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Gokoku-ji (Okinawa)
Encyclopedia
is a Buddhist temple
in Naha, Okinawa
. Established in 1367, the temple served as a major national temple for the Okinawan kingdom of Chūzan
and the unified Ryūkyū Kingdom
which would follow. It is perhaps most well-known for its associations with Christian missionary Dr. Bernard Jean Bettelheim
and with the 1853-1854 visits by Commodore Matthew Perry to Okinawa.
by the name of Raijū and with the patronage of the royal government of Chūzan, as a companion to the Naminoue Shrine
already located on the bluff, overlooking the beach and ocean.
Centuries later, in 1846, the temple was taken over by the doctor and Christian missionary Bernard Jean Bettelheim, who occupied it for seven years, driving off Buddhist worshipers and the temple's rightful occupants. When his ship, the British Starling, arrived at Naha, the Okinawan port master protested that the missionary should not be allowed to disembark. The Starlings captain wished to go along with this, but Bettelheim made his way ashore anyway, through the use of a clever ruse, and ended up being offered shelter in the Gokoku-ji for that night; he would not leave for seven years. Turning away worshipers and monks alike by jokingly suggesting that they were trying to sneak an illicit peek at his wife, Bettelheim boarded up the temple's sanctuary and threw out much of what he called "the heathen furniture of idolatry". Despite repeated protests that this was a national temple, meant for public use, the missionary considered his hostile takeover a Christian victory over heathens.
The Ryukyuan royal government soon deemed it necessary to keep an eye on Bettelheim, who had become more than a nuisance, and a serious burden upon the local community. A guard post was erected just outside the temple grounds, and a detachment of men was assigned to both watch over the temple and to accompany the missionary as he traveled about the area.
When the American Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in 1853, Bettelheim served for a time as translator and intermediary. Over the missionary's objections, the Commodore established an American base within the grounds of the Gokoku-ji, including a fenced-off area for grazing cattle, something which drew strong protest from the Ryukyuan authorities. When Perry departed from his second visit to Okinawa a year later (having left and returned once in the interim), he was offered, among other gifts from the Kingdom to the United States, a temple bell from Shuri. This was found to be imperfect, so a bell from the Gokoku-ji was offered instead. This bell had been forged in 1456, during the reign of Shō Taikyū
. The inscription upon it reads in part "May the sound of this bell shatter illusory dreams, perfect the souls of mankind, and enable the King and his subjects to live so virtuously that barbarians will find no occasion to invade the Kingdom." It being part of the Bettelheim residence, which had been desecrated and not used as a place of worship for roughly eight years, the Ryukyuan authorities were willing to part with it; Bettelheim likewise expressed in his diary elation at seeing the heathen temple further dismantled. Intended by Perry to be installed in or near the Washington Monument
then under construction, the associated committee turned down the suggestion, and the bell was instead donated to the U.S. Naval Academy
at Annapolis
, where it was kept and rung in celebration of Navy victories in the annual Army–Navy football game, until it was finally returned to Japan in 1987.
Bettelheim left Okinawa with Perry, restoring the temple to its proper occupants and purpose. In 1871, a Ryukyuan ship was blown off course by a storm and landed on Taiwan
where, following a conflict with local Paiwan aborigines, a number of Okinawans were killed. This became an international incident
as Japan and China disagreed over the sovereignty of both Okinawa and Taiwan, and thus over whether China owed any form of restitution to Japan. The remains of the Okinawans killed were said to have been recovered and were buried at the Gokoku-ji, a grand ritual performed for them, who were said to have died in the service of the State.
Destroyed in the 1945 battle of Okinawa
, the temple was rebuilt shortly afterwards and remains operational today. A stone erected in 1926 in memorial of Dr. Bettelheim also remains or has been reconstructed.
Buddhist temples in Japan
Along with Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples are the most numerous, famous, and important religious buildings in Japan.The term "Shinto shrine" is used in opposition to "Buddhist temple" to mirror in English the distinction made in Japanese between Shinto and Buddhist religious structures. In...
in Naha, Okinawa
Naha, Okinawa
is the capital city of the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa.Naha is a coastal city located on the East China Sea coast of the southern part of Okinawa Island, the largest of the Ryukyu Islands...
. Established in 1367, the temple served as a major national temple for the Okinawan kingdom of Chūzan
Chuzan
Chūzan was one of three kingdoms which controlled Okinawa in the 14th century. Okinawa, previously controlled by a number of local chieftains or lords, loosely bound by a paramount chieftain or king of the entire island, split into these three more solidly defined kingdoms within a few years after...
and the unified Ryūkyū Kingdom
Ryukyu Kingdom
The Ryūkyū Kingdom was an independent kingdom which ruled most of the Ryukyu Islands from the 15th century to the 19th century. The Kings of Ryūkyū unified Okinawa Island and extended the kingdom to the Amami Islands in modern-day Kagoshima Prefecture, and the Sakishima Islands near Taiwan...
which would follow. It is perhaps most well-known for its associations with Christian missionary Dr. Bernard Jean Bettelheim
Bernard Jean Bettelheim
Bernard Jean Bettelheim was a Christian missionary to Okinawa, the first Protestant missionary to be active there.-Biography:...
and with the 1853-1854 visits by Commodore Matthew Perry to Okinawa.
