This Sunday, May 12th is the Hansōbō Festival, 2019!!

Please join us this Sunday for the yearly Hansōbō Festival! There will be a Bazaar, Oshishi-mai, tea ceremonies, and more! Also there will be a Girl Scout bake sale, if you really want to buy some cookies!

Access to the temple. Click here to see how to get to the temple, it is near Ritsumeikan Kinugasa Campus!

The Hansōbō Statue and Festival

Daigongen Hansōbō is the guardian or tutelary deity of the important Rinzai Zen temple Hōkō-ji, located in the village of Okuyama, near Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. Tutelary deities were local gods who the ancient Japanese believed protected a temple’s buildings and property.

The relation between Hansōbō and Hōkō-ji began with Mumon Gensen, the Zen master who founded Hōkō-ji. It is said that in 1350, as Mumon was returning from his Zen studies in China, his ship was caught in a terrible storm on the East China Sea. Just as the ship was about to sink, a bright beam of light shone down and a strange, long-nosed deity appeared on the ship’s bow. The deity, who was Hansōbō, announced in a loud voice, “I am here to accompany the Zen master to his homeland, so that he can spread the teachings of the true Dharma.” Protected by the god, the ship survived the storm and landed at the Japanese port of Hakata without further incident.

In 1371, when Mumon established Hōkō-ji, Hansōbō appeared again and became a disciple of the master. Following the master’s death, Hansōbō declared that he would continue to protect the temple and save people from suffering and misfortune. He then vanished, and has been honored as the temple’s tutelary deity ever since.

Following a disastrous fire in 1881 that destroyed the Hōkō-ji’s major buildings, the temple solicited donations throughout Japan to cover the costs of reconstruction. In gratitude for support offered at that time, Hōkō-ji presented Shōkoku-ji in Kyoto with a large image of Hansōbō, regarded as a manifestation of the divine essence of the original deity. In 1918 the priest of Shinnyo-ji, which is a major subtemple of Shōkoku-ji, enshrined the image in Shinnyo-ji’s Entsū-den Hall, where it remains to this day. In honor of the deity, Shinnyo-ji conducted a Hansōbō Great Prajna Ritual (Hansōbō Daihannya Kitō) twice yearly, in the spring and in the fall.

Every spring in May, Shinyoji will celebrates the ritual unveiling of the Hansōbō Daigongen image and performs the Daihannya Kitō (a special prayer service). In addition to the Buddhist service there is always a special tea ceremony experience and an outdoor market featuring handmade goods from local families and artisans. The Spring Hansōbō Daihannya Kitō has become an annual event, and we thank everyone for their cooperation in making this event possible. Enjoy this occasion, surrounded by the temple’s irises at the height of their springtime beauty!

Special fortunes:

心願成就 Wishes granted

良縁成就 Compatible matches found

学業成就 Success in studies

合格成就 Success in examinations

身体健康 Physical health

病気平癒 Recovery from illness

安産無事 Safe childbirth

厄難消除 Misfortune averted

火災消除 Disaster averted

家内安全 Safety in the household

交通安全 Safety on the road

商売繁盛 Success in business