temple | Japanese Countryside Travel Notes

2024-12-062024-12-07

Is the priest of Daizenji Temple (National Treasure) a winemaker?

Daizenji Temple is also called Grapes Temple. This is not because the priest is passionate about grape cultivation and wine making. It is said that during the Nara period, the monk Gyoki enshrined the Yakushi Sanzon holding a bunch of grapes that appeared in his dreams. In fact, the priest and temple officials grow grapes on the premises and set up tanks to make wine.

At the rest area with garden view, a glass of homemade (or sould I say “templemade”) wine is sold for 300 yen, and it comes with four delicious Koshu grapes as a snack, so it’s a good deal. I ended up buying a bottle(1800ml) of wine(Muscat Bailey A) as a souvenir.

Well, there are three elements that make this temple famous.

First, the Yakushi-do Hall and the Zushi that houses the Buddha statues are national treasures. The roof of Yakushido is made of cypress bark, and its curved shape is harmonious and beautiful. It was built during the Mongol invasion period of the Kamakura period, making it the oldest wooden structure in the Kanto region. In Kyoto, Senbon Shakado was built around the same time. The Nikko(sun) and Gakko(moon) Bodhisattvas and the 12 divine generals enshrined inside are very well-designed and give a sense of newness despite being old, but the story of the woman who explains them is too comical. I feel like it’s a bit of a mismatch.

daizenji (10) national treasure

daizenji (12) inside

daizenji (8)

Next, it is said that this was the temple where Katsuyori Takeda, who was defeated by the Oda army and headed for Mt. Tenmoku, stayed overnight praying for a counterattack. These records of Takeda’s demise remain in this temple.

Finally, at the end of the Edo period, the shogunate army and the Shinsengumi, who had a final battle with the new government army, established their tentative headquarter on the west side of Daizenji Temple to prevent the temple from being damaged by war.

daizenji (6) shinsengumi

The captain was Isamu Kondo, and the main gate of Daizenji Temple is depicted on the background of the nishiki-e(color print). The purpose of this battle was to seize Kofu Castle first and prevent the new government forces from invading Edo, but they were defeated by the new government forces led by Taisuke Itagaki. This was exactly the same history as when Katsuyori Takeda tried to reach Seiunji Temple for Reborn, but was preempted by the Oda army.

daizenji (3) a statue

daizenji (4) un statue

daizenji (14) garden

grape field

Detour

Speaking of food in Yamanashi, it’s “Houtou.”

restaurant kaiki (2) — restaurant minaki (2) entrance

It’s hard to tell how it’s different from udon, but the flour is kneaded without adding salt to keep it from becoming chewy, and then it’s cut up and simmered with vegetables without waiting too long. Therefore, some of the noodles will dissolve into the soup, creating a soup unique to “Houtou.”

restaurant kaiki (7) hoto — restaurant minaki (7) houtou

Enjoy houtou at a house designated as a registered tangible cultural property. The house “Minaki” is an old Japanese zelkova house built in 1896.

restaurant minaki (1)

restaurant minaki (3) watch out your head

restaurant minaki (4) persimmons

restaurant minaki (5)

restaurant minaki (6)

erinji (10) letters written on military flag — Go back to itinerary

2024-12-02

The rock garden of Seiun-ji Temple, the place where the Takeda clan was revived

Suspected of rebellion by the Kamakura Shogunate, the ancestor of the Takeda family committed suicide on Mt. Tenmoku where Seiun-ji Temple is located, and the family was once extinct, but the Muromachi shogunate revived the Takeda family, and after that for the Takeda family, Mt. Tenmoku was recongnized as the place of rebirth, and Seiun-ji Temple became the family temple. Later, after the death of Takeda Shingen, who ruled the province of Kai, his son Katsuyori Takeda was defeated by Oda Nobunaga’s army and headed for Seiun-ji Temple in hopes of being reborn, but committed suicide on the way. Indeed, history repeats itself.

seiunji soba service (4) — Autumn leaves in front of seiunji

Mt.Fuji from seiunji

seiunji (2)

seiunji (3)

seiunji (5) kuri

The founder of Seiun-ji Temple trained on Mt. Tenmoku in China, and opened his temple here as a meditation training hall. It is called a rock garden, but the huge rocks that fell down are left in their original forms, and people can meditate on them and become one with nature, gaining an understanding of the truth.

