Myo-ozan Fumonji Temple

 

This incredibly beautiful wooden statue of a Thousand -armed Kannon is believed to date back to the early Heian Period.

It can be seen in a small Tendai sect temple in the tiny castle town of Ako, famous for the legend of the 47 Ronin.

Originally located on a mountain to the NE of its current site along with another Tendai temple, Choanji. It is said to have been founded by Shotoku Taishi.

Both temples were destroyed at the end of the Warring States Period and relocated to different sites in the town.

unlike many of the smaller, non-touristy, temples, it is quite active, not just a funerary temple.

It is part of the Setouchi Kannon Pilgrimage, the Banshu Yakushi Pilgrimage, and something called the Pilgrimage to 36 Nunnery Temples.

The Thousand-armed statue, like most, does not actually have a full thousand arms, but what is noteworthy is the fine sculpting of the hands. It is an Important Cultural Property.

I believe this is a Yoga Daigongen shrine.

In 1957 it was moved to its current location and merged with Choanji Temple to become Myo-ozan Fumonji Temple.

The Mizuko Jizo statue, photo 5, is unusual in that it is sculpted as a female and looks like a Kannon.

There is a Fudo, photo 6, flanking the main statue of Kannon, but another Fudo is in the Goma-den.

If you are in the area, then it's worth visiting at least for the Kannon statue.

The previous post was on the excellent  gardens at the Ako Castle Ruins Park

Jobutsuji Temple 3 Kyushu Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage

 

Jobutsuji, temple number three of the Kyushu Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage, is quite close to Monjusenji, temple number four, high in the mountains at the centre of the Kunuisaki Peninsula in Oita.

Like most of the older temples and shrines in the area it is guarded by stone Nio guardians.

It is said to have been founded in 718 by the legendary monk Ninmon who founded the 28 temples of the Rokugo Manzan shugendo system, so its not surprising that Jobutsuiji is on the Rokugo Manzan pilgrimage also.

Outwardly the temple appears like many smallish, rura; temples, and the architecture is nothing special, however it is home to an unusual and unique festival.

Shujo Onie is held on the Lunar New Year and used to be performed at twenty temples around the peninsula, but now only at 3. Tennenji Temple which I visited a few days earlier on this pilgrimage, and nearby Iwatoji Temple which holds the festival on alternate years with Jobutsuji.

I did not visit Iwatoji on this trip, but was lucky enough to see Shujo Onie a few years earlier there. The post on it has a few videos of the amazing torch procession that precedes the demon dance;

This was day 4 of my walk around Kunisaki at the start of the Kyushu Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage and I was mostly following the trail that roughly follows the old shugendo pilgrinage route and so was doing the 7 Fudo Myo temples here in approximately reverse order.

The previous post in this series was on Monjusenji Temple 4 of the Kyushu Fudo Pilgrimage

Monjusenji Temple 4 Kyushu Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage

 

Monjusenji is temple number 4 on the Kyushu Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage.

Located high in the remote mountains of the Kunisaki Peninsula, it lies to the NE of the highest point, Mount Futago.

It is part of the ancient Shugendo cultic system known as Rokugo Manzan, a mix of Usa Hachiman and Tendai Buddhism. Monjusenji is number 25 on the ancient Kunisaki Shugendo Pilgrimage.

However, whereas most of the temples associated with Rokugo Manzan claim their origin in the early 8th century with a monk named Ninmon, Monjusenji is older and claims to have been founded in the mid 7th century by the legendary En no Gyoja.

This makes it the oldest of what are now known as the Rokugo Manzan temples.

Halfway up the steps is the first group of buildings, and here can be found the Fudo statue that is part of the Kyushu Fudo Pilgrimage.

There are several other statues and altars in this small group of buildings and in fron is a very tall, stone stupa, aboiut 8 meters high and possibly the tallest in all Japan.

Further up the steps is the main hall, the Monju-do, enshrining Monju Bosatsu. Monjusenji is considered one of the top 3 Monju temples in Japan.

Known as the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, Monju is often prayed to for academic success.

Monju is often depicted riding a shishi or lion.

A sacred spring flows from the cave behind the main hall and the area around thetemple is filled with huge, ancient trees and towering rock formations.

6 Jizo statues.

A group of ema votive plaques, many asking for academic success. The second photo below an ema of Monju Bosatsu.

In a cave two statues of En no Gyoja, the legendary founder of the temple, is srrounded by numerous Fudo Myo statues.

Below is a statue of Gensan Daishi, a name of Ryogen the great Tendai priest of the 10th century. Also referred to as Tsuno Daishi and Oni Daishi, his likeness is commonly found on ofuda from temples to protect against misfortune.

Below is a statue of Monju Bosatsu, but this is not the honzon. The honzon is a "secret Buddha" and only opened every 12 years, in the Year of the Rabbit.

Below are examples of the unique style of masks found in the Kunisaki area.

Below is a goma ceremony being performed. Usually done on the 25th of each month, I was visiting on January 3rd, so I suspect special goma are performed for the new year.

Below a few of the rakan statues in the rock face near the main hall.

The previous post was on the Fudo cliff temple a little to the north, Itsutsuji Fudo.

Sutra Storehouse at Anyoji Temple

 

Anyoji Temple in Iwami Ginzan, the World Heritage silver mine area in Shimane is known as the Crustal Temple, but I will cover that in a later post. For now we are looking at the Sutra Storehouse of the temple.

Originally located on top of the mountain, it was founded as a Tendai temple in the early15th century but converted to Pure Land sect in 1523.

The storehouse, said to be from when it was a Tendai temple, has an excellent piece of kote-e above the door. Kote-e, literally "trowel picture" are plaster reliefs found mostly on temples and storehouses, though sometimes on homes. Further examples can be found in this post on Kitsuki.

The storehouse also houses a statue of Shaka Nyorai, Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha.

Flanked by attendants, it is also said to date from when the temple was Tendai.