Jingoji Temple

Japanese: 神護寺 - じんごじ

Located in Takao-cho, Umegahata, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City, this is a special head temple of the Koyasan Shingon sect. It is called Takao-san. The principal image is Yakushi Nyorai. The founding date is unclear, but there was an old temple here called Takao-san-ji or Takao-san-ji, which was originally the family temple of the Wake clan. In addition, Wake no Kiyomaro founded Shingan-ji in Kawachi Province (Osaka Prefecture) during the Enryaku era (782-806), and his son Matsuna and others moved it to this location in 824 (Tencho 1) and merged it with Takao-san-ji, changing the temple's name to Jingokokuso Shingon-ji. Prior to this, in 802 (Enryaku 21), high priests from Nara and Saicho were invited to this temple for a Lotus Sutra ceremony, and in 805, Saicho, who returned from China, held Japan's first Kechien Kanjo ceremony here. In 809 (Daido 4), Kukai entered the temple by imperial order. The following year, 810 (Kōnin 1), Kukai practiced the Ninnokyo Sutra and other teachings based on the sutras sent from China on a petition. In 812 (Kōnin 3), Kukai bestowed the Vajrayana and Taizōkai Kanjo on over 190 people, including Saicho and Wake no Shintō, and converted to Shingon Buddhism. The list of recipients from this time is called the Kanjō Rekimei (Kanjō-ki, National Treasure), and is famous in the history of calligraphy. In 824, the Wake clan was granted one annual grantor as a fixed-rate temple and donated 20 cho of rice fields in Bizen Province (Okayama Prefecture), allowing Kukai to build the Kanjodo Hall and Goma Hall. After Kukai moved to Mount Koya, his disciple Shinzei took over and worked to improve the temple. The temple prospered with the reverence of the Imperial Court and came to possess 40 temple lands, but it was destroyed by fires in 994 (Shoreki 5) and 1149 (Kyuan 5) and gradually fell into ruin. In 1168 (Jin'an 3), Monk Mongaku Shonin made a vow to restore the temple, and Emperor Goshirakawa, Minamoto no Yoritomo, and other military commanders donated many estates to the temple, and the temple was gradually restored. This is detailed in the Tale of the Heike. During the Kamakura and Nanboku-cho periods, the temple supported a large number of warrior monks and became a major force in the northern part of Kyoto, and during the civil war between the Northern and Southern Courts it became a base for the Southern Court. It rapidly lost power during the wars, and after the Onin War (1467-77) it lost its land and declined, becoming a branch temple of Ninna-ji Temple in Kyoto during the Bunmei period (1469-87). During the Daiei era (1521-28), Keishin restored the temple buildings, but in 1547 (Tenbun 16), the temple was destroyed by fire. Toyotomi Hideyoshi donated over 23 cho of temple land to the temple in an attempt to preserve it, but was unable to restore it. Tokugawa Ieyasu then donated over 260 koku of temple land, and thanks to the efforts of the two monks Shinkai and Ryugan, the temple was able to improve the buildings and finally return to its former appearance. In 1871 (Meiji 4), the temple land became a forest land and the temple lost the funds to maintain the mountain, but in 1886, Koto and Ryuyo of Yaguri Temple in Sanuki (Kagawa Prefecture) repaired the buildings, and the forest was later returned and the temple was restored.

[Akiko Sobue]

Buildings and treasures

Currently, the temple consists of the Sanmon Gate, Kondo Hall, Daishido Hall, Tahoto Pagoda, and Bishamondo Hall, but all but the Daishido Hall were rebuilt after the Edo period. The Daishido Hall, also known as the Noryobo Hall, was built in the Momoyama period and is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan.

The museum's collection of cultural assets is extensive, including national treasures such as the standing statue of Yakushi Nyorai, which is said to be a typical example of the Konin and Jogan styles, the Five Great Seated Statues of Kokuzo Bosatsu, the temple bell with the inscription from the 17th year of the Jogan period, known as the Three Perfect Bells, the Mandala of Both Worlds, Kukai's Kanjo Rekimei, the Forty-Five Articles of Mongaku Kishomon, and statues of Taira Shigemori, Minamoto no Yoritomo, and Fujiwara no Mitsuyoshi, which are said to be the pinnacle of Yamato-e portraiture from the early Kamakura period. In addition, the museum also has a large number of sculptures, paintings, calligraphy, and esoteric Buddhist ritual implements that are designated as Important Cultural Properties by National Government, such as a six-panel folding screen with colored silk statues of the Twelve Heavenly Gods and a wooden standing statue of Bishamonten. This mountain is one of the three famous autumn foliage spots, along with Toganoo and Makinoo, and at Jizoin Temple, overlooking Kinun Valley, an event called ``kawarake throwing'' is held, where people write their wishes on unglazed plates and throw them into the valley.

