Ujidera - Ujidera

Temples were built by clan leaders or the heads of clans, and maintained and operated as places of prayer for their clans and descendants. They prayed for the clan's prosperity along with the clan's deity. Temple priests, betto (temple chief priest), and secular betto (temple chief priest) were often from the clan. It is well known that in the Heian period, the Fujiwara clan had Kasuga Taisha (temple chief priest) as their clan deity and Kofuku-ji (temple chief priest) as their clan temple. After the Kamakura period, many samurai groups had Zen temples as their clan temples. In the Muromachi period, the Kobayakawa clan built a Zen temple called Buttsu-ji in Numata, Aki Province (Mihara City, Hiroshima Prefecture) as their clan temple, and promoted clan unity. However, gradually, the temples built by samurai changed into family temples to worship the spirits of their ancestors.

[Yoshihiro Hirose]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

氏族の族長や一族の総領が建立し、その一族・子孫の祈願所として維持運営された寺院。氏神とともに一族の繁栄が祈られた。寺僧や別当あるいは俗別当は氏族出身者の場合が多かった。平安時代、藤原氏は春日大社(かすがたいしゃ)を氏神とし、興福寺を氏寺としたことはよく知られている。鎌倉時代以降になると、禅宗寺院を氏寺とする武士団も少なくなかった。室町時代、小早川(こばやかわ)氏は安芸(あき)国沼田(ぬた)（広島県三原市）に仏通寺(ぶっつうじ)という禅寺を建立して氏寺とし、一族の結束を図っている。しかし、しだいに、武士の建立する寺院は、祖先の霊を祀(まつ)る菩提寺(ぼだいじ)へと変化していった。

［廣瀬良弘］

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