Pilgrimage to the Seven Great Temples

Japanese: 七大寺巡礼 - しちだいじじゅんれい

Pilgrimage to the so-called Seven Great Temples of Nara (Todaiji, Kofukuji, Gangoji, Saidaiji, Yakushiji, Daianji, and Horyuji). After Emperor Seiwa made a pilgrimage to the famous mountains of Yamato Province in October 879 (Gangei 3), pilgrimages to the temples of Nara by aristocrats became popular. Pilgrimages to Mount Kinpu, Hase, and Kumano are well known, but this trend also extended to the great temples of Nara that had close ties to the Fujiwara aristocrats, and temples such as Hokkeji and Toshodaiji became targets of pilgrimage. Oe Chikamichi (?-1151) made the pilgrimage to the Seven Great Temples twice, in 1106 (Kasho 1) and 1140 (Hōen 6). Today, the records of that time, the Seven Great Temple Diaries and Private Records of a Pilgrimage to the Seven Great Temples, have been passed down to us, and are considered to be the most important sources for conveying the actual situation of the great temples during the Insei period.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

いわゆる南都七大寺(東大寺，興福寺，元興寺（がんごうじ），西大寺，薬師寺，大安寺，法隆寺)を巡拝すること。879年(元慶3)10月清和上皇の大和国の名山巡礼以降，貴族による南都諸寺への巡拝が盛行した。金峰山詣，長谷詣，熊野詣などは著名であるが，このような気運は藤原貴族と関係の深い南都諸大寺にも及び，法華寺，唐招提寺などの諸寺も巡拝の対象となった。1106年(嘉承1)と40年(保延6)の2回にわたって大江親通(？‐1151)は七大寺巡礼を行ったが，今日そのときの記録として《七大寺日記》《七大寺巡礼私記》が伝えられ，院政期の諸大寺の実情を伝えるうえで最も重要な資料とされている。

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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