Prayer Hall - Gokitosho

Japanese: 御祈禱所 - ごきとうしょ

A designated temple where prayers are ordered by the shogun, daimyo, emperor, or nobles. They existed in various provinces during the Middle Ages and early modern times, and many of them were famous temples of esoteric Buddhism and Zen Buddhism. In contrast to the places of prayer (temples) for the emperor and nobles that began in the Heian period, prayer places first appeared in history from the early Kamakura period as designated temples for prayer by samurai under the names of "Kamakuradono prayer place" and "Shogun family prayer place." However, the names of the two became confused from the Kamakura period, and the same temples came to be called by both names, and temples that were places of prayer for not only the shogun but also various daimyo appeared.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

将軍や大名や天皇や公家がそれぞれ祈禱を命じる指定寺院。中世･近世に諸国に存在し，密教系と禅宗の名刹が多い。平安時代にはじまる天皇や公家の御祈願所(寺)に対して，御祈禱所は〈鎌倉殿御祈禱所〉〈将軍家御祈禱所〉の名称で鎌倉初期から武家の祈禱指定寺院として，はじめて史上に現れる。しかし，すでに鎌倉期から両者の呼称は混同され，同じ寺院が両様の呼称で呼ばれるようになり，将軍だけでなく諸大名の御祈禱所寺院も現れる。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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