is a

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 uddhismof Tō- ...

temple in

Matsuyama 270px, Matsuyama City Hall 270px, Ehime Prefectural Capital Building is the capital city of Ehime Prefecture, on the island of Shikoku, in Japan and is also Shikoku's largest city. , the city had an estimated population of 505,948 in 243,541 h ...

Ehime Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Ehime Prefecture has a population of 1,334,841 and a geographic area of 5,676 km2 (2,191 sq mi). Ehime Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the northeast, Toku ...

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 Temple 51 on the

Shikoku 88 temple pilgrimage The or is a multi-site pilgrimage of 88 temples associated with the Buddhist monk Kūkai (''Kōbō Daishi'') on the island of Shikoku, Japan. A popular and distinctive feature of the island's cultural landscape, and with a long history, ...

. Its name means Stone Hand Temple (石手寺). Seven of its structures have been designated

National Treasures A national treasure is a structure, artifact, object or cultural work that is officially or popularly recognized as having particular value to the nation, or representing the ideals of the nation. The term has also been applied to individuals or ...

or Important Cultural Properties.

History

The temple of Annoyō-ji was founded by

Gyōki was a Japanese Buddhist priest of the Nara period, born in Ōtori county, Kawachi Province (now Sakai, Osaka), the son of Koshi no Saichi. According to one theory, one of his ancestors was of Korean descent. Gyōki became a monk at Asuka-d ...

, and converted from a Hossō to a

temple by Kūkai. Rebuilt by the ruler of

Iyo Province was a Provinces of Japan, province of Japan in the area of northwestern Shikoku.Louis-Frédéric, Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Tosa''" in . Iyo bordered on Sanuki Province to the northeast, Awa Province (Tokushima), Awa to the east ...

in the eighth century, many of the temple buildings were destroyed by the Chōsokabe in the sixteenth century. The

aetiology Etiology (; alternatively spelled aetiology or ætiology) is the study of causation or origination. The word is derived from the Greek word ''()'', meaning "giving a reason for" (). More completely, etiology is the study of the causes, origin ...

sees the temple's name changed to Ishite-ji or ''stone-hand temple'' after the tightly-clenched hand of the newborn son of the lord of

was opened by a priest from the Annoyō-ji to reveal a stone inscribed "

Emon Saburō is a legendary figure of early ninth-century Japan associated with Kūkai and the Shikoku 88 temple pilgrimage. Legend A mendicant visited the house of Emon Saburō, richest man in Shikoku, seeking alms. Emon refused, broke the pilgrim's beg ...

is reborn".

Buildings

* (1318) (

National Treasure A national treasure is a structure, artifact, object or cultural work that is officially or popularly recognized as having particular value to the nation, or representing the ideals of the nation. The term has also been applied to individuals or ...

) * (late

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 G ...

) ( Important Cultural Property) * (late

) (ICP) * (late

) (ICP) * (1333) (ICP) * (

Nanboku-chō period The , also known as the Northern and Southern Courts period, was a period in Japanese history between 1336-1392 CE, during the formative years of the Ashikaga shogunate, Muromachi (Ashikaga) shogunate. Ideologically, the two courts fought for 50 ...

) (ICP)

Treasures

* (late

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 G ...

) ( Important Cultural Property) * (1251) (ICP) *

Inscription Epigraphy () is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as writing; it is the science of identifying graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the wr ...

of 1567 telling the legend of

Casket Casket or caskets may refer to: * Coffin, a box used for the display and interment of corpses * Casket (decorative box), a decorated container, usually larger than about in width and length, but smaller than a chest ** Chasse (casket), a decora ...

housing the eponymous stone.

Notes

References

* Banzai, Mayumi. (1973). ''A Pilgrimage to the 88 Temples in Shikoku Island.'' Tokyo: Kodansha
OCLC 969829
* Miyata, Taisen. (2006). ''The 88 Temples of Shikoku Island, Japan.'' Los Angeles: Koyasan Buddhist Temple
OCLC 740530179
* Reader, Ian. (2005). ''Making Pilgrimages: Meaning and Practice in Shikoku.'' Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
OCLC 56050925
{{Coord, 33, 50, 52.3, N, 132, 47, 47.3, E, region:JP_type:landmark, display=title Buddhist temples in Ehime Prefecture Pagodas in Japan National Treasures of Japan Important Cultural Properties of Japan Shingon Buddhism Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Japan Ehime Prefecture designated tangible cultural property Shikoku Pilgrimage Sites

History

Buildings

Treasures

See also

Notes

References