Kongō-ji

Kongō-ji (金剛寺) is a Buddhist temple in Kawachinagano, Osaka, Japan. It is the head temple of the Shingon Omuro sect. and also known under its mountain-name as Amanosan Kongō-ji (天野山 金剛寺). It is the 7th temple on the Shin Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage (新西国三十三箇所) and is notable for the large number of designated cultural properties.[1][2][3] The precincts of the temple were designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1934 with the area under protection expanded in 2011.[4]

Kongō-ji
金剛寺
Temple grounds with main hall and refectory
Religion
AffiliationBuddhist
DeityDainichi Nyorai
RiteShingon Omuro
Location
Location996 Amano-chō, Kawachinagano, Osaka Prefecture, Osaka-fu
CountryJapan
Geographic coordinates34°25′43″N 135°31′46″E
Architecture
FounderGyōki
Date established729–748
Website
Official website

History

According to temple legend, one of the 84,000 stupas built by the Indian Emperor Ashoka was on this land. The temple was founded during the Tenpyō era (729–749) through imperial request of Emperor Shōmu by the priest Gyōki. During the early Heian period, Kōbō-Daishi (Kūkai), the founder of Shingon Buddhism is said to have studied here.[5]

Mie Hall

Over 400 years of its existence the temple fell into ruins. However at the end of the Heian period, the Kōyasan priest Akan (阿観) (1136-1207) was living in the area. Deeply revered and supported by Emperor Go-Shirakawa and his sister Hachijō‐in Akiko (1137–1211) he revived the temple. Akan brought an image of Kōbō-Daishi drawn by Prince Takaoka (真如親王, Takaoka-shinnō) (799–865) from Kōyasan and had it installed in the newly erected Miei Hall. While holding memorial services for Kōbō-Daishi, a monastery consisting of a Main Hall (Kondō), tahōtō, rōmon and refectory ermerged. The current structures are from this time. It became the head temple for two generations and was known as Women's Kōyasan since, contrary to many other temples at the time, women were allowed to pray here.[1][3][5]

At the end of the Kamakura period, Kongō-ji became associated with Emperor Go-Daigo and was the base of the Southern Court during the Nanboku-chō period. From 1354 to 1360 Emperor Go-Murakami set up a temporary loding at the Mani-in (摩尼院) subtemple and the refectory. During that period, three emperors of the Northern Court, Kōgon, Kōmyō and Sukō, were imprisoned in the Kanzō-in (観蔵院) subtemple of Kongō-ji.[5][1][3][6] Kōmyō was released in 1355, the other two in 1357.[6]

Temple layout

At the end of the Nanboku-chō period, the production of rice, charcoal, lumber and most notably amanosake contributed to the economy of the temple. There were more than 90 sub-temples at the time. Under the patronage of Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the temple flourished and owned 307 koku land at the end of the Edo period. That's one of the reasons that a large number of cultural properties has been preserved at the temple. The buildings were repaired in 1606 by Toyotomi Hideyori and in 1700 by decree of Tokugawa Tsunayoshi.[5]

No major works happened until 2009, when the disassembly and repair of the buildings was decided. This coincided with the repair of the group of main sculptures and their subsequent designation as National Treasure in 2017. Preservation works were subsidized by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and Kawachinagano city for a total of 1.65 billion yen. They were carried out over a period of 9 years starting in 2009.[5]

Precinct
temple gate

The precinct is entered through the Sanmon temple gate (1). It is a three ken wide tower gate (rōmon) painted red, has an irimoya-style [ex 1] roof of hongawara[ex 2] type and dates to the Kamakura period between 1275 and 1332.

Refectory

Built between 1333 and 1392 as a seat for the administration, the refectory (Jiki-dō) (2) is also known as Amano-den (天野殿). It is a 7×3 ken structure with an irimoya-style[ex 1] hongawara[ex 2] type roof and a nokikarahafu gable;[ex 3] over the entrance in the gable end.

