- Kanno-ji
Kanno-ji ( _ja. 神呪寺) is a
Buddhist temple in the middle ofMount Kabutoyama inNishinomiya , Hyōgo,Japan . The other name of the temple is Kabutoyama-daishi (甲山大師).Objects of Worship
The original object of worship at this temple was Mount Kabutoyama. In this region, Mount Kabutoyama was believed to be "a mountain of god". Until the
Edo period , the temple was a mixture ofShintoism and Buddhism, as many Japanese temples or shrines. Today, the main object of worship at this temple is a statue of Nyoirin (如意輪半跏像). The statue is known as one of the three most famous Nyoirin statues in Japan, with those ofKawachi-Kannon-ji temple inOsaka Prefecture andMuro-ji temple inNara Prefecture .History
According to Genko-Shakusho (元亨釈書), a famous history of Japanese Buddhism written in the fourteenth century, Kanno-ji was established by the fourth queen of
Emperor Junna . However, another history,Teio-Hennnenki , writes thatUjikimi Tachibana (橘氏公) andShunjo Mihara (三原春上) established the temple at the command ofEmpress Masako , the first queen of Emperor Junna in 827.Genko-Shakusho wrote that the fourth queen of Emperor Junna secretly escaped from the Royal Palace in
Kyoto and moved toMount Kabutoyama in 828 withKukai 's help. Kukai made a statue of Nyoirin of woods in Mount Kabutoyama in 830, and built the main building of the temple next year.Cultural Property
This temple has four national important cultural properties selected by the Japanese government.
*Nyoirin-Kannon-Zazo(木造如意輪観音坐像),
Heian period
*Hijiri-Kannon-Ritsuzo(木造聖観音立像), Heian period
*Fudomyoo-Zazo(不動明王坐像),Kamakura period
*Kobodaishi-Zazo(弘法大師坐像), Kamakura periodAccess
*
Koyoen Station ofHankyu Koyoen Line
*Kabutoyama-daishi-mae Bus Stop ofHankyu Bus orHanshin Bus External links
* [http://www.ne.jp/asahi/kabutoyama/kanno-ji/ Kanno-ji Homepage (Japanese)]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.