Enkoin

Enkōin 円光院 was at first in Isawa and called "Seikōin 清光院", which was built in Hōgen era 保元年間 (1156-1159) . Then it was renamed "Jōjuin 成就院." In 1560, Takeda Shingen moved and reconstructed it in the current location. When his wife Sanjo-fujin 三条夫人 passed away in 1570, it was renamed "Zuiganzan 瑞巖山 Enkō-goji-zen-in 円光護持禅院" after her posthumous Buddhist name. Her grave is in it.




Hondō 本堂


A bell tower 鐘楼


Priest's quarters 庫裏


Kōfu basin 甲府盆地

Takeda Shingen's gravestone is in the vicinity of the temple. It is said that he passed away at Ina 伊那, Nagano in 1573 and he was cremated at the place near Enkōin. Then his cremains were buried at Erinji 恵林寺 in Kōshū city. Before his death, he had ordered his following to keep his death a secret for three years. Stories founded on it are played out in Kagemusha 影武者 by Akira Kurosawa 黒澤明.

■ Enkoin's Official Web Site (Japanese version only)

View Enkōin 円光院 & A gravestone of Shingen 信玄の墓所 on Google My Maps

■ Refer to Kofu-Gozan & Kai Zenkoji and Kai Pilgrimage

■ Reference Data
・Wikipedia
・Yamanashi Shinpō newspaper's site on Kai Hyakuhachi Reijō

Chozenji, Shingen and Buddhism

Sanmon 山門 (temple gate)


'Chōzen-ankoku 長禅安国', set up on the gate


A stone monument in front of the gate, on which the following is written :
Zuiunzan 瑞雲山 Chōzenji 長禅寺
has the grave of Ōi-fujin 大井夫人 (1497-1552), the mother of Takeda Shingen,
and is the studying and training location of Shingen (Harunobu 晴信) in his childhood,
and the venerable location where Shingen (Kizankō 機山公) practiced Zen meditation and took the tonsure to enter Buddhist priesthood.


Sanmon from its back, with a train of Chūō line


Niōmon 仁王門 (deva gate) and a stone monument, written "Zuiunzan Chōzenji"



A big temple bell 梵鐘



Kuri 庫裏 (priest's quarters)


A garden


Hondō 本堂 (main hall) under restoration


Mausoleum of Ōi no Kata 大井の方 (Ōi-fujin 大井夫人)


Five-storied stupa


Three-storied stupa


Five-storied stupa and grape fields in Mt. Atago 愛宕山

View Chōzenji 長禅寺 on Google My Maps

■ Refer to Kofu-Gozan & Kai Zenkoji and Kai Pilgrimage

■ Reference Data
・Wikipedia
・Yamanashi Shinpō newspaper's site on Kai Hyakuhachi Reijō

Katsuyori and Hosenji

Hōsen(zen)ji 法泉(禅)寺 was built in 1330 by Takeda Nobutake 武田信武 (1292-1359). He invited Gesshū zenji 月舟禅師 who was one of the leading disciples of Musō Soseki 夢窓疎石 (1275-1351), also known as Musō Kokushi 夢窓国師, as the resident priest*. This temple is famous for the tomb of Takeda Katsuyori 武田勝頼 (1546-1582). After Shingen's death (1573), Katsuyori took over as head of the Takeda's family, but the clan was defeated by the coalition troops of Oda Nobunaga 織田信長 and Tokugawa Ieyasu 徳川家康 at the Battle of Nagashino 長篠の戦い (1575) and then was declining. In 1582, Katsuyori, the family and the remaining subordinates suffered defeat to the combined forces at the Battle of Temmokuzan 天目山の戦い and he and his family commited suicide. Then Nobunaga ordered to put Katsuyori's head on public display at the Rokujō-gawara 六条河原 (known as an execution ground) in Kyoto. Kaigaku 快岳, the resident priest of Hōsenji at the time, knew that and brought the head back to the temple. And he built Katsuyori's tomb.
*Gesshū declined to be Kaizan, the first resident priest, of Hōsenji, asked his master Soseki to be it and became the second.


Shōrōmon 鐘楼門, built in 1636.


Garden lanterns and Hondō 本堂, built in 1680.


One of 16 Arhat Statues


Kongōfukujusan 金剛福聚山



■ Hosenji's Official Web Site (Japanese version only)

■ View Kongōfukujusan Hōsenzenji 金剛福聚山 法泉禅寺 on Google My Maps

■ Refer to Kofu-Gozan & Kai Zenkoji and Kai Pilgrimage

■ Reference Data
・Hosenji's Official Web Site
・Wikipedia

Tokoji and Rankei Doryu

Hōgaizan Tōkōji 法蓋山 東光寺 is a temple associated with Rankei Dōryū 蘭渓道隆 (also known as Daikaku Zenji 大覚禅師) (1213-1278). He, from Southern Song 南宋(1127-1279), dynasty of China, was a founder of Kenchō-ji 建長寺 which is one of the most famous Zen temples in Japan. After he tried to diffuse Rinzai Zen 臨済禅 at Sennyūji 泉涌寺 in Kyoto and so on, he came to Kamakura 鎌倉 on invitation by Hōjō Tokiyori 北条時頼 and became Kaizan, the first resident priest, of Kenchō-ji. Then he played a further active role in popularization of Zen in Kamakura & Kyoto, but, entrapped by a scheme, he had been banished to Yamanashi (Kai) for a period of time. Takeda clan which was a Shugo 守護, military governor, of Kai, gave him a warm welcome. With the help of Takeda clan, he resuscitated a temple and renamed it "Tōkōji."