The temple's main hall (3) is the 7×7 ken Kon-dō, with a one ken step canopy and an irimoya-style[ex 1] roof of the hongawara type.[ex 2] Built in 1320 it houses the temple's main object of worship: Dainichi Nyorai flanked by Fudō Myōō and Trailokyavijaya. The group of three sculptures has been designated as National Treasure.[10][11]

tahōtō

In front of the main hall, there is a 3 ken treasure pagoda (tahōtō) (4). Originally built during the Heian period, 1086–1184, it is the temple's oldest structure, although it has been restored considerably in 1606–1607. It is roofed in cedar wood shingles. The 3×2 ken bell tower, or shōrō behind the main hall dates to the Kamakura period. It has a flared skirt like lower part (袴腰, hakamagoshi)[12] and an irimoya style[ex 1] hongawarabuki roof.[ex 2]

All of the structures mentioned so far have been designated as Important Cultural Properties.

Other buildings on the western end of the precinct are (from north to south), the Mie Hall (御影堂, Mie-dō) (6), the Hall of the Five Buddhas (五仏堂, Gobutsu-dō) (7) and the Yakushi Hall (薬師堂, Yakushi-dō) (8). All of these three structures have a square layout and a hip roof.

Gobutsu Hall

Most notable among them is the Mie Hall, an Important Cultural Property rebuilt in 1606. It is a 4×4 structure with tented roof covered with hinoki cypress shingles, a 1 ken step canopy at the front and a 2 ken step canopy at the back. There is a moon viewing stage under a karahafu gable attached to the eastern side of the hall, while the west is connected to the image hall.[13]

Cultural assets

The temple houses a large number of cultural properties among which the most valuable have been designated as five National Treasures and 29 Important Cultural Properties.[5]

National Treasures
Landscape of the four seasons screens

Housed in the Kondō, the main sculptural group consists of seated statues of Dainichi Nyorai, Fudō Myōō and Trailokyavijaya and is partially a work of Gyōkai (行快), a disciple of Kaikei. The three sculptures were made of colored wood over a 50-year period with the Dainichi Nyorai dating to the late Heian period, c. 1180, and the Fudō Myōō from 1234, Kamakura period. They measure 313.5 cm (123.4 in) (Dainichi Nyorai), 201.7 cm (79.4 in) (Fudō Myōō) and 230.1 cm (90.6 in) (Trailokyavijaya) respectively. The groups appears in the Sonshō Mandala (尊勝曼荼羅) of Esoteric Buddhism. As a result of a large scale restoration and investigation in the Heisei period a writing in ink was found inside the womb of the statues, giving the date and author of Fudō Myōō. The group was subsequently, in 2017, designated as National Treasure.[5][13]

The temple owns a pair of National Treasure mid-16th century Muromachi period, six-section folding screens (byōbu) known as Landscape of the four seasons (紙本著色日月四季山水図, shihon chakushoku jitsugetsu shiki sansui-zu). Drawn with ink and color on paper with gold leaf background, the screens measure 147.0 cm × 313.5 cm (57.9 in × 123.4 in) each. It is said that they were one of the utensils used in the esoteric kanjō (灌頂) ritual.[14][15][5][13]

Now in custody at the Kyoto National Museum, one of few ancient jokotō swords has been transmitted at Kongō-ji. The blade is a straight double-edged unsigned tsurugi from the early Heian period. Its handle is in the shape of a Buddhist ritual implement, a pestle like weapon with three prongs (sanko). The sword was for ceremonial use and together with an acommpanying black lacquer mounting from the Kamakura period has been designated as a National Treasure. The blade is 62.2 cm (24.5 in) long, 3.3 cm (1.3 in) wide and has a 11.1 cm (4.4 in) long tang.[16][17]

Engishiki, Kongō-ji edition

Two National Treasures of the Engishiki, a book about Japanese laws and customs compiled between 905 and 927, belong to the temple. Both are transcriptions from 1127, but as the original is lost, they represent the oldest extant copies of the work. One, known as the Kongō-ji edition, consists of three scrolls and contains volume 12 and fragments of volumes 14 and 16. The other is a single scroll of volumes 9 and 10 which contain a register of shrines in Japan.[18][19][20]

Important Cultural Properties
Kōbō Daishi

In addition to the six structures mentioned above, Kongō-ji holds a number of Important Cultural Properties in the arts and crafts category.

