Umaki Fudoson

 

Coming into Izumo along the Kando River after visiting Zenjoji Temple, I was struck by a vermilion gate and had to explore.

It is Komyoji Temple, but more commonly known as Umaki Fudoson, and is home to one of the top three Fudo's in Japan.

Of course, that may be like the top 3 Inari shrines, where the first two are well established, and the third varies depending on the region, but I was surprised not to have heard of it.

One theory holds that the temple was established in ancient times and was among those mentioned in the Izumo Fudoki.

In medieval times, it was a Shingon temple, then converted to Zen, and in 1631 became a Nichiren sect temple.

At the site of the old Fudo Hall stands the Water-Pouring Fudo. Though only dating to 1976, the decades of water poured over it have made the moss grow thick...

The main Fudo statue in the new Fudo Hall is said to have been carved by Gyoki.

It is 157 cms tall and is carved out of a single piece of wood...

The previous post in this series on day 40 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage was on the mountain temple  Zenjoji, the 24th temple of the pilgrimage

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Portraits of Rakan

 

This third post on Otagi Nembutsuji Temple in Arashiyama focuses on close-up portraits of some of the 1200 Rakan statues there.

Earlier posts looked at the temple and its history, and then at shots of the 1200 Rakan.

With Rakan, it is normal that every single figure is different, and it is said that you will not fail to find at least one that reminds you of someone you know.

The vast majority here at Otagi Nembutsuji were made by amateurs.

However, the head priest was himself a sculptor and so some instruction was certainkly given.

I did notice a certain stylistic similarity to most of the noses...

The previous two posts were on the temple and its history, and an overview of the hundreds and hundreds of statues...

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Zenjoji Temple 24 Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage

 

Zenjoji, the 24th temple on the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage, is an ancient mountaintop temple belonging to the Tendai sect.

It is also the 10th temple of the Izumo Kannon Pilgrimage, and the post I did on that visit is worth a look as it was a different time of year, a different time of day, a different camera, and I was in a different mood.

On both my visits, there was still a priest in residence, but I believe that is no longer the case.

According to the temple history it was founded by Gyoki. I swear that guy got around even more than Kobo Daishi.

The honzon is a Sho Kannon, an Important Cultural Property.

It is a secret Buddha, but to the right of the altar is a lovely, small thousand-armed Kannon.

 In earlier times, it was a powerful temple with many landholdings...

There is quite a large Inari Shrine, and a small Benten shrine (last photo)

The views over Okuizumo are expansive...

Not sure why, but I get much nicer vibes from a Tendai temple than a Shingon, even though they are similar sects.

The obsession with Kobo Daishi in Shingon is a bit of a turn-off for me...

The current main hall was constructed in 1758.

The previous post was on the walk over the mountains from Susa Shrine...

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