Kokokuji Temple

This temple is located in Monzen, Yura-cho, Hidaka-gun, Wakayama Prefecture, and is of the Myoshinji school of the Rinzai sect of Buddhism. It is called Shuhozan, more specifically Kaisan Kokokuji, or more commonly known as Yura Kaisan. It was originally the main training center of the Hotto school. It was built in 1227 (Ansei 1) by Katsuyama Kagetomo (who became a monk and became Gansho), the land lord of Yura-sho in Kii Province, for the soul of Minamoto no Sanetomo, and was originally called Saiho-ji. Gansho asked Hotto Kokushi (Shinchikakushin), who was in Song China, to place a portion of Sanetomo's bones in Mt. Kanto in Song China, in accordance with the will of his former lord, Sanetomo. Having fulfilled this promise, Hotto Kokushi returned to Japan and was invited by Gansho to enter Saihoji Temple in Yura in 1258 (Shoka 2), where he changed the temple's name to Kokokuji. The temple fell into disrepair during the Sengoku period, but was restored by the Asano clan, who were the feudal lords of the region, during the Keicho period (1596-1615). The temple's treasures include a wooden statue of Hotto Kokushi and a colored silk statue of Hotto Kokushi (both designated as Important Cultural Properties by the national government).

[Akira Suganuma]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

和歌山県日高郡由良(ゆら)町門前にある臨済(りんざい)宗妙心寺派の寺。鷲峰山(しゅうほうざん)と号し、詳しくは開山興国寺、俗に由良開山という。もと法燈(ほっとう)派の根本道場であった。1227年（安貞1）紀伊国由良庄(しょう)の地頭葛山景倫(かずらやまかげとも)（出家して願生(がんしょう)）が源実朝(さねとも)の菩提(ぼだい)のために建立したもので、初め西方(さいほう)寺と称した。願生は入宋(にっそう)する法燈国師（心地覚心(しんちかくしん)）に、旧主実朝の遺志によりその分骨を宋国の雁蕩山(かんとうさん)に納めることを請うた。この約束を果たした法燈国師は、帰国後の1258年（正嘉2）願生に招かれて由良の西方寺に入り、寺名を興国寺と改めた。戦国時代に一時荒廃したが、慶長(けいちょう)年間（1596～1615）領主の浅野氏が復興した。寺宝に木造法燈国師像、絹本着色法燈国師像（いずれも国指定重要文化財）などがある。

［菅沼　晃］

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