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 sect in
Gifu
is a Cities of Japan, city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. Durin ...
,
Gifu Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,910,511 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture ...
, Japan. Its formal name is Shūrinzan Jōzai-ji (鷲林山常在寺). Starting with
Saitō Dōsan, Jōzai-ji served as the family temple for the Saitō family for three generations, which included his son,
Saitō Yoshitatsu, and his grandson,
Saitō Tokugen. Also, it has been designated as a nationally
Important Cultural Property, as it contains pictures of both Dōsan and Yoshitatsu.
History
In 1450,
Saitō Myōchin served as the
guardian of upper
Mino Province on behalf of the
Toki clan. (Myōchin was the son of
Saitō Sōen, who had earlier served as the guardian of Mino Province.) Using his power in the area, he built this temple.
Afterwards, as Japan entered the
Sengoku period,
Nagai Shinzaemon used the area around his temple as his base for uniting the region. Dōsan, his son, continued his father's base of operations for a second generation, designating Jōzai-ji the family temple.
Gallery
File:常在寺 (岐阜市)-境内Jozaiji002.jpg,
File:常在寺 (岐阜市)-本堂Jozaiji010.jpg,
File:常在寺 (岐阜市)-斎藤道三公供養碑Jozaiji008.jpg,
File:常在寺 (岐阜市)-斎藤氏位牌Jozaiji016.jpg,
External links
Buildings and structures in Gifu
Buddhist temples in Gifu Prefecture
Nichiren-shū temples
{{Japan-Buddhist-temple-stub