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 ...

located in the Teramoto neighborhood of the city of Kawachinagano,

Osaka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Osaka Prefecture has a population of 8,778,035 () and has a geographic area of . Osaka Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefecture to the northwest, Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Nara ...

, in the

Kansai region The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo and Shiga, often also Mie, sometimes Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori. The metropol ...

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 one of the head temples of the

Kōyasan Shingon-shū is a Japanese sect of Shingon Buddhism. Headquartered on Mount Kōya in Wakayama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Wakayama Prefecture has a population of 876,030 () and a geographic area of . Wakaya ...

branch of

Shingon Buddhism 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-j ...

. The temple has several

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 ...

and Important Cultural Properties. Its precincts were designated a National Historic Site in 1972. and a

Japan Heritage is a programme sponsored by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs, aimed at valorization by local governments and other bodies, that sees individual Cultural Property (Japan), Cultural Properties across different categories as well as other n ...

site.

History

According to tradition,

En no Gyōja was a Japanese ascetic and mystic, traditionally held to be the founder of Shugendō, the path of ascetic training practiced by the ''gyōja'' or ''yamabushi''. He was banished by the Imperial Court to Izu Ōshima on June 26, 699, but folk t ...

founded a temple called "Unshin-ji" in the year 701. Just over a century later, in 808,

Kūkai , born posthumously called , was a Japanese Buddhist monk, calligrapher, and poet who founded the Vajrayana, esoteric Shingon Buddhism, Shingon school of Buddhism. He travelled to China, where he studied Tangmi (Chinese Vajrayana Buddhism) und ...

visited this temple and initiated worship of the

Big Dipper The Big Dipper (American English, US, Canadian English, Canada) or the Plough (British English, UK, Hiberno-English, Ireland) is an asterism (astronomy), asterism consisting of seven bright stars of the constellation Ursa Major; six of them ar ...

, building seven cairns corresponding to the seven main stars in that constellation, which still remain in the precincts to this day. Kanshin-ji is the only temple in Japan that enshrines the Big Dipper. Again per tradition, Kūkai returned to the temple in 815 and carved a statue of Nyoirin Kannon and renamed the temple "Kanshin-ji". While there are innumerable folklore references to Kūkai visiting some location and carving a statue with his own hands, the image attributed to Kūkai at this temple is stylized as a work of the 9th century and is accompanied by four gold and bronze Buddha statues also dating to the same period, so the

Nara period The of the history of Japan covers the years from 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capita ...

origins of the temple are not disputed. Per the temple own illustrated history, the "Kanshinji Engimonocho", the temple was rebuilt by order of

Emperor Junna was the 53rd emperor of Japan, Emperor Junna, Ōharano no Nishi no Minenoe Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency according to the traditional order of succession. Junna reigned from 823 to 833. Traditional narrative Junna had six empr ...

in 827, with the work begun by Kūkai's chief disciple, Jichie (Doko Daishi) and continued by his own disciple Shinshō. By the

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 ...

, it was a very large temple with more than 50 subsidiary chapels. Kanshin-ji was also the ''

bodaiji A in Japanese Buddhism is a temple which, generation after generation, takes care of a family's dead, giving them burial and performing ceremonies in their soul's favor.Iwanami kojien The name is derived from the term , which originally meant ju ...

'' for the Kusunoki clan, and thus had strong connections to the

Southern Court The were a set of four emperors ( Emperor Go-Daigo and his line) whose claims to sovereignty during the Nanboku-chō period spanning from 1336 through 1392 were usurped by the Northern Court. This period ended with the Southern Court definitivel ...

during the

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 ...

. In 1334,

Emperor Go-Daigo Emperor Go-Daigo (後醍醐天皇 ''Go-Daigo-tennō'') (26 November 1288 – 19 September 1339) was the 96th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')後醍醐天皇 (96) retrieved 2013-8-28. according to the traditional order o ...

built an imperial palace within the precincts of the temple, and from December 1359 to September 1360 it was the residence of

Emperor Go-Murakami (1328 – March 29, 1368) was the 97th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, and a member of the Southern Court during the Nanboku-chō period of rival courts. He reigned from September 18, 1339, until March 29, 13 ...

, whose grave is also within the precincts of the temple. The Tatekake-to chapel is a square one-story building, but is actually the first story of an unfinished Three-story pagoda. According to folklore,

Kusunoki Masashige , or , was a Japanese military commander and samurai of the Kamakura period remembered as the ideal loyal samurai. Kusunoki fought for Emperor Go-Daigo in the Genkō War to overthrow the Kamakura shogunate and restore power in Japan to the ...

had the building constructed to pray for the success of the

Kenmu Restoration The was a three-year period of Imperial rule in Japanese history between the Kamakura period and the Muromachi period from 1333 to 1336. The Kenmu Restoration was an effort made by Emperor Go-Daigo to overthrow the ruling Kamakura Shogunate ...

, but was defeated and killed at the

Battle of Minatogawa The Battle of Minatogawa (), also known as the Battle of Minato River, was part of the Nanboku-chō Wars fought near the Minato River in Settsu Province (present day Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture) on 5 July 1336. The Imperial forces loyal to Empe ...

before the structure was completed. During the

Muromachi period The , also known as the , is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate ( or ), which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi ...

, the temple continued to prosper under the patronage of the

Hatakeyama clan The was a Japanese samurai clan. Originally a branch of the Taira clan and descended from Taira no Takamochi, they fell victim to political intrigue in 1205, when Hatakeyama Shigeyasu, first, and his father Shigetada later were killed in batt ...

, but during the

Sengoku period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...

