Ninnaji Temple

Located in Omuro Ouchi-cho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto City, this temple is the head temple of the Omuro school of the Shingon sect. It is called Ouchiyama. In ancient times, it was called "Niwaji" and was also called Omuro Gosho and Ninna-ji Monzeki. The principal image is the Amida Triad. Construction began in 886 (Ninna 2) at the request of Emperor Koko, but it was not completed as he died the following year. Emperor Uda followed his will and completed it in 888, and held memorial services with Shinzen as the chief priest. The temple was named Ninna-ji after the era name, and Kanken was appointed as its betto. Emperor Uda later became a monk by Yakushin of Toji Temple and became a retired emperor. He built a house to the south of the temple and lived there, and it has been called Omuro Gosho ever since. After that, successive generations of Imperial Princes became the chief priests, and high priests such as Kancho, Kanku, Saishin, and Kansuke also lived there, and worked to develop both the academic and religious aspects of Shingon Buddhism, but in 1119 (Gen'ei 2), the temple's halls were burned down. However, the faith of the Imperial Court and the nobility continued to grow, and many new buildings were built, and at the end of the Heian period, Prince Kakusho was appointed as the Chief Legal Officer for the first time, and the temple flourished greatly at this time, occupying the highest position among the head temples of various sects as a monzeki temple. This prosperity continued into the Kamakura period, but declined somewhat during the Muromachi period. The temple was then completely burned down during the Onin War (1467-77) and fell into ruin for a long time, but at the beginning of the Edo period, Tokugawa Iemitsu granted 200,000 ryo, and in 1637 (Kan'ei 14) when the Imperial Palace was remodeled, the Shishinden, Seiryoden, Tsunegoten, Karamon, and Shikyakumon gates were bestowed, and over 30 temples and pagodas and over 10 temples, including Shinkoin, were rebuilt. With the Meiji Restoration, the imperial line of succession was cut off, and the temple was burned down in 1887 (Meiji 20), but a few years later some of the temples were repaired, and then reconstruction work began in 1909 (Meiji 42), and it was restored in 1914 (Taisho 3).

Currently, the temple contains the Kondo (national treasure), Miei-do, Niomon, five-story pagoda, Kannon-do, Chumon, bell tower, and the teahouses Hitotei and Ryokaku-tei (all designated as important national cultural properties). The Kondo is the Shishinden (Edo period) that was relocated in 1642 and houses the triad of Amida, Kannon, and Seishi (early Heian period, national treasures), while the Miei-do is a Hogyo-zukuri version of the Seiryoden (Edo period) that was relocated in the same year and houses a seated statue of Kobo Daishi Kukai. The five-story pagoda and Niomon were built in the same year. The temple is home to many cultural assets, including sculptures such as the Amida Triad (national treasure), Zochoten, Tamonten standing statues, Kisshoten standing statue, and Aizen Myoo seated statue (all from the late Heian period, important cultural properties), paintings such as the colored silk statue of the Peacock Myoo (Southern Song dynasty, national treasure) and the statue of Prince Shotoku (Kamakura period, important cultural property), and documents such as the Sanjujo Sashi (written by Kukai and several others, early Heian period), Ishinpo (late Heian period), and Omuro Sojoki (Kamakura period, all national treasures). The temple grounds are vast, and within the mountains lies the tomb of Emperor Uda. The temple is also famous for its cherry blossoms, commonly known as Omuro no Sakura. In 1994, it was registered as a World Heritage Site (World Heritage Site. Kyoto's cultural assets include 17 shrines, temples, and castles, including Kiyomizu-dera Temple).

[Katsumata Toshinori]

"Ninna-ji Temple" by Zenzo Shimizu (1967, Chuokoron-Bijutsu Shuppan)" ▽ "Ancient Temple Pilgrimage Kyoto 11 Ninna-ji Temple" (1977, Tankosha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

京都市右京区御室(おむろ)大内町にある真言(しんごん)宗御室派の総本山。大内山と号する。古くは「にわじ」とよび、御室御所(ごしょ)、また仁和寺門跡(もんぜき)と称した。本尊は阿弥陀(あみだ)三尊。光孝(こうこう)天皇の勅願により、886年（仁和2）起工されたが、完成をみず天皇は翌年死去。宇多(うだ)天皇が遺志を継いで888年に完成、真然(しんぜん)を導師として供養を営み、年号をとって仁和寺と号し、観賢が別当職についた。宇多天皇はのち東寺の益信(やくしん)について出家して法皇となり、当寺の南に一宇を創建して住したので、以来、御室御所といわれた。そののち代々皇族の法親王が住職となり、また寛朝、寛空、済信(さいしん)、寛助らの高僧も住して、真言宗の学問と修法の両面の発展に努めたが、1119年（元永2）諸堂焼失した。しかしその後も朝廷、貴族の信仰はいよいよ厚く、諸堂伽藍(がらん)の創建も相次ぎ、平安末期に覚性法親王が初めて総法務職に任ぜられ、このとき寺門大いに繁栄し、門跡寺院として諸宗各本山の最上位を占めた。鎌倉時代にもなおこの繁栄は続いたが、室町時代にはやや衰微した。ついで応仁(おうにん)の乱（1467～77）で堂宇が全焼し、久しく荒廃したが、江戸時代の初めに徳川家光(いえみつ)が20万両を下付し、また1637年（寛永14）皇居改造に際し、紫宸(ししん)殿、清涼殿、常御殿、唐門(からもん)、四脚門などが下賜され、堂塔30余、真光院など10余院が重建された。明治維新に至って皇統門跡が断絶し、1887年（明治20）諸堂が焼失したが、数年後には諸堂の一部を修営し、ついで1909年（明治42）再建の工を起こし、14年（大正3）重興された。

　現在、金堂（国宝）、御影(みえい)堂、仁王(におう)門、五重塔、観音(かんのん)堂、中門、鐘楼、茶室の飛濤(ひとう)亭、遼廓(りょうかく)亭（以上、国重要文化財）などがある。金堂は1642年移築の紫宸殿（江戸時代）で、阿弥陀・観音・勢至(せいし)の三尊像（平安前期、国宝）を安置し、御影堂は同年移築された清涼殿（江戸時代）を宝形(ほうぎょう)造にしたもので、弘法大師(こうぼうだいし)空海の坐像(ざぞう)を安置している。五重塔と仁王門は同年の建立。彫刻に阿弥陀三尊像（国宝）ほか、増長(ぞうちょう)天・多聞(たもん)天立像、吉祥天立像、愛染(あいぜん)明王坐像（以上平安後期、重文）などがあり、絵画に絹本着色孔雀明王(くじゃくみょうおう)像（南宋(なんそう)代、国宝）、同聖徳太子像（鎌倉時代、重文）など、また文書典籍に『三十帖冊子(さんじゅうじょうさっし)』（空海筆ほか数筆、平安初期）、『医心方』（平安後期）、『御室相承記』（鎌倉時代、いずれも国宝）など、多くの文化財を蔵している。寺域は広大で、山内に宇多天皇の御陵がある。またサクラの名所で、俗に御室の桜といわれる。1994年（平成6）、世界遺産の文化遺産として登録された（世界文化遺産。京都の文化財は清水寺など17社寺・城が一括登録されている）。

［勝又俊教］

『清水善三著『仁和寺』（1967・中央公論美術出版）』▽『『古寺巡礼　京都11　仁和寺』（1977・淡交社）』

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