Paintings
Sculpture
  • an early Kamakura period wooden seated image of Dainichi Nyorai on a lotos pedestal and a halo with 37 kebutsu (化仏), manifestations of nyorai in another body. The sculpture dates to between 1172 and 1192 and is enshrined in the tahōtō. It measures 80.4 cm (31.7 in) with its halo is 116.5 cm (45.9 in) high.[27]
  • a pair of Kamakura period wooden standing nitennō located inside the rōmon, dated to 1279.[28]
Censer
Crafts
  • a Kamakura period censer or incense burner made by gilted copper casting, measuring 36.0 cm (14.2 in) (total length), with a handle width of 2.1 cm (0.83 in) and a container measuring 8.1 cm (3.2 in) (height) by 10.3 cm (4.1 in) (diameter). The lid is thought to be a later addition and has a design with Japanese morning glory. The censer is in custody at the Tokyo National Museum.
  • a Kamakura period lacquered wooden box with gilt bronze fittings from 1320, now in custody at the Nara National Museum. The box measures 36.3 cm × 12.7 cm × 14.0 cm (14.3 in × 5.0 in × 5.5 in) and was used for ordination documents.[29]
  • a Heian period small lacquer box, now in custody at the Kyoto National Museum. The box measures 27.4 cm × 41.2 cm × 19.0 cm (10.8 in × 16.2 in × 7.5 in) and is covered in lacquer with a design of sparrows in the field in makie-e technique. The inside is decorated with branches and plum blossoms.[30]
Two haramaki armours
  • a set of haramaki and hizayoroi armour from the Muromachi and Nanboku-chō periods[31]
  • a Kamakura period cupronickel mirror with flowers and birds design[32]
  • a Kamakura period three-legged butterfly-shaped table with lotus arabesque, raden inlay and a semi-circular desk board. Made of lacquer covered wood with metal fittings. Height: 45.5 cm (17.9 in), 　desk: 38.5 cm × 21.3 cm (15.2 in × 8.4 in).[33]
  • a Heian period sutra box with lotus design in maki-e technique, now in custody at the Tokyo National Museum[34]
You Xian Ku
Written materials
  • a Heian period scroll of volume 8 of the Lotus Sutra with gilt letters on deep blue paper from 1148 by Fujiwara no Motohira.[35]
  • one Heian period scroll of the Hōkyōin-darani sutra written with gold paint on deep blue paper[36]
  • 12 volumes of the Nirvana sutra from the Kamakura period each with a postscript by Emperor Murakami from 1359[37]
  • one scroll of the Hōkyōin-darani sutra from the Heian period[38]
  • one scroll from the Heian period on Fugen's practice and vows[39]
  • an excess copy of the Chinese 7th century novel You Xian Ku produced in 1320. This folding book measures 25.5 cm × 16.2 cm (10.0 in × 6.4 in) and is noted as the oldest existing manuscript from the late Kamakura period. The end contains a description of the kunyomi transmission in reading.[40]
Ancient documents

See also

Architectural notes
  1. (irimoya-zukuri, 入母屋造): a hip-and-gable roof combining a ridge and two gable pediments on the upper part with a hipped roof on all sides in the lower part of the roof[7]
  2. (hongawarabuki, 本瓦葺): a tile roof composed of flat broad concave tiles and semi-cylindrical convex tiles covering the seams of the former[9]
  3. (nokikarahafu, 軒唐破風): an undulating Karahafu gable at eave ends[8]

