Gokokuji Temple

Located in Otsuka, Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo, this temple is a special head temple of the Shingon sect of Buddhism, the center of the sect in the Kanto region. It is officially called Shinreizan Shichiin Daisho Gokokuji, but is known as Otowa Gokokuji because it is located in Otowa, Koishikawa, Tokyo. It was founded in 1681 (Tenwa 1) at the request of Keishoin, the mother of the 5th shogun, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, at the site of Otsuka Botanical Garden in Zoshigaya. It was founded by Ryoken. The principal image, Nyoirin Kannon, is Keishoin's personal Buddha. At the same time, Goji-in Temple was founded outside the Kanda Gomon Gate in Edo with Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu as its magistrate, but it burned down in 1717 (Kyoho 2), and the Shogun Yoshimune at the time did not allow it to be rebuilt, instead renaming Otowa's Gokoku-ji Temple to Goji-in Temple and naming the Kannon Hall in the temple grounds Gokoku-ji Temple. Thereafter, the head priest of Goji-in Temple lived there as well, and the two temples had a combined landholding of 2,700 koku. In 1724 (Kyoho 9), it was ordered by the shogunate to belong to the Koike-no-bo sect of Hasedera Temple, but after the Meiji Restoration, the two temples were unified and the name Goji-in Temple was abolished, as it is today. The current main hall (Kannon Hall) was built in 1697 (Genroku 10) in the seven-sided, seven-story Irimoya-zukuri style, while the Gekkoden Hall is a representative Shoin-zukuri style building from the Momoyama period that was moved from the Nikkoin guest hall of Onjoji Temple after the Meiji Restoration. Along with the main hall, it is a National Important Cultural Property. Temple treasures include the Sonsho Mandala and a gilt bronze five-pronged bell (both of which are National Important Cultural Properties). The grounds also include the Fumaiken, Chumadou, and a teahouse.

[Akiko Sobue]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

東京都文京区大塚にある真言宗豊山(ぶざん)派の別格本山で、同派の関東における中心である。正式には神齢山(しんれいざん)悉地院(しっちいん)大聖護国寺と称し、東京小石川の音羽(おとわ)にあるので音羽の護国寺の名で知られている。1681年（天和1）5代将軍徳川綱吉(つなよし)の生母桂昌院(けいしょういん)の発願で雑司ヶ谷(ぞうしがや)大塚薬園の地に創建。開基は亮賢(りょうけん)。本尊の如意輪観音(にょいりんかんのん)は桂昌院の持仏。当時、これと並んで江戸神田御門外に柳沢吉保(よしやす)を奉行(ぶぎょう)として護持院が創建されたが、1717年（享保2）に焼失し、当時の将軍吉宗(よしむね)は再建を許さず、音羽の護国寺を護持院と改称、境内の観音堂を護国寺と称し、以後護持院の住職が兼住し、両寺領あわせて2700石を有した。1724年（享保9）に幕命により長谷寺小池坊派に所属したが、明治維新後両寺を統一し、護持院の寺号を廃止して現在に至る。現在の本堂（観音堂）は1697年（元禄10）の建立で七面七層入母屋造(いりもやづくり)、月光殿は園城寺(おんじょうじ)日光院客殿を明治維新後に移築した桃山期の代表的書院造で、本堂とともに国の重要文化財。寺宝に尊勝曼荼羅図(そんしょうまんだらず)、金銅五鈷鈴(ごこれい)（いずれも国重要文化財）などがある。境内には不昧軒(ふまいけん)、仲磨堂(ちゅうまどう)、茶室などもある。

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