Futagoji Temple 1 Kyushu Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage Part Two

 

Futagoji Temple, number 1 on the Kyushu Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage, is located at the heart of the Kunisaki Peninsula, and the heart of the ancient shugendo system of Rokugo Manzan.

This is the second post, as when I visited I took so many photos they could not reasonably be contained within a single post.

The first post looked at the approach to the temple, the entrance, and the large Goma Hall.

Now we cross the huge slab of stone that is a bridge to head up the steps to the next level and then on to the Okunoin.

A small shrine to Daikoku, one of the Seven Lucky Gods....

Like the other temples of the Rokugo Manzan form of Shugendo, Futago-ji is said to have been founded in 718 by the legendary monk Ninmon.

Being a mix of Tendai Buddhism and Usa Hachimangu, "shinto" torii and shimenawa are plentiful at Rokugo Manzan sites.

At this level is the Lecture Hall, housing a Shaka Triad. The first photo of this post is of the main altar.

Shaka Nyorai, in English, Sakyamuni the historical Buddha, is flanked by a Yakushi and an Amida.

There is a wonderful mural behind the main statues...

There are numerous other statues including the 4 shitenno.

The lecture hall was destroyed during the period of Shinbutsu Bunri in 1868 and was rebuilt in 1991.

It is used during the Oni-e fire festival in January.

Up another set of stone stairs and we come to the approach to the Okunoin.

The current building was built in 1846 with donations from the Matsudaira daimyo of Kitsuki domain.

In a small cave behind the hall is a sacred spring. The water is said to give eternal youth and longevity.

The main statue enshrined is a Thousand-armed Kannon.

The previous post was on the lower level of Futagoji,... the approach, Goma Hall etc.

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Futagoji Temple 1 Kyushu Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage

 

Futago-ji Temple is located right in the cemtre of the Kunisaki Peninsula in Oita.

It is the first temple of the Kyushu Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage, with a cluster of other temples of the pilgrimage also in the Kunisaki Peninsula.

I arrived here on day 5, after having visited the other temples earlier as I had been following a route that roughly followed an ancient yamabushi pilgrimage route around the peninsula in a clockwise direction.

I had visited Futagoji several times before, most recently posting about it when I visited on an earlier 5-day walk around the peninsula in Autumn colors season.

Said to have been founded in 718, along with numerous other temples around the peninsula.

It is now considered the head temple of the Rokugo Manzan, the unique syncretic, shugendo sect.

In earlier times it was the head of the central area of the Rokugo manzan system.

In this first post I am just showing things around the lower area of the temple complex.

The main worship hall on this level is the Goma-do.

Enshrining Fudo Myoo, it was the focus of my visit.

All the photos from this point on were taken inside the Goma-do.

In the next post in the series I will cover the Okunoin and the other sights along the way to it...

The previous post was on Jinguji Temple 2, which I visited the evening before.

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Taking Tea at Fumon-in Temple Matsue

 

Fumon-in, a small Tendai temple near Matsue castle, has an Edo-period teahouse used by the great tea master and daimyo, Fumai, and also later by the writer Lafcadio Hearn.

The small bridge you must cross to reach the temple is itself the subject of a ghost story made famous by Hearn.

In the grounds is a fairly big Inari Shrine. Originally established in Wakamiya Shrine to the north of the castle, the priest of Fumon-i was charged by the lord of the castle to perform ceremonies at the shrine. It was moved here in 1870 following the separation of Buddhas and kami.

The thatched roof of the teahouse Kangetsuan can be seen from the temple's outer grounds

The honzon of the temple is a Fudo Myoo and there are several other, smaller, stone Fudo's in the grounds.

Plastic bamboo...

Binzuru

The temple was originally established in 1607 by the first lord of Matsue, Yoshiharu Horio. Called Ganno-ji it was located further away from the castle.

It burned down and in 1699 was rebuilt at the current location and renamed Fumon-in.

The current location was chosen as it protects the castle from the dangerous influences that come from the NE.

The temple is now most famously known for the teahouse Kangetsuan.

Built in 1801 in the temples small, pond, stroll garden...

Fumai Matsudaira, the great tea master, is said to have visited often.

Visitors can walk in the garden and look inside the teahouse, but not enter.

In the next post in this series I will post about Kangetsuan.

After exploring I returned to the temple and the priest's wife brought me a matcha and sweet to enjoy.

The previous post in this series on Matsue was on the garden and teahouse at the nearby Matsue History Mueum.

If you would like to subscribe by email just leave your email address in the comments below. It will not be published and made public. I post new content almost everyday, and send out an email about twice a month with short descriptions and links to the last ten posts.