Reikoji Temple Misumi

 

Coming into Misumi after passing the huge power station at Okami, I stopped in at Reikoji Temple.

It is quite a bit more substantial than many local village temples, with some nice greenery, and it is now a Jodo Shinshu sect temple with a statue of Shinran, the founder of the sect.

I suspect it may have been a different sect in the past. It is one of the Hamada Domain Kannon pilgrimage temples, and Jodo Shinshu usually have Amida as honzon, so may have inherited the Kannon when it changed sects.

The carvings of the komainu on the gate were quite special, as was the small hillside landscaping. I can find no other information, unfortunately.

The previous post in this series was on Tsuchida Hachimangu Shrine...

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Daikoji Temple Nagasaki

 

Daikoji is a very large temple along Teramachi in Nagasaki. It was established in 1614 and belongs to the Jodo Shinshu sect. The honzon is an Amida Nyorai.

Just inside the first gate is a statue of Shinran ( 1173-1263 ) the founder of the Jodo Shinshu sect, currently the largest in Japan, and known in English as True Pure Land.

Daikoji was established by the monk Keiryo and is a branch of the Nishi Hoinganji Temple in Kyoto. It was moved to its current location in 1660. He is known as one of the Five Nagasaki Monks, who, I am guessing, represented different sects and were tasked by the government with re-establishing Buddhism in Nagasaki after Chritianity was outlawed.

There is actually very little to see at Daikoji. For the historically-minded, the cemetery has the tombs of the Motoki family who were Dutch interpreters, and during Saigo's Satsuma Rebellion officers of the Imperial army lodged here.

The bell tower is striking in that the mud walls have not been plastered.

The previous post was on next door's Shofukuji Temple Gate.