Jakko-in

Jakko-in

Jakko-in the place where Kennreimon-in spent her final days and achieved enlightenment. Kennreimon-in chose Jakko-in partially to do with its rustic appeal and that it was in decline, mirroring he own decline from power. “Jakko-in is the location of the sad story of the Empress Kenreimon-in(1155-1213), daughter of Taira no Kiyomori, the chief of the Taira clan”. There Kennreimon built the ten-foot square hut where she slept and performed her litanies day and night. It is stated that, “She spent the rest of her life as a nun in this temple, praying for her lost family”. Today the there is a shrine located there, but the ten-foot square hut does not remain. “Jakko-in is a Tendai Buddhist temple and the legend says Prince Shotoku built it in 594 for his dead father”. The temple was for Tendai Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism is considered an offshoot of this sect. Unfortunately, the shrine is not the original that was built back in 594. It is stated that, “Unfortunately the main building was set fire on 2000 and rebuilt within five years. Jakko-in has a lovely precincts with a waterfall and a pond. Even the temple has a veil of sadness, it is has also a quiet and harmonic aspect, making it a world apart”. The hut was destroyed but a grave marker was erected where it used to be. There was also a fire in 2000 so the main building is no longer original. Kennreimon tried to pray from the enlightenment of the fallen Heike as well as herself. We do believe that she attained enlightenment, but those of the fallen Heike such as Kiyomori did not. Today many people still visit as it is the famous location mentioned at the end of the Tale of the Heike.