References

Citations
  1. Osaka-fu no rekishi sampo henshu iinkai (publisher): Amanosan Kongo-ji. In: Osaka-fu no rekishi sampo (ge). Yamakawa Shuppan, 2007. ISBN 978-4-634-24827-4. p. 209
  2. "金剛寺" [Kongō-ji]. Kongōji. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  3. "金剛寺" [Kongō-ji]. Shin Saigoku Association. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  4. "金剛寺境内" [Kongo-ji keinai] (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  5. "歴史 天野山 金剛寺" [History Amanosan Kongō-ji]. Kongōji. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  6. Marra, Michele (1993). Representations of Power: The Literary Politics of Medieval Japan. University of Hawaii Press. pp. 35–36. ISBN 9780824815561.
  7. "irimoya-zukuri". JAANUS – Japanese Architecture and Art Net User System. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
  8. "karahafu". JAANUS – Japanese Architecture and Art Net User System. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
  9. "hongawarabuki". JAANUS – Japanese Architecture and Art Net User System. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
  10. 文化財 [Cultural Assets] (in Japanese). Kongō-ji. 2017. Archived from the original on 2019-10-18. Retrieved 2017-11-14.
  11. 文化審議会答申 国宝・重要文化財（美術工芸品）の指定について [Council of Cultural Affairs: Designation of National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties in the Arts and Crafts category] (PDF) (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. 2017-03-10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-11-14. Retrieved 2017-11-13.
  12. "hakamagoshi". JAANUS – Japanese Architecture and Art Net User System. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  13. 国指定文化財 データベース [Database of National Cultural Properties] (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  14. 日月山水図 [Landscape of the four seasons] (in Japanese). Kawachinagano. Archived from the original on March 31, 2016. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  15. 国宝・重要文化財（美術工芸品）の指定について～ [Designation of National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties in the arts and crafts category] (PDF) (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. March 9, 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 10, 2018. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  16. Satō & Earle 1983, p. 31
  17. 国宝 剣 無銘 [National Treasure unsigned sword] (in Japanese). Kawachinagano. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  18. Seeley 1991, p. 55
  19. "Engishiki". Kawachinagano, Osaka. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  20. "Engishiki". Kawachinagano, Osaka. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  21. 弘法大師像 [Kōbō Daishi image] (in Japanese). Kawachinagano. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  22. 虚空蔵菩薩像 [Kokūzō Bosatsu] (in Japanese). Kawachinagano. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  23. 五秘密曼荼羅 [Mandala of the Five Secrets] (in Japanese). Kawachinagano. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  24. 尊勝曼荼羅図 [Sonshō Mandala] (in Japanese). Kawachinagano. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  25. 観世音菩薩立像 [Kannon Bosatsu] (in Japanese). Kawachinagano. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  26. 五智如来坐像 [Five Great Buddhas] (in Japanese). Kawachinagano. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  27. 大日如来坐像 [Dainichi Nyorai] (in Japanese). Kawachinagano. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  28. 二天王立像 [Nitennō] (in Japanese). Kawachinagano. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  29. 金銅装 戒体箱 [box for ordination documents] (in Japanese). Kawachinagano. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  30. 野辺雀蒔絵手箱 [Small box with sparrows] (in Japanese). Kawachinagano. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  31. 腹巻及膝鎧 [haramaki and hizayoroi] (in Japanese). Kawachinagano. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  32. 白銅鏡 [Cupronickel mirror] (in Japanese). Kawachinagano. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  33. 蓮唐草螺鈿蝶形三足卓 [Three-legged table] (in Japanese). Kawachinagano. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  34. 蓮華蒔絵経筥 [Lotus flower sutra container] (in Japanese). Kawachinagano. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  35. 紺紙金字法華経 [Lotus Sutra on deep blue paper] (in Japanese). Kawachinagano. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  36. 紺紙金泥宝篋印陀羅尼経 [Hōkyōin-darani sutra] (in Japanese). Kawachinagano. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  37. 大般涅槃経 [Nirvana sutra] (in Japanese). Kawachinagano. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  38. 宝篋印陀羅尼経 [Hōkyōin-darani sutra] (in Japanese). Kawachinagano. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  39. 梵漢普賢行願讃 [Fugen vows] (in Japanese). Kawachinagano. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  40. 遊仙窟残巻 [You Xian Ku] (in Japanese). Kawachinagano. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  41. 楠木氏文書 [Kusunoki clan documents] (in Japanese). Kawachinagano. Retrieved 2020-04-12.

General sources
  • Satō, Kanzan; Earle, Joe (1983). The Japanese sword. Japanese arts library volume 12 (illustrated ed.). Kodansha International. ISBN 0-87011-562-6. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  • Seeley, Christopher (1991). A History of Writing in Japan. Volume 3 of Brill's Japanese studies library (Illustrated ed.). BRILL. ISBN 90-04-09081-9. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  • Media related to Kongō-ji at Wikimedia Commons
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