seiunji rock garden (1) — seiunji rock garden

The head of Mt.Fuji can be seen from the temple garden, but if you climb further up the rock garden, you can see Mt. Fuji poking its head out from the gap in the mountains. Even if you meditate on a stone, you can’t help but worry about the state of Mt. Fuji.

seiunji rock garden (2) meditation of child

seiunji rock garden (3)

seiunji rock garden (4)

seiunji rock garden (5)

seiunji rock garden (6) buddha statue

seiunji rock garden (7) buddha statue

seiunji rock garden (8) meditation on the rock

seiunji rock garden (9)

seiunji rock garden (10)

seiunji rock garden (11)

seiunji rock garden (12)

seiunji rock garden (13) — Mt.Fuji from seiunji rock garden

In addition, up until then, soba was called “sobagaki” and was eaten in the form of manju, but thiswas also the birthplace of soba, which adopted Chinese culture and began eating it in the form of noodle. I learned this for the first time when I came here. [Link Yamagata]

seiunji soba service (1) birthplace of soba kiri

seiunji soba service (2)

seiunji soba service (3) soba plant

The time I visited was during the annual Treasure Window Exhibition held in early November. One of the treasures was a original military flag of the Takeda army written as “Fu-Rin-Ka-Zan.” (>>For meaning, read this post)

In the event, I was also treated to matcha tea with a sweet named as a moon hidden by cloud and autumn soba noodles.

seiunji (6) tea service

seiunji (7) moon hidde by cloud

seiunji soba service (5)

seiunji soba service (6)

seiunji soba service (7)

2024-11-262024-11-26

Hokoji, the family temple of the Yasuda clan, the true driving force behind the Genpei War

Before the Takeda family ruled Kai, the Yasuda family, which was descended from the Genji clan, ruled Kai. He fought as the main force of the Genji clan in the Genpei War at the end of Heian period, and built Hokoji Temple to celebrate the victory at Ichinotani, where Minamoto no Yoshitsune was said to be the most active person to victory against Heike clan. The Yasuda clan had ambitions to open a Buddhist city in Kai, following the example of Hiraizumi in Oshu(Tohoku region), and for this reason, there is still a wealth of cultural assets such as Buddhist statues.

The Bishamonten statue, which depicts the face of Yoshisada Yasuda at his peak, has a war helmet(Kabuto) on his head. The statue of Aizen Myoo holding a bow is said to be the oldest in Japan. The similar one at Jindoji Temple in Kyoto has some rough edges, but this one has a neat form. Later, the Yasuda family was suspected of rebellion by Minamoto no Yoritomo, who was highly suspicious, and the Yasuda family was destroyed. The Kamakura period was a history of slaughter between allies.

Detour

Delicious lunch using sake lees provided by a sake brewery “Kai”

sake brewery kai (4) — lunch menu at sake brewery “kai”

The word “kai” in the name of the sake brewery has the same pronunciation as the name of the region, but it also refers to the important tool used to mix ingredients in sake brewing. The restaurant is full of women who are looking for delicious food, probably anywhere in the world.

sake brewery kai (1)

sake brewery kai (2)

sake brewery kai (3)

sake brewery kai (5)

There is Kubo-Hachiman Shrine nearby, and the torii gate here is made of wood and is the oldest in Japan. However, it was surprising to see a normal road passing under it, and a large number of cars passing through it. It was solicited from Usa Jingu Shrine in Oita Prefecture, and since it is Hachiman Shrine, it is the god of military fortune and is also the guardian deity of the Takeda family.

2024-11-20

Another Zenkoji Temple

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.

zenkoji (6)

zenkoji hondo

(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.

zenkoji (7)

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.

zenkoji (1) Sanmon

zenkoji (2)

zenkoji (8)

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.

zenkoji (3)

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.

2024-10-192024-10-27

Kaikei’s Amida Triad statue and hall that embody the Western Pure Land (National Treasure)

It is said that there is a world of ease in the far west where lotus flowers bloom, free from suffering and worries. Buddhism associates the fear of death with the west, where the sun sets, and preaches that paradise lies in the west. Therefore, Amitabha Buddha is enshrined in the west. Jodoji Temple is the embodiment of this idea in its original form.