History
The temple was first founded in 1367, by a Japanese monk from Satsuma provinceSatsuma Province
was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū. Its abbreviation is Sasshū .During the Sengoku Period, Satsuma was a fief of the Shimazu daimyo, who ruled much of southern Kyūshū from their castle at Kagoshima city.In 1871, with the...
by the name of Raijū and with the patronage of the royal government of Chūzan, as a companion to the Naminoue Shrine
Naminoue Shrine
', literally "Above the Waves Shrine", is a Shinto shrine in Naha, Okinawa, Japan, the in the prefecture. It sits atop a high bluff, overlooking Naminoue Beach and the ocean....
already located on the bluff, overlooking the beach and ocean.
Centuries later, in 1846, the temple was taken over by the doctor and Christian missionary Bernard Jean Bettelheim, who occupied it for seven years, driving off Buddhist worshipers and the temple's rightful occupants. When his ship, the British Starling, arrived at Naha, the Okinawan port master protested that the missionary should not be allowed to disembark. The Starlings captain wished to go along with this, but Bettelheim made his way ashore anyway, through the use of a clever ruse, and ended up being offered shelter in the Gokoku-ji for that night; he would not leave for seven years. Turning away worshipers and monks alike by jokingly suggesting that they were trying to sneak an illicit peek at his wife, Bettelheim boarded up the temple's sanctuary and threw out much of what he called "the heathen furniture of idolatry". Despite repeated protests that this was a national temple, meant for public use, the missionary considered his hostile takeover a Christian victory over heathens.
The Ryukyuan royal government soon deemed it necessary to keep an eye on Bettelheim, who had become more than a nuisance, and a serious burden upon the local community. A guard post was erected just outside the temple grounds, and a detachment of men was assigned to both watch over the temple and to accompany the missionary as he traveled about the area.
When the American Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in 1853, Bettelheim served for a time as translator and intermediary. Over the missionary's objections, the Commodore established an American base within the grounds of the Gokoku-ji, including a fenced-off area for grazing cattle, something which drew strong protest from the Ryukyuan authorities. When Perry departed from his second visit to Okinawa a year later (having left and returned once in the interim), he was offered, among other gifts from the Kingdom to the United States, a temple bell from Shuri. This was found to be imperfect, so a bell from the Gokoku-ji was offered instead. This bell had been forged in 1456, during the reign of Shō Taikyū
Shō Taikyū
' was a king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, the fifth of the line of the first Shō Dynasty. His reign saw the construction of many Buddhist temples, and the casting of the .- Life and reign :...
. The inscription upon it reads in part "May the sound of this bell shatter illusory dreams, perfect the souls of mankind, and enable the King and his subjects to live so virtuously that barbarians will find no occasion to invade the Kingdom." It being part of the Bettelheim residence, which had been desecrated and not used as a place of worship for roughly eight years, the Ryukyuan authorities were willing to part with it; Bettelheim likewise expressed in his diary elation at seeing the heathen temple further dismantled. Intended by Perry to be installed in or near the Washington Monument
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington...
then under construction, the associated committee turned down the suggestion, and the bell was instead donated to the U.S. Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
at Annapolis
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
, where it was kept and rung in celebration of Navy victories in the annual Army–Navy football game, until it was finally returned to Japan in 1987.
Bettelheim left Okinawa with Perry, restoring the temple to its proper occupants and purpose. In 1871, a Ryukyuan ship was blown off course by a storm and landed on Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
where, following a conflict with local Paiwan aborigines, a number of Okinawans were killed. This became an international incident
International incident
An international incident is a seemingly relatively small or limited action or clash that results in a wider dispute between two or more nation-states...
as Japan and China disagreed over the sovereignty of both Okinawa and Taiwan, and thus over whether China owed any form of restitution to Japan. The remains of the Okinawans killed were said to have been recovered and were buried at the Gokoku-ji, a grand ritual performed for them, who were said to have died in the service of the State.
Destroyed in the 1945 battle of Okinawa
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
, the temple was rebuilt shortly afterwards and remains operational today. A stone erected in 1926 in memorial of Dr. Bettelheim also remains or has been reconstructed.
See also
- For an explanation of terms concerning Japanese Buddhism, Japanese Buddhist art, and Japanese Buddhist temple architecture, see the Glossary of Japanese BuddhismGlossary of Japanese BuddhismThis is the glossary of Japanese Buddhism, including major terms the casual reader might find useful in understanding articles on the subject. Words followed by an asterisk are illustrated by an image in one of the photo galleries...
.