Taken in front of Sanmon 山門, of which at the back you can see Butsuden 仏殿

EDIT:

Chūmon 中門 (Middle gate) and a bell tower 鐘楼


Garden


Azumaya 四阿 (Arbor)


Butsuden, built in Tenbun era 天文年間 (1532-1555) and designated as a national important cultural property, where it is said there are some sword-cut-marks of Nobunaga's troops.


Butsuden and Bhaisajyaguru statue 薬師如来像 as the principal image 御本尊


Hondō 本堂


Busshintō 佛心塔, built for the purpose of performing services in perpetuity for the repose of departed souls.

■ Tokoji's Official Web Site (Japanese version only)

■ View Hōgaizan Tōkōji 法蓋山 東光寺 on Google My Maps

■ Refer to Kofu-Gozan & Kai Zenkoji and Kai Pilgrimage

■ Reference Data
・Tokoji's Official Web Site
・Wikipedia

50~80's Photographs

I have been fascinated with the pictures which have been archived by Incorporated NPO 'Study Society for Digitalization of Regional Data 特定非営利活動法人 地域資料デジタル化研究会 (Digi-KEN).' In the photos, people, sceneries, disasters and so on in 50~80's Yamanashi show up.

■LINKS
・Digi-KEN's official site (Japanese version only)
・Digi-KEN's site on Flickr
・Digi-KEN's channel on YouTube

Kai Pilgrimage

It is said that the beginning of pilgrimage in Japan is "Saigoku Sanjūsan-sho 西国三十三所" mostly in Kansai region. In Edo period, this sort of pilgrimage grew popular among members of the general public (for example, "Shikoku Pilgrimage 四国遍路", "Bandō Sanjūsankasho 坂東三十三箇所" ).
In Yamanashi, there is a pilgrimage called "Kai Hyakuhachi Reijō 甲斐百八霊場(108 hallowed grounds in Yamanashi)" (Yamanashi had once been called "Kai no kuni (Kai province)甲斐の国"). The 108 list takes in most sects of Japanese Buddhism and most major temples in Yamanashi (refer to "Kōfu-Gozan & Kai Zenkōji","AJISAI flower"). I hope you find it informative.

View Kai Pilgrimage 甲斐百八霊場 on Google My Maps

***** Reference data *****
・Yamanashi Shinpō newspaper's site on Kai Hyakuhachi Reijō
・"Kai Hyakuhachi Reijō Junreiki 甲斐百八霊場巡礼記" (the site on Kai Pilgrimage / Japanese version only) from "三郎の部屋 Saburō's room"
・Wikipedia's articles associated with Pilgrimages in Japan

Kofu-Gozan & Kai Zenkoji

If it is asked: who is the most famous military commander in the history of Yamanashi? The answer is likely to be : Takeda Shingen 武田信玄 (1521-73). This commander in Sengoku-jidai(戦国時代, Sengoku period) (from the middle 15th to the early 17th century) was originally named "Harunobu 晴信" but changed his name to "Shingen 信玄" when he entered the Buddhist priesthood at age 38. And, irrespective of their religion, he protected temples and shrines.
In Kōfu city where he was based, there are a lot of temples and shrines connected with him, a few of which I'll introduce here.

***** Kōfu-Gozan 甲府五山 *****
There are mountains on the north side of Kōfu. At the base of them are Kōfu-Gozan. Gozan consist of five temples : Chōzenji 長禅寺, Tōkōji 東光寺, Nōjōji 能成寺, Enkōin 円光院 & Hōsenji 法泉寺. The word of "Gozan" comes from "Five Mountains and Ten Monasteries System 五山十刹制度" in China during the Southern Song Dynasty 南宋王朝 (1127–1279). This system was imported to Japan in the late Kamakura-era 鎌倉時代 (1185–1333), and took root as Kamakura Gozan 鎌倉五山 & Kyoto Gozan 京都五山. Shingen made the selections of Kōfu Gozan along the lines of them. Gozan belong to the Rinzai school 臨済宗.

***** Kai Zenkōji 甲斐善光寺　*****
There are some temples of which "Zenkōji 善光寺" is the name all over the country. The six Zenkōjis, whose names are (Shinshū)Zenkōji (信州)善光寺, Moto Zenkōji 元善光寺, Kai Zenkōji 甲斐善光寺, Zenkōji Tōkai Betsuin 善光寺東海別院, Seki Zenkōji 関善光寺 & Gifu Zenkōji 岐阜善光寺, held the unprecedented Buddhist ceremony of "Roku Zenkōji Dōji Gokaichō 六善光寺同時御開帳" on April & May this year. Maybe the next "Gokaichō" will be held 7 years later.
In the "Kondō 金堂" (main temple structure, main hall) which is 27 meters high and was rebuilt in 1796, of Kai Zenkōji, there is a room which makes echo effects and it is called "Nakiryu 鳴き龍" (Crying Dragon). Kai Zenkōji's Naki-Ryu is the largest one in Japan.
・Kai Zenkōji 甲斐善光寺 on Flickr

View Kōfu Gozan 甲府五山 & Kai Zenkōji 甲斐善光寺 on Google My Maps

View Six Zenkōjis 六善光寺 on Google My Maps