Oda Nobunaga was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He was the and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. He is sometimes referred as the "Demon Daimyō" and "Demo ...

seized most of the temple's territory. The temple was rebuilt under

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods and regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: ...

, and his son

Toyotomi Hideyori was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who united all of Japan toward the end of the Sengoku period. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga. Early life Born in 1593, he was Hideyoshi's sec ...

restored the Main Hall and various structures. During the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

, the ''

hatamoto A was a high ranking samurai in the direct service of the Tokugawa shogunate of feudal Japan. While all three of the Shōgun, shogunates in History of Japan, Japanese history had official retainers, in the two preceding ones, they were referred ...

'' Kainosho clan sponsored the temple and during the

An'ei was a after '' Meiwa'' and before ''Tenmei.'' This period spanned the years November 1772 through March 1781. The reigning emperors were and . Change of era * 1772 : The era name was changed to ''An'ei'' (meaning "peaceful eternity") to mark ...

era (1772-1781), the temple had over 30 subsidiary chapels. However, this was reduced to only 12 by the

Keiō was a after '' Genji'' and before '' Meiji''. The period spanned the years from May 1865 to October 1868. The reigning emperors were and . Change of era * May 1, 1865 (''Genji 2/Keiō 1, 7th day of the 4th month'') : The new era name of ''K ...

era (1865-1868).

Gallery

File:Kusunoki masashige-zou.JPG, Kusunoki Masashige statue Kubiduka.JPG, Kusuniki Masashige head mound NYOIRIN KANSHINJI.JPG, hozon Nyoirin Kannon Bosatsu Kanshinji kariteimotendo.jpg, Kariteimoten-do Tatekakenotou.jpg, Tatekake-no-to Kanshinji Onshikodo.jpg, Onshiko-do Inventory for Kanshinji.jpg, Inventory for Kanshinji

Cultural Properties

National treasures

; The Main Hall of Kanshin-ji was built at the beginning of the Muromachi period. However, its predecessor building seems to have been built during the Heian period, then rebuilt in its current form and has been repaired several times. Toyotomi Hideyori repaired it in 1613. The architectural style is an eclectic blend of traditional Japanese elements with elements of Zen architecture newly-arrived from China. It was designated a National Treasure in 1952. ; The main image Nyoirin Kannon is a Kannon that is s of Kanshin-ji is a seated wooden statue of Nyoirin Kannon, dating from the Heian period.It is 109.4 cm high and was carved from a single block of ''Kyara'' incense wood. The statue is believed to have been carved in the Jōwa ra (834-848) under the patronage of the empress of

Emperor Saga was the 52nd emperor of Japan, Emperor Saga, Saganoyamanoe Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency according to the traditional order of succession. Saga's reign lasted from 809 to 823. Traditional narrative Saga was the second son of ...

, Tachibana no Kachiko. It is a ''

hibutsu are Japanese Buddhist icons or statues concealed from public view. ''Hibutsu'' are generally located within Buddhist temples in shrines called . They are unavailable for viewing or worship except for certain religious ceremonies. It is possible i ...

'' hidden image and is open to public display only on April 17 and April 18 annually. ; The Kanshinji engi shizaichō is a document created during the Heian period and is dated 883 AD. It is extremely rare for a document written on paper to have survived in such good preservation. The document consists of two parts. The gives the reasons why Kanshin-ji was built and its early history. The second part is an inventory of the property that the temple had at that time.

Important Cultural Properties

Buildings and structures

*Shoin *Tatekake-to *Karitemoten-do *Onshiko-do

Paintings

* Mahāpratisarā, painting on silk

Statues

*Kanzeon Bodhisattva, standing statue, gold and bronze statue (image height 33.3 cm) * Kanzeon Bodhisattva, standing statue, gold and bronze (image height 18.3 cm) *Shaka Nyorai, standing statue, gold and bronze (partial) *Nyoirin Kannon, standing statue, gold and bronze (partial), (at Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts) *Aizen Myoo, seated statue, wooden *Fudo Myoo, seated statue, wooden *Aizen Myoo, seated statue, wooden, in '' zushi'' (owned by Emperor Go-Murakami) (image height 6.2 cm) *Nyoirin Kannon, seated statue, wooden *Four heavenly kings, standing statues, wooden *Shaka Nyorai, seated statue, wooden *Yakushi Nyorai, seated statue, wooden *Hosho Nyorai, seated statue, wooden *Maitreya Bodhisattva, seated statue, wooden *Sho-Kannon Bosatsu, standing statues (6), wooden (image height 166.5 cm, 167.0 cm 180.3 cm, 163.5 cm, 167.9 cm, 170.2 cm) *Nyoirin Kannon, seated statue, wooden *Jizo Bosatsu, standing statue, wooden *Holy Monk, seated statue, wooden, in ''zushi''

Crafts

*One pair of gold and bronze lotus vase (Kebyo) *Iron lantern, Joei 2nd year inscription *One set red breastplate armor, said to have belonged to Kusunoki Masashige

Documents

*Kanshinji Engi (Emperor Go-Kameyama's book, Emperor Go-Komatsu's book) Volume 2 *Chusonji Sutra (166 gold and silver sutras, 50 gold sutras) 216 volumes *Kanshinji Documents (688) 29 volumes, 2 volumes, 360 copies

References

External links

Osaka Prefecture home page
{{in lang, ja Buddhist temples in Osaka Prefecture Kawachinagano Kōyasan Shingon temples 8th-century Buddhist temples Important Cultural Properties of Japan National Treasures of Japan Temples of Avalokiteśvara Osaka Prefecture designated tangible cultural property Japanese imperial tombs