{"id":3578,"date":"2017-06-16T12:00:04","date_gmt":"2017-06-16T03:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/japan-4seasons.com\/wp2\/?p=3578"},"modified":"2017-06-25T13:50:32","modified_gmt":"2017-06-25T04:50:32","slug":"%e4%bc%8a%e4%b8%b9%e3%80%81%e6%98%86%e9%99%bd%e5%af%ba%e3%81%a8%e6%98%86%e9%99%bd%e6%b1%a0","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/japan-4seasons.com\/en\/hyogo\/3578.html","title":{"rendered":"Koyadera Temple in Itami"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’d like to introduce Koya-dera or formally Konyo-ji temple, which is a famous Buddhist temple in Itami City<\/a>, Hyogo\u00a0Prefecture in Japan.<\/p>\n

This Buddhist temple is one of\u00a0the Buddhist temples of a Japanese sect of Shingon Buddhism<\/a>, which was established first as a “Sein”, a facility for poor relief, established by Gyogi<\/a> in 731, and then was arranged as the\u00a0Buddhist temple. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes from Itami station of JR line or Hankyu Railway by bus.<\/p>\n

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When\u00a0you walk from the bus stop toward the Buddhist temple, you will see a vermilion-lacquered entrance gate, “Sanmon.” This gate stands facing an old road, which was called “Saigoku-kaido” in the Edo-period, which became National Route 171. “Koya-dera” temple was burned down by Oda Nobunaga<\/a>, and this “Sanmon” (and also temple buildings in the precincts of this temple) was rebuilt in 1655 to 1658.<\/p>\n

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In the lower parts of the gate, two statues, Vaisravana<\/a> and Virupaksa<\/a>, stand for protection of this temple.<\/p>\n

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The following picture is of the Sanmon gate looking from the precincts of the Buddhist temple.<\/p>\n

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The left is a wood board on which the locations of the facilities of this Buddhist temple are shown in the precincts. The big buildings are “Sho-do” (bell tower), “Hondo” (main temple), “Gyogi-do” (temple hall dedicated to Gyogi), and “Kannon-do” (temple hall dedicated to Kannon<\/a> (Guanyin)). In addition, this Buddhist temple has two Shinto shrines*, a memorial hall, etc.<\/p>\n

* Although the “Buddhist temple” is totally different from the “Shinto shrine,” in Japan, Buddhism and Shintoism interacted and were fused with each other in some respects (Shinbutsu-Shugo<\/a>) during a long history. Some Shinto shrines may have Buddhist altar fittings, or some Buddhist temples may have Shinto shrines in their precincts.<\/p>\n

After passing through the Sanmon gate, there is “Chozuya<\/a>,” a pavilion at which you wash your hands and mouth for ritual purification, and the “Sho-do” (bell tower) behind the Chozuya. Some Jizo<\/a>\u00a0(Kshitigarbha) statues and stone monuments stand near the wall fence. There is also a rest cabin.<\/p>\n

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This is the “Sho-do” (bell\u00a0tower), which was rebuilt in 1789.<\/p>\n

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This is the “Hondo” (main temple). In the “Hondo,” “Yakushinyorai<\/a>” (Medicine Buddha), which is the principal image of this Buddhist temple, is deified. Tradition says that the “Yakushinyorai” statue here was made by “Gyogi.”<\/p>\n

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There is a big tree near the “Hondo.” The tree has a big cavity, through which thunder might have\u00a0been passed.<\/p>\n

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The building looked on the front is the “Hondo” and the building behind is the “Gyogi-do”\u00a0(temple hall dedicated to Gyogi).<\/p>\n

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This is the “Gyogi-do.” In this temple hall, Gyogi and other bosatsu<\/a> (Bodhisattva) statues are deified.<\/p>\n

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This is the “Gyogi-zuka” (tumulus of Gyogi).<\/p>\n

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Looking back on this side of the road to the hall, the “Kuyo-do” (memorial hall).<\/p>\n

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\"DSC01618\"<\/a>This is the “Kannon-do” (temple hall dedicated to Guanyin) in which an eleven-faced Kannon (Guanyin) is\u00a0deified. This temple hall was rebuilt in 1789.
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“Benten-do” (temple hall dedicated to Benten<\/a> (Benzaiten), or Sarasvati) which is located near the Kannon-do.<\/p>\n

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There are some small Shinto shrines, stone monuments, and a charnel house around the Hondo and the other temple halls.<\/p>\n

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Behind the temple halls is a small forest in which a small river flows. There are many stone Buddhist statues, with a red cap placed over their heads, among the trees in the area.<\/p>\n

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