Kasamori Temple

Located in Chonan-machi, Chosei-gun, Chiba Prefecture, this temple is a special head temple of the Tendai sect. It is called Daihizan Nankoin Kasamori-ji Temple and is popularly known as Kasamori Kannon. It is the 31st temple of the Bando Thirty-Three Temples. According to temple legend, the temple was founded in 784 (Enryaku 3) when Dengyo Daishi (Saicho) carved and enshrined an eleven-headed Kannon Bodhisattva from a sacred camphor tree, and the temple name Nankoin originates from this. In 1028 (Chogen 1), the current main hall (Kannon Hall, National Important Cultural Property), the only one of its kind in Japan with a four-sided hanging structure, was built at the imperial decree of Emperor Goichijo. At the time of its completion, the temple was given the mountain title of "Hotozan" by imperial decree, becoming a temple built on imperial decree. Until recently, there were seven temples on the mountain, which made up a single mountain. The eleven-faced Kannon is a secret Buddha image that is only open to the public in the years of the Ox and the Horse. The temple treasure, a copper arabesque hanging lantern, is a national important cultural property. In front of the mountain gate, there is a stone monument bearing a haiku by Basho.

[Nakayama Kiyota]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

千葉県長生郡長南町にある天台宗の別格大本山。大悲山楠光院(だいひざんなんこういん)笠森寺と号し、笠森観音(かんのん)として親しまれている。坂東(ばんどう)三十三所第31番札所。寺伝によると、784年（延暦3）に伝教(でんぎょう)大師（最澄(さいちょう)）がクスの霊木で十一面観世音菩薩(かんぜおんぼさつ)を彫刻して安置したのが開基で、楠光院という院号もこれに由来する。1028年（長元1）に後一条(ごいちじょう)天皇の勅願により日本唯一の四方懸造(かけづくり)の現本堂（観音堂、国重要文化財）が建立され、落慶のとき「法東山」の山号を勅賜され、勅願寺となった。近年まで山内に7か坊が存在し、一山をなしていた。十一面観音は秘仏で丑(うし)年と午(うま)年に開帳される。寺宝の鋳銅唐草文釣灯籠(からくさもんつりどうろう)は国重要文化財。山門手前に芭蕉(ばしょう)の句碑がある。

［中山清田］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例