This is one of temples which were built in various places to collect donations for the reconstruction of Todaiji Temple in Nara. It is such a magnificent temple that if they had that kind of money, they should have used it to rebuild Todaiji itself. The shape of main hall’s roof reminds us of Gangoji Temple in Nara.

jodoji(2)main hall

jodoji(4)

jodoji(5)hydrangea in summer

Once inside, the setting sun shining through lattice doors illuminates the floorboards, and the giant Amida Triad shines golden in the reflected light. It gives a sense of the great imagination that came with this effect at the time. Please note that the closing times are different in summer and winter. Maybe it’s because the sunset time is different. On the other hand, there is also a lunch break time. Interestingly, there is Hachiman Shrine, which cuts through the flow of traffic within the temple grounds.

The chief priest of the sub-temple, Kanki-in adjacent to Jodoji Temple is making cute dolls made of clay. They also have seasonal dolls, which is a great appeal to repeat customers. However, even though it’s a temple and not a shrine, the dolls come with fortune telling fortunes.

promenard to sub temple (1)

promenard to sub temple (2)

sub temple (3)

sub temple (1)

sub temple (2)

Detour

In summer, a huge sunflower field appears just around Jodoji Temple.

Today’s INN

A hot spring inn located in the back of Himeji City.

2024-10-13

National Treasure Temples in Harima region that can be enjoyed better than Kyoto

ichijoji (1)steep stairs — ichijoji; steep stairs start

The three-storied pagoda is a national treasure. The hanging scrolls with portraits of Prince Shotoku Taishi and Founder of Tendai sect Saicho in the treasure hall are also national treasures. However, advance reservations are required for the latter. After paying the entrance fee at the foot of the temple mountain, I made my way up the more than 400 stone steps to the main hall where tickets to the treasure hall are sold, keeping an eye on the three-storied pagoda on my left but caring about the reservation time at the treasure hall. Then, I paid the ticket to the treasure hall to the monk at the main hall, and he told me that the treasure hall was down the stone steps and next to the entrance! Why aren’t they sold at the entrance? Seeing the disappointed look on my face, the monk told me that I could take my time to see the main hall and then visit the treasure hall on my way home. I’m thankful for that, but I’m starting to wonder why.

ichijoji (3)main hall — ichijoji; still stone steps to main hall

From the main hall, you can look down on the three-storied pagoda standing dignified in the middle of a dense mountain, and the gentle breeze is refreshing.

ichijoji (2)

ichijoji (4)pagoda national tresure

ichijoji (5)

On the side wall of the main hall, I found large letters that looked like they had been scrawled in ink. They are nice letters, but the content doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the temple. Later, when I stopped by Jodoji Temple (see next post) and saw almost the same on display, I realized that it was a doodle made by someone who had visited the temple at the time. Although it’s common in any era, it’s still a bold doodle.

ichijoji (8)ancient graffiti

ichijoji (9)inside of main hall

ichijoji (7)corridor of main hall

Well, I took my time touring the main hall and the three-storied pagoda, and finally stopped at the treasure hall on my way back, but it didn’t have a particularly strict entrance, and I was told that I could come in freely, which made me feel strange. There were various Buddhist statues from that time, and at the very back there were portraits of Shotoku Taishi and Saicho, but they were so sharp that I wondered, and when I read the description, it turned out to be an exquisite reproduction. Real national treasures are stored in museums, right? If that’s the case, what’s the point of requiring advance reservations, and of not selling tickets until you’re on top of the mountain?

It’s a temple full of questions, but at least it’s better than the crowded and uncomfortable temples in Kyoto.

2024-03-182024-03-22

The first thing you should do visiting Mr.Zenko’s house is say hello

Just 80 minutes from Tokyo on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, you will arrive at the snow-covered city of prayer. The exterior design of the Nagano Station building is an homage to the main hall of Zenkoji Temple. Daimon, entrance of Zenkoji, is about a 10 minute bus ride from bus stop number 1 in front of the station. The best time to visit is early in the morning when there are fewer worshipers on the approach, and this is when the shops on both sides of the approach open their shutters.

hokuriku bullet train

nagano station

The pair of statues of A-un at the Niomon gate is powerful and reminds us of the statues made by Unkei at Todaiji Temple.

niomon2

niomon3

sanmon1 approach

The Sanmon Gate finally comes into view in front of us, and it reminds us of the Sanmon Gate of Chion-in Temple in Kyoto, or the Sanmon Gate of Nanzen-ji Temple, where the great thief Goemon enjoyed a spectacular view from the top of the gate. When you climb up here, you can see Nagano city below and the surrounding mountains, but you can also feel that Zenkoji is located at the top of the alluvial fan.

from sanmon1 nagano city

The name of Zenkoji is written on the plaque on the temple gate. Normally people would be excited to find the five pigeons hidden inside the kanji, but I’m more curious about why the name of the temple is written on the plaque when the mountain name is usually written on it. Returning to the topic of looking for pigeons, it is difficult to find the last one, but the biggest hint is that its tail is visible. Just find it on site.

