Aki Kokubunji Temple

 

Aki Kokubunji was one of the monasteries that were established by Emperor Shomu in the mid 8th century as a national system of temples to both spread Buddhism and also solidify political control.

Each temple was to enshrine Yakushi Nyorai and have a 7-storey pagoda. Often government offices were built nearby. The Kokubunji for Aki Province was established here in what is now Saijo.

Excavations in the area around the current temple have revealed many details and the area is now a history park.

The original temple disappeared long ago, and the oldest remaining structure is the Niomon built in the mid 16th century.

The  Goma Hall was built in the early 19th century.

The main hall was rebuilt in 2004.

The Yakushi honzon was burnt several times and has been extensively repaired. It is a secret Buddha shown every 33 years, te next time in 2038.

Another Yakushi statue can be seen in a small Yakushi-do. It has also been extensivey repaired and dates back to the late Heian Period.

In the Heian Period the government offices were moved to what is now Fuchu, and many monks moved there too...

At some point many Shingon monks settled in the area and it became a Shingon temple.

The previous post in this series on day 14 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage was on Mitate Shrine, the main shrine of Saijo.

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