Yoshimine Temple

A Tendai sect temple located in Oharano Oshio-cho, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto City. It is called Nishiyama. The principal image is Senju Kannon (Thousand-Armed Kannon). It is the 20th temple of the Thirty-Three Temples of the Western Provinces. It was founded in 1029 (Chogen 2) by the monk Gensan Shonin. After that, successive generations of princes entered the temple and it was called Nishiyama Gobo. It was originally written as Ryoho-ji, but Emperor Gotoba changed it to Zenho-ji and it became a government temple. In 1213 (Kenpo 1), Shoku, a disciple of Honen (Genku), lived there and spread the teachings of the Pure Land, and his sect later became known as the Seizan school. It was burned down during the Onin War, but Toyotomi Hideyoshi rebuilt it, and Tokugawa Tsunayoshi's mother, Keishoin, worked hard to restore it. There are many buildings and towers, including the Tahoto Pagoda (a nationally important cultural property), the sutra repository, the main hall, the tower gate, and the Yakushido Hall. The Goyomatsu (Japanese white pine) on the grounds, which is said to have been hand-planted by Keishoin, is a national natural monument.

[Tamura Kosuke]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

京都市西京(にしきょう)区大原野小塩(おしお)町にある天台宗の寺。西山(にしやま)と号する。本尊は千手観音(せんじゅかんのん)。西国三十三所第20番札所。1029年（長元2）源算上人(げんさんしょうにん)の開基。以後、代々法親王が入山し、西山御坊(にしやまごぼう)と称された。初め良峰寺と書いたが、後鳥羽(ごとば)天皇が善峰寺と改め、官寺に列した。1213年（建保1）法然(ほうねん)（源空）の弟子証空(しょうくう)が住して浄土法門を広め、のちその一派を西山(せいざん)派という。応仁(おうにん)の乱に兵火にかかり焼けたが、豊臣(とよとみ)秀吉が復興し、徳川綱吉(つなよし)の母桂昌院(けいしょういん)が再興に努力した。多宝塔（国重要文化財）、経蔵、本堂、楼門、薬師堂など多くの堂塔が建ち並ぶ。境内にある桂昌院の手植えと伝える五葉松（遊龍(ゆりゅう)松という）は国の天然記念物。

［田村晃祐］

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