Ikaruga Temple

This Tendai temple is located in Taishi-cho, Ibo-gun, Hyogo Prefecture. It is also called Prince Ikaruga. It was originally a branch temple of Horyu-ji Temple in Yamato Province (Nara Prefecture). Empress Suiko was so impressed by Prince Shotoku's lectures on the Sacred Wisdom Sutra and the Lotus Sutra that she gave him land, which Prince Shotoku named Ikaruga-no-sho and built a temple there, which is how the temple was founded. In April 1541 (Tenbun 10), the temple was destroyed by fire and all of its buildings and pagodas were lost, but it was rebuilt by the monk Shosen and others during the Koji era (1555-1558), and it has been associated with the Tendai sect ever since. According to temple legend, there used to be 36 sub-temples within the mountain. In addition to the three-story pagoda built in the Muromachi period, the temple treasures include the colored silk painting "Prince Shotoku Preaching on the Sutra of Mercy," five scrolls of the "Shaka Triad" and "Sixteen Arhats" on indigo blue paper with gold paint, eight wooden statues of the Twelve Heavenly Generals, and statues of the Bodhisattva Nikko and Gakko, which are designated as Important Cultural Properties of Japan.

[Nakayama Kiyota]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

兵庫県揖保(いぼ)郡太子(たいし)町にある天台宗の寺。斑鳩の太子ともよばれる。もとは大和(やまと)国（奈良県）法隆寺(ほうりゅうじ)の別院であった。推古(すいこ)天皇が聖徳太子の『勝鬘経(しょうまんぎょう)』『法華経(ほけきょう)』講説に感動して土地を与え、太子は、その地を鵤荘(いかるがのしょう)と名づけて一伽藍(がらん)を建立したのが当寺の創建である。1541年（天文10）4月兵火にかかって堂塔すべて焼失したが、弘治(こうじ)年間（1555～1558）昌仙(しょうせん)法師らにより再建、その後は天台宗に属した。寺伝によれば、往時、山内には36の子院(しいん)（末寺）があったという。室町時代の建築である三重塔のほか、寺宝の絹本着色『聖徳太子勝鬘経講讃(こうさん)図』、紺紙金泥『釈迦(しゃか)三尊図』『十六羅漢像図』5幅、十二神将木像8躯(く)、日光・月光菩薩(ぼさつ)像などが国の重要文化財に指定されている。

［中山清田］

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