I also asked the security guard at the temple gate and was convinced that there was still a knowledge hidden in this plaque. At Zenkoji Temple, an Eko (memorial service) pillar is erected in front of the main hall once every six years in order to connect with Maedachi on behalf of the principal image, and touching this pillar is a major event. Speaking of Zenkoji Temple, there is a famous story called

“Visiting Zenkoji Temple being pulled by a Cow”

in which a woman who did not believe in Buddhism got her costume caught in the horns of a cow, and the woman chased after it to get it back and ends up visiting Zenkoji Temple. The cow was an incarnation of Buddha. The face of the cow and the Kanji character of a sheep, animal 6th year after a cow year in the Chinese zodiac, are hidden in this Zenkoji plaque.

from sanmon2

from sanmon3 kyozo

from sanmon4 hondo

Now, we finally enter the main hall, but since the attraction here is famous, where you search for the key to connect with the principal image in the dark, you can’t help but head towards the entrance of an altar tour first. Then, the monk who guides tourists inside the temple scolds them, saying, “What’s wrong with going into someone’s house and not greeting the Lord?” Then you notice that the principal image of the Buddha, which should be located directly in front of the center inside the main hall, is now to the left of the center. To the right of the center is a statue of the Lord of the house and his family. The monk explains that Zenkoji is not actually a temple, but Zenko-san’s private residence, and the Buddha is enshrined there. So, first of all, you have to say hello to the Lord.

By the way, I couldn’t get enough of being scolded, so I asked him about the secret Buddha statue, which even the head priest of Zenkoji Temple had never seen, how big it was and what it was made of, and he answered smoothly that it was 1 sun and 8 shaku (about 54cm) tall and made of gold. The story is about Mr. HONDA Yoshimitsu (Zenko), a local civil servant, who picked up a Buddhist statue that had been abandoned (due to the Mononobe clan’s anti-Buddhism movement during the Asuka period) in Namba (Osaka) while on a business trip. The story is that since people didn’t know about the existence of Buddha or the value of gold at that time, no one would have paid any attention to it even if it was thrown away. It makes sense, but I wonder if that’s true.

Afterwards, Minamoto no Yoritomo also visited Zenkoji Temple, and the secret Buddha statue was brought out by Takeda Shingen and returned by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In any case, it was famous enough to be talked about at the time. By the way, when you look up at the ceiling, you can see the pattern of the chrysanthemum crest. The monk boasts that this is proof that the Imperial family donated the money.

entrance of altar tour at zenkoji (Source: Zenkoji HP)

Now it’s time to tour the altar. At the entrance, hold your luggage in your left hand and run along the wall with your right hand to touch the key that connects to the principal image above. It’s getting darker and darker, and I’m afraid to take a step forward. I don’t think anything will come out, but it’s scarier than a haunted house. I suddenly feel anxious and want to hold on to something or someone (=> Buddha) to guide me. This is the purpose of the altar tour. At first I thought that if someone lost something in the pitch darkness, the monk would look for it with a flashlight, but as the tour progressed, the darkness made me forget that.

zenkoji pine tree

zennkoji pagoda

zenkouji the person who invest rinzo

Finally, go to the sutra. I’m amazed at the opportunism that by rotating the octagonal receptacle that holds the sutras by hands, you can get the same merit as reading all 7,000 volumes of sutras. I heard that the weight of the storage receptacle is 5 tons, of which 1.2 tons are sutras, but does the difference of 3.8 tons relate to merit?

Zenkoji Temple was full of knowledge !

evolve lunch (8)chestnut sweet — go back to itinerary

2023-11-08

A detour in late autumn, Heirinji Temple completely dyed in red.

