Nanbanji Temple

Although it is a Christian church, in the narrow sense it refers to the church in Shijo-bomon (Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto City) during the Shokuho period, which became a famous Kyoto landmark. After Xavier, the Jesuits who came to Japan wanted to build a large church in Kyoto, which was the capital of Japan and the center of the religious world, but they were hindered and could not easily realize their goal. However, Villella was able to acquire a plot of land in Shijo-bomon Ubayagi-cho, that is, on the north side of the current Takoyakushi Street, between Muromachi Street and Shinmachi Street, and in 1575 (Tensho 3), Italian priest Organtino, with the cooperation of Takayama Ukon and other believers, began construction of a magnificent three-story Japanese-style large church. The following summer, a ceremony of dedication was held to the Virgin Mary of the Assumption, and the church was completed in 1578. This church in the capital was known to the people as "Nanbanji Temple" and was depicted in "Fan-pan of Famous Places in and around Kyoto" by Kano Genshu. The Nanban bell currently at Myoshinji Temple in Kyoto, with the year "1577" and the Jesuit crest, is thought to have belonged to Nanbanji Temple, but the route of its transmission is unclear. In 1587, Nanbanji Temple was destroyed following Toyotomi Hideyoshi's ban on Christianity.

[Takeichi Matsuda]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

キリシタンの教会をさすが、狭義には京都の名所ともなった織豊(しょくほう)時代の四条坊門（京都市中京(なかぎょう)区）の教会をいう。ザビエル以後、来日したイエズス会員は、日本の首都であり宗教界の中心でもあった京都に大教会を建てようと望んだが、妨害にあって容易に実現しえなかった。だがビレラは、四条坊門姥柳(うばやぎ)町、すなわち現在の蛸薬師(たこやくし)通りの北側、室町通りと新町通りの間に地所を入手でき、1575年（天正3）には、イタリア人司祭オルガンティーノが高山右近(うこん)ら信徒の協力のもとに壮麗な三階建て、日本風な大教会の建築に着手し、翌年の夏、被昇天(ひしょうてん)の聖母マリアに奉献の式を行い、78年に完成させるに至った。この都の教会は「南蛮寺」の名で人々に知られ、狩野元秀(かのうげんしゅう)筆「洛中洛外(らくちゅうらくがい)名所図扇面」にも描かれた。現在京都妙心寺(みょうしんじ)にある「1577」の年号とイエズス会紋章入りの南蛮鐘は、南蛮寺のものと思われるが、伝来経路がつまびらかでない。1587年に豊臣(とよとみ)秀吉のキリシタン禁令によって南蛮寺は破却された。

［松田毅一］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例