[Akiko Sobue]

"Ancient Temple Pilgrimage Kyoto 5 Jingoji Temple" (1976, Tankosha)" ▽ "Jingoji Temple by Ken Kuno (1964, Chuokoron-Bijutsu Shuppan)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

京都市右京区梅ヶ畑高雄(たかお)町にある高野山真言(こうやさんしんごん)宗の別格本山。高雄山と号する。本尊は薬師如来(やくしにょらい)。創立年代は明らかでないが、もと和気(わけ)氏の氏寺として高雄山寺あるいは高尾山寺という古刹(こさつ)がここにあり、別に延暦(えんりゃく)年中（782～806）和気清麻呂(わけのきよまろ)が河内(かわち)国（大阪府）に創建した神願寺をその子真綱(まつな)らが824年（天長1）に当地に移して高雄山寺と合併し、寺号を神護国祚(じんごこくさ)真言寺と改めた。これより前の802年（延暦21）南都の高僧と最澄(さいちょう)を当山に招いて法華会(ほっけえ)を催し、805年唐から帰朝した最澄はわが国最初の結縁灌頂(けちえんかんじょう)を当寺で行った。809年（大同4）空海が勅によって入寺。翌810年（弘仁1）空海は上表して唐から将来した経軌(きょうき)により仁王経(にんのうきょう)大法などを修した。812年（弘仁3）空海は最澄、和気真綱ら190余人に金剛界・胎蔵界の両部の灌頂を授け、真言宗に改めた。このときの名簿を『灌頂歴名(れきめい)』（灌頂記、国宝）といい、書道史のうえでも有名なものである。824年和気氏は定額(じょうがく)寺として年分度者(ねんぶんどしゃ)1名を賜り、備前(びぜん)国（岡山県）の水田20町を寄進したので、空海は灌頂堂、護摩(ごま)堂などを建てた。空海が高野山に移ったあとは高弟の真済(しんぜい)が継ぎ、寺観の整備に努めた。朝廷の尊崇を得て寺領も40か所を有して興隆したが、994年（正暦5）、1149年（久安5）に火災にあい、しだいに荒廃した。1168年（仁安3）文覚上人(もんがくしょうにん)が再興の誓願を発し、後白河(ごしらかわ)法皇、源頼朝(よりとも)、その他の武将から多くの荘園(しょうえん)を寄進され、伽藍(がらん)は徐々に復興した。このことは『平家物語』に詳しい。鎌倉・南北朝時代には、大ぜいの僧兵を擁して京都北方の一大勢力となり、南北朝の内乱では南朝の一拠点となった。そのときの戦乱で急速に勢力を失い、後の応仁(おうにん)の乱（1467～77）後も寺領を失って衰退、文明(ぶんめい)年間（1469～87）には京都仁和寺(にんなじ)末寺となった。大永(だいえい)年中（1521～28）慶真が堂宇を修復したが、1547年（天文16）には兵火により諸堂を全焼。豊臣(とよとみ)秀吉は23町余の寺領を寄せ、保全を図ったが復興できず、ついで徳川家康は寺領260石余を寄進し、晋海(しんかい)、竜巌(りゅうがん)両上人の尽力によって諸堂宇が整備され、ようやく旧観に復した。1871年（明治4）寺領山林上地(あげち)となり、一山維持の資を失ったが、1886年讃岐(さぬき)（香川県）八栗(やぐり)寺の高憧(こうとう)・竜暢(りゅうよう)が堂宇を修理し、のち山林も返却されて復興した。

［祖父江章子］

建造物・寺宝

現在、山門、金堂、大師堂、多宝塔、毘沙門(びしゃもん)堂などが建つが、大師堂のほかは江戸時代以後の再建。大師堂は納涼房ともいい、桃山時代の建築で国重要文化財に指定されている。

　所蔵の文化財は多く、弘仁(こうにん)・貞観(じょうがん)様式の典型といわれる薬師如来立像、五大虚空蔵菩薩坐像(こくうぞうぼさつざぞう)、三絶(さんぜい)の鐘といわれる貞観17年銘梵鐘(ぼんしょう)、両界曼荼羅(まんだら)、空海筆の『灌頂歴名』、文覚四十五箇条起請文(きしょうもん)、鎌倉初期の大和絵(やまとえ)系肖像画の白眉(はくび)とされる平重盛(しげもり)像・源頼朝(よりとも)像・藤原光能(みつよし)像などの国宝のほか、絹本着色十二天像（六曲屏風(びょうぶ)）、木造毘沙門天立像など国重要文化財の彫像、絵画、書、密教法具などが多数ある。なお当山は栂尾(とがのお)、槇尾(まきのお)とともに三尾(さんび)といわれる紅葉の名勝で、錦雲(きんうん)渓に臨む地蔵院からは「かわらけ投げ」が行われ、素焼の皿に願いを書いて渓谷へ投げる。

［祖父江章子］

『『古寺巡礼　京都5　神護寺』（1976・淡交社）』▽『久野健著『神護寺』（1964・中央公論美術出版）』

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