Ikegami Honmon-ji
Encyclopedia
is a Buddhist temple in the south of Tokyo
, erected where Nichiren
is said to have died.
A short walk from Ikegami Station
(Tōkyū Ikegami Line
) or Nishi-Magome Station
(Toei Asakusa Line), Ikegami Honmon-ji contains a number of buildings, most of which have been reconstructed since the bombing of 15 March 1945. They include the Important Cultural Property designated five-storey pagoda
built in 1608, the kyōzō
built in 1784, and the hōtō
, built in 1781 where Nichiren was cremated. Other buildings have been rebuilt, or newly constructed, since 1945.
Now in Ōta-ku
, suburban Tokyo, Ikegami Honmon-ji was at some distance from the city until the mid-20th century. Basil Hall Chamberlain
and W. B. Mason wrote of it in 1907: Its fine situation and magnificent timber make it one of the most attractive points within easy reach of Tōkyō.
The area between the station and the temple hosts a large festival, O-Eshiki , from 11 to 13 October, with mandō and matoi
; thousands of worshippers visit the temple.
35.578889°N 139.705167°W
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, erected where Nichiren
Nichiren
Nichiren was a Buddhist monk who lived during the Kamakura period