【Japan tourism】 Shikoku 88 temple pilgrimage trip [No.75] Gogakusan Tanjyouin Zentuuji
Zentsuji, known as the birthplace of Kobo Daishi, is the head temple of the Zentsuji school of Shingon Buddhism. Along with Toji Temple in Kyoto and Koyasan in Wakayama, it has long been worshiped as one of the three major sacred sites of Kobo Daishi.
Zentsuuji
| Principal image | Yakushi Nyorai |
| Honzon mantra | On korokoro sendari matougi sowaka |
| Denomination | Shingon Buddhism Zentsuuji sect |
Place
Temple lodging： Be (250 people)
Phone：0877-62-0111
〒765-0003
3-3-1 Zentsujicho, Zentsuji City, Kagawa Prefecture
Gosyuin(red stamp)
History
Kobo Daishi, who returned from Tang Dynasty, built a temple modeled after Seiryu-ji in Chang’an, where his teacher, Keika Osho, lived, on the land donated by his father. He took his name from his father’s name, Yoshimichi Saeki, and named the temple as Zentsuji.
The land where Seiin (Tanjyouin) stands today was originally the residence of the Saeki family, the parents’ home of Kobo Daishi. It is also said that the place where the back hall of Seiin Goeido was built was the room of Tamayori Gozen, the mother of Kobo Daishi.
Until the Edo period, it was a separate temple with a chief priest in each of “Zentsuji" and “Tanjyouin", but in the Meiji period, it became one temple as Zentsuji.
The vast site, which has a total area of 45,000 square meters, is divided into the east and west two temples, the east temple called “garan" and the west temple called “birth temple".
Highlight
【Main hall (Kondo)】The main hall at the time of its foundation was destroyed by fire, and the current main hall was built in 1699 (Genroku 12).
The Yakushi Nyorai statue with a height of 3m is enshrined as the principal image, and it was made by Uncho Kitagawa.
【five-storied pagoda】 It is a large pagoda made entirely of zelkova (zelkova) with a height of about 43m, and is popular as a symbol of Zentsuuji.
Since its foundation, it has collapsed and burned down, but has been rebuilt each time.
The current pagoda was rebuilt in 1902 (Meiji 35).
It is located at about the same latitude as Okunoin of Koyasan.
【Goeido Hall】 Built on the ruins of the Saeki family residence, there is a 100-meter-long “Kaidan Meguri" underground, where you can feel your way around while chanting Gohogo in the dark.
You can listen to the voice of Kobo Daishi reproduced assuming it from his portrait.
The current building was rebuilt in 1831 (Tenpo 2), and a large-scale repair was carried out in 1937.
It is about 5 km (about 10 minutes by car) to the next 76th bill place “Kanakuraji"!