Ninna-ji
Encyclopedia
is the head temple of the Omuro school of the Shingon Sect
of Buddhism
. Located in western Kyoto
, Japan
, it was founded in AD 888 by the retired Emperor Uda
. It is part of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto
", a UNESCO
World Heritage Site
.
. In 886, Emperor Kōkō
ordered the construction of the Nishiyama Goganji Temple to bless the nation and propagate Buddhist teachings, but he did not live to see its completion. Emperor Uda saw the construction to its completion in 888 and named it "Ninna" after the regnal year
of the late Emperor Kōkō's reign. From 888 to 1869 it was traditional for reigning Emperors to send a son to the temple
to take over as head priest when a vacancy arose.
After retiring from his throne, Emperor Uda became the first Monzeki
, or aristocratic priest, of Ninna-ji. From then on until the end of the Edo period
, the temple saw a succession of head priests of imperial lineage.
In 1467, the temple was destroyed by fire and fighting in the Ōnin War
. It was rebuilt roughly 150 year later, thanks to the eldest son of Emperor Go-Yōzei
, Kakushin Hosshinnō, who enlisted the help of Tokugawa Iemitsu
, the third shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate. The resurrection coincided with the rebuilding of the Imperial Palace in Kyoto and thus received imperial funding.
The tradition of having aristocratic or persons of imperial lineage serve as chief of the temple ended with the 30th Monzeki, Junnin Hosshinnō in the late Edo period.
Most of the surviving buildings date from the 17th century, and include a five-story pagoda and an orchard of dwarf cherry trees. The temple itself features some beautifully painted screen walls, and a beautiful walled garden.
File:Ninnaji Kyoto02s3s4350.jpg|Pagoda
File:Ninnaji Kyoto09n4500.jpg|Kyozo
File:Mie-do (Founders Hall) At Ninna-ji.JPG|Mieido
File:Ninnaji Kyoto25n4592.jpg|Kyusho-myojin
File:Ninnaji Kyoto15s4470.jpg|Interior of Shinden
Shingon Buddhism
is one of the mainstream major schools of Japanese Buddhism and one of the few surviving Esoteric Buddhist lineages that started in the 3rd to 4th century CE that originally spread from India to China through traveling monks such as Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra...
of Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
. Located in western Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, it was founded in AD 888 by the retired Emperor Uda
Emperor Uda
was the 59th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Uda's reign spanned the years from 887 through 897.-Name and legacy:Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was or Chōjiin-tei....
. It is part of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto
Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto
The UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto encompasses 17 locations in Japan. The locations are in three cities: Kyoto and Uji in Kyoto Prefecture; and Ōtsu in Shiga Prefecture. Of the monuments, 13 are Buddhist temples; 3 are Shinto shrines; and one is a castle...
", a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
History
Ninna-ji was founded in the early Heian periodHeian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
. In 886, Emperor Kōkō
Emperor Koko
was the 58th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Kōkō reigned from 884 to 887.- Traditional narrative :Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was or Komatsu-tei. He would later be identified sometimes as "the Emperor of...
ordered the construction of the Nishiyama Goganji Temple to bless the nation and propagate Buddhist teachings, but he did not live to see its completion. Emperor Uda saw the construction to its completion in 888 and named it "Ninna" after the regnal year
Regnal year
A regnal year is a year of the reign of a sovereign, from the Latin regnum meaning kingdom, rule.The oldest dating systems were in regnal years, and considered the date as an ordinal, not a cardinal number. For example, a monarch could have a first year of rule, a second year of rule, a third, and...
of the late Emperor Kōkō's reign. From 888 to 1869 it was traditional for reigning Emperors to send a son to the temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
to take over as head priest when a vacancy arose.
After retiring from his throne, Emperor Uda became the first Monzeki
Monzeki
Monzeki were Japanese Buddhist priests of aristocratic or imperial lineage. The term was also applied to the temples in which they lived....
, or aristocratic priest, of Ninna-ji. From then on until the end of the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
, the temple saw a succession of head priests of imperial lineage.
In 1467, the temple was destroyed by fire and fighting in the Ōnin War
Onin War
The ' was a civil war that lasted 10 years during the Muromachi period in Japan. A dispute between Hosokawa Katsumoto and Yamana Sōzen escalated into a nationwide war involving the Ashikaga shogunate and a number of daimyo in many regions of Japan....
. It was rebuilt roughly 150 year later, thanks to the eldest son of Emperor Go-Yōzei
Emperor Go-Yozei
was the 107th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Go-Yōzei's reign spanned the years from 1586 through 1611, corresponding to the transition between the Azuchi-Momoyama period and the Edo period....
, Kakushin Hosshinnō, who enlisted the help of Tokugawa Iemitsu
Tokugawa Iemitsu
Tokugawa Iemitsu was the third shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Iemitsu ruled from 1623 to 1651.-Early life :...
, the third shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate. The resurrection coincided with the rebuilding of the Imperial Palace in Kyoto and thus received imperial funding.
The tradition of having aristocratic or persons of imperial lineage serve as chief of the temple ended with the 30th Monzeki, Junnin Hosshinnō in the late Edo period.
Most of the surviving buildings date from the 17th century, and include a five-story pagoda and an orchard of dwarf cherry trees. The temple itself features some beautifully painted screen walls, and a beautiful walled garden.
Buildings
- National Treasure of Japan
- Golden Hall
- Important Cultural Property of Japan
- Pagoda
- Kyozo
- Nio Gate
- Chumon
- Shoro
- Kannon-do
- Miei-do
- Chumon of Miei-do
- Kyusho-myojin
- Omotemon of Honbo
- Ryokaku-tei
- Hito-tei
- Other
- Chokushimon
- Shinden
- Reimeiden
- Kuro Shoin
- Shiro Shoin
File:Ninnaji Kyoto02s3s4350.jpg|Pagoda
File:Ninnaji Kyoto09n4500.jpg|Kyozo
File:Mie-do (Founders Hall) At Ninna-ji.JPG|Mieido
File:Ninnaji Kyoto25n4592.jpg|Kyusho-myojin
File:Ninnaji Kyoto15s4470.jpg|Interior of Shinden
See also
- List of Buddhist temples in Kyoto
- List of National Treasures of Japan (temples)
- List of National Treasures of Japan (ancient documents)
- List of National Treasures of Japan (paintings)
- List of National Treasures of Japan (sculptures)
- List of National Treasures of Japan (crafts-others)
- List of National Treasures of Japan (writings)
- 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...
.