Zenkoji Temple is an important Tendai Buddhist temple located in Japan’s modern-day Nagano prefecture, and was officially announced as a national treasure in 1953. This temple is well known for its rather open Buddhist practice, referring to it being open to anybody even if they do not practice or believe in Buddhism. There is also a popular belief that if you visit this shrine even once, you will be guaranteed a happy afterlife, specifically, “The Land of Happiness” in Buddhist tradition. This shrine enshrines Amida Nyorai, Nure-Botake, and many other dieties. In the 14th chapter of the second book in The Tale of the Heike titled, “Zenkoji Destroyed by Fire”, this book describes its founding history. In this text, it says that this temple was founded by Omi no Honda Yoshimitsu on the 3rd month of the 3rd year of the Konko era. Omi no Honda Yoshimitsu then made a shrine to honor the Amida Buddah when he arrived in the country of Minochi. It describes the start of Buddhism’s popularity in India due to a plague of 5 diseases, thus initiating the creation of Buddah statues, which were then made, enshrined, and became a great image. The portrayal of Buddah then traveled over to the Harbor of Naniwa in the Settsu province which is where the start of the Konko era began. This text then tells that this temple was set on fire in which destroyed the five hundered and eighty Buddah statues inside of there. The destruction of this temple and its statues then became a foreshadowing of the sovereigns rule by saying, “When ruin threatens the Sovereign’s Way, the Buddah’s Way will collapse first”. This meant at the time that since this holy temple and many others were being destroyed, this signaled the end of the Sovereign’s rule.
Information Taken From:
[1] "Zenko-ji Temple". Japan: The Official Guide (JNTO).www.jnto.go.jp. 22, April 2018.
[2] "Zenko-ji Temple".Nagano City Official Travel Guide.http://en.nagano-cvb.or.jp. 22, April 2018.