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar, the 1498th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 498th year of the 2nd millennium, the 98th year of the 15th century, and the 9t ...

, and again by an earthquake and

tsunami A tsunami ( ; from , ) 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 underwater explosions (including detonations, ...

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 mov ...

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

Tokugawa Mitsukuni , also known as , was a Japanese daimyō, 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 ...

. However, with the exception of the

Niōmon is the Japanese name of a Buddhist temple gate guarded by two wooden warriors called Niō (lit. Two Kings). The gate is called Heng Ha Er Jiang (哼哈二将) in China and Geumgangmun (금강문) in Korea. The two statues are inside the two po ...

, 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