Hei-rin-ji Temple was named after the flat (“Hei” in Japanese) forest (“rin” in Japanese). Friendly and easy to understand. The entire vast precinct is colored with autumn leaves, and there is a walking path within the precinct. If you go to the back, there are places where the leaves have not turned autumn yet, so you can enjoy the gradation. But anyway, it’s hard to take a detour. You have to take a bus from Hibarigaoka station on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line.

heirinji temple walking map

heirin temple15 promnard of backyard

heirin temple1

heirin temple2

heirin temple3

heirin temple4

heirin temple5

heirin temple7

heirin temple8

heirin temple9

heirin temple10

heirin temple12

heirin temple13

heirin temple14

heirin temple17

heirin temple16

heirin temple18

heirin temple20

heirin temple19

heirin temple22

heirin temple21

heirin temple23

Hibarigaoka is a famous place that was developed as a mammoth housing complex to meet the demand for new families to live during the time when Japan’s population increased explosively due to the baby boom. The housing complex is on the opposite side of the station from Heirinji Temple, but renovations have progressed and some of the former housing complexes are now being used as shops, one of which is a café that serves giant pancakes. It’s baked after you order it, so please look forward to it.

hibarigaoka housing complex and cafe

cafe1 renovation of old appartment

cafe2

cafe3 comma cafe

cafe4 hotcake

cafe5

seibu railway laview and mt.Buko — go back to itinerary

2023-07-282023-08-05

Cruising to Tomonoura, a historic town

There are no unsophisticated people who come to the Seto Inland Sea and travel by land from Onomichi to Tomonoura. On the way of sea, you can see a large suspension bridge, a shipyard, and Kannon who prays for maritime safety. However, please note that this cruise ship makes two round trips a day only on weekends and holidays.

Crusing from Onomichi to Tomonoura

cruising1

cruising3 shimanami kaido

cruising4 fishing boat

cruising5 shipyard

cruising6 shipyard dock

cruising7 utsumi ohashi

cruising8 abuto kannon

cruising10

cruising11

cruising12 goal

Well, Tomonoura is located right in the middle of the Seto Inland Sea and was a port of waiting for the tide in the age of ships that depended on the wind and currents. The high tide coming from the east and west channels of the Seto Inland Sea collides offshore, and the force is used to enter the port. When leaving the port to advance offshore, it uses the power of the ebb tide that pulls it to the east and west .

The place where the Korean envoys stopped by still remains, and it is also the place where Japan’s first maritime casualty negotiations occurred between steamships on the late Edo period. Here is the site of a true story in which the Kishu Domain (almost Wakayama prefecture), which was under the control of the shogunate, was defeated by the Kaientai led by Ryoma Sakamoto, according to the World Public Law.

It’s fun to take a leisurely stroll through the nostalgic port town. This is the stage of “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea” produced by Studio Ghibli. Furthermore, ‘Hohmeishu’, sweet sake with Japanese herbs, is famous, but you should also try original sweet sake ‘mirin’ which enhances the flavor of the dish.

tomonoura1 fukuzenn temple

tomonoura2 hohmeishu sake of life

tomonoura3

tomonoura4 allnight lighthouse

tomonoura5 meien temple buddha birthday decoration

tomonoura6

tomonoura7 ankoku temple

itsukushima shrine1 — go back to itinerary

2020-11-262020-11-26

Western Pure Land, namely paradise after death

Western Pure Land, namely paradise after death in the direction where the sun sets, is where the Agano River flows out west from the Aizu Basin.

As I mentioned three types of Buddha statues, the latest type was ‘Amida’ who promises the happiness of the next life in an uneasy era when the plague spread and war began to break out here and there at Heian period end. “The next life begins from next day” was connected to sun set and people has believed in paradise after death in the west.
That is Western Pure Land.

On the other hand, it seems that the people of the Middle Ages had traveled quite far. The Aizu Lord regretted that money would drop in other areas, and set up 33 Kannon tours in his territory by connecting 33 Buddhist temples with the same history as Nara, accomplishment of it would promise happiness for the next life.

There are many places of faith in Western Pure Land in Aizu, but choose below.

Shingu-Kumano Shrine

800 years old Ginkgo and huge worship hall without walls

Kamiunai-Yakushi Temple
(prior reservation)

The same style of Buddha statue as in Shoujiji Temple.

Eryuji Temple

7m height Kannon(Buddha statue) carved in a standing tree with 30 statues including statues with wings like a christian angel statue.

Sake difficult to obtain

Faith and sake have always been linked. Great sake exists in Western Pure Land.
‘Hiroki’ is my favorite sake. Side dish is not needed and I enjoy it alone.

“Even I can’t get it.”, said the worker in that brewery in Aizu Bange downtown. I failed to get fantastic sake directly.

Detour

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Today’s INN

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Crusing from Onomichi to Tomonoura

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Sake difficult to obtain

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