Ōsu Kannon
Encyclopedia
is a Buddhist temple of the Shingon sect located in Ōsu
in central Nagoya, Japan
. It belongs to the Owari Thirty-three Kannon
.
The temple was originally built in about the year 1333 in Ōsu-gō, Nagaoka village in Owari Province
, which is currently known as the city of Hashima
in Gifu Prefecture
. Construction was sponsored by the Emperor Go-Daigo
, who appointed Shōnin Nōshin as the first head priest. Nōshin had a vision in a dream of Avalokitesvara
, the Buddha of Compassion, known as Kannon in Japanese.
Hence, the name Ōsu (from Ōsu-gō) Kannon. Due to repeated flooding, the temple was moved to its present location in 1612 by Tokugawa Ieyasu
. In the 1820s, large parts of the temple were destroyed by fire, but it was rebuilt in the 1970s. The main hall has a very large, red paper lantern hanging from the ceiling where worshippers can tie small paper notes with wishes to the holding wires.
The current temple is home to a large collection of books. It houses about 15,000 classic Japanese and Chinese works. Among these is the oldest hand-written copy of the famous Kojiki
, describing the ancient mythological history of Japan. The library also has many other books designated as national treasures and important cultural properties.
A street fair is held on the 18th day of each month. The nearest subway is Ōsu Kannon Station.
Ōsu
Ōsu is a popular area located in the Naka ward of Nagoya, central Japan.Ōsu is a historic area which has many small shops offering everything from Japanese traditional food to handicrafts. A large department store is OSU301...
in central Nagoya, 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 belongs to the Owari Thirty-three Kannon
Owari Thirty-three Kannon
The are a collection of Buddhist temples in western Aichi Prefecture, Japan, all dedicated to the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. The name is derived from Owari Province, the former name for the area...
.
History
The official name is Kitanosan Shinpuku-ji Hōshō-in, but is populary known as Ōsu Kannon.The temple was originally built in about the year 1333 in Ōsu-gō, Nagaoka village in Owari Province
Owari Province
was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of present day Aichi Prefecture, including much of modern Nagoya. Its abbreviation is Bishū .-History:The province was created in 646....
, which is currently known as the city of Hashima
Hashima, Gifu
is a city located in the Gifu Prefecture of central Japan.Hashima covers a total area of 87.77 km². As of July 2011 the city has an estimated population of 67,041 inhabitants.The city was founded on 1 April 1954.-External links:*...
in Gifu Prefecture
Gifu Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of central Japan. Its capital is the city of Gifu.Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west through such routes as the Nakasendō...
. Construction was sponsored by the Emperor Go-Daigo
Emperor Go-Daigo
Emperor Go-Daigo was the 96th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession....
, who appointed Shōnin Nōshin as the first head priest. Nōshin had a vision in a dream of Avalokitesvara
Avalokitesvara
Avalokiteśvara is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. He is one of the more widely revered bodhisattvas in mainstream Mahayana Buddhism....
, the Buddha of Compassion, known as Kannon in Japanese.
Hence, the name Ōsu (from Ōsu-gō) Kannon. Due to repeated flooding, the temple was moved to its present location in 1612 by Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
. In the 1820s, large parts of the temple were destroyed by fire, but it was rebuilt in the 1970s. The main hall has a very large, red paper lantern hanging from the ceiling where worshippers can tie small paper notes with wishes to the holding wires.
The current temple is home to a large collection of books. It houses about 15,000 classic Japanese and Chinese works. Among these is the oldest hand-written copy of the famous Kojiki
Kojiki
is the oldest extant chronicle in Japan, dating from the early 8th century and composed by Ō no Yasumaro at the request of Empress Gemmei. The Kojiki is a collection of myths concerning the origin of the four home islands of Japan, and the Kami...
, describing the ancient mythological history of Japan. The library also has many other books designated as national treasures and important cultural properties.
A street fair is held on the 18th day of each month. The nearest subway is Ōsu Kannon Station.