Rokuharamitsuji Temple

Located in Rokuro-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto City, this temple belongs to the Shingon sect of Buddhism, Chisan-ha. Its name is Fudaraku-san Fumon-in. Its principal image is the Eleven-Headed Kannon. It is the 17th temple of the Thirty-Three Temples of the Western Provinces. In 951 (Tenryaku 5), due to an epidemic, Kuya carved an Eleven-Headed Kannon statue and traveled around Kyoto praying for recovery from illness. He enshrined it and built a temple in 963, naming it Saiko-ji Temple. His disciple Nakanobu further built a pagoda, changed the temple's name to its current one, and made it a Tendai branch temple. During the Genpei period, this area was lined with the residences of the Taira clan, and during the Kamakura period, the Rokuhara Tandai was located here. Because of this, it was burned down several times during the Onin War (1467-1477), but was rebuilt thanks to the devotion of the Toyotomi and Tokugawa clans. The main hall was built in the early Muromachi period and houses the principal image, a standing Eleven-Headed Kannon (a secret Buddha image that is opened to the public every 12 years in the Year of the Dragon), as well as attendant statues of Jizo Bodhisattva and the Four Heavenly Kings (all from the late Heian period), and a statue of Kuya Shonin (from the Kamakura period) (all designated as Important Cultural Properties of Japan). Of these, the Jizo Bodhisattva is known as the "Yama-Okuri Jizo" and the "Kazurakake Jizo," and the standing statue of Kuya Shonin is famous for having six small Amida Buddha statues coming out of its mouth, symbolizing nembutsu. Other exhibits include portrait sculptures said to be the work of Unkei and Tankei, a seated monk statue said to be a statue of Taira no Kiyomori, a seated statue of Kobo Daishi, a standing statue of Kisshoten, and a seated statue of King Enma (all of which are designated as Important Cultural Properties of Japan). From December 13th to 31st, the Kuya Yuyaku Nembutsu will be held.

[Katsumata Toshinori]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

京都市東山区轆轤(ろくろ)町にあり、真言(しんごん)宗智山(ちさん)派に属する寺。普陀落(ふだらく)山普門院と号する。本尊は十一面観音(かんのん)。西国三十三所第17番札所。951年（天暦5）悪疫流行のため、空也(くうや)が十一面観音像を刻み、洛中(らくちゅう)を引き巡って病気平癒を祈り、これを祀(まつ)って一宇を建立（963）し、西光(さいこう)寺と号したのに始まる。弟子の中信がさらに堂塔を建立していまの寺号に改め、天台別院とした。この地は、源平時代には平家の一族の邸宅が建ち並び、鎌倉時代には六波羅探題が置かれていた。このため幾度か兵火にあい、応仁(おうにん)の乱（1467～1477）にも焼失したが、豊臣(とよとみ)氏、徳川氏の帰依(きえ)によって復興した。現に本堂は室町初期の建造物で、本尊十一面観音立像（秘仏。12年ごとの辰(たつ)年に開扉）、脇侍(わきじ)の地蔵菩薩(ぼさつ)像、四天王像（以上、平安後期）、空也上人(くうやしょうにん)像（鎌倉時代）など（以上、国重要文化財）を安置している。このうち地蔵菩薩は「山送りの地蔵」「鬘掛(かずらかけ)の地蔵」として知られ、空也上人の立像は念仏を象徴した小さな阿弥陀(あみだ)仏像六体が口から出る形式のものとして有名である。そのほか、運慶・湛慶(たんけい)の自作と称する肖像彫刻や、平清盛(きよもり)の像と伝えられる僧形坐像(そうぎょうざぞう)、弘法大師(こうぼうだいし)坐像、吉祥天(きちじょうてん)立像、閻魔(えんま)王坐像（以上、国重要文化財）などがある。12月13～31日には空也踊躍(ゆうやく)念仏が行われる。

［勝又俊教］

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