A huge wooden building that stands out by far even from a distance. You can see the form that is exactly like the original Zenkoji Temple in Nagano. The layout of the buildings on the site is also the same as the original. It turns out that Shingen had transferred a lookalike to avoid the ravages of war with Uesugi Kenshin, his rival.
(left) another Zenkoji (righ) original Zenkoji
However, the entire main hall is colored in red to match the red uniform of the Takeda corps, which is very typical of Shingen. In addition, original Zenkoji was originally the Honda family residence, and Buddhist statues and ancestors were enshrined on the left and right sides of the inner shrine, and were treated equally, but another Zenkoji, which was built by Shingen, did not enshrine the Honda family ancestors. As proof of this, at another Zenkoji temple, the Takeda family crest and the Tokugawa family crest, which was rebuilt after the temple was destroyed by fire, are displayed on the front of the main hall.
Additionally, a singing dragon is painted on the ceiling, and if you clap your hands in a specific spot, a tremendous echo will be heard between the ceiling panels and the floor. You can really feel the influence of Zen Buddhism during the Sengoku period. On the other hand, I remember that the original Nagano ceiling painting was a gift from the imperial family.
When you think of Zenkoji Temple, you are guaranteed to visit a place under the Buddhist altar in pitch darkness to connect with the Buddha through the key (alter tour), but of course there is a similar experience at another Zenkoji. However, the length of the walk in the dark is short and the turns are sharp, so those who have experienced the original will be surprised at how different it is and occasionally bump their heads. If you are careless, you will pass by without touching the key, so be careful. Don’t forget to see the war drum before going to the darkness. This is the real one used by the Takeda army in the Battle of Kawanakajima. Let’s tap it a little bit without being noticed by the people around you.
The treasure hall here is a must-see and contains the oldest wooden statues of Minamoto no Yoritomo and Sanetomo. The year of manufacture is close to the year of death, so it seems that it is almost a copy of the real face. Sanetomo has the look of a court noble, but in contrast, Yoritomo has a stout face and an aquiline nose. You can see from his face that he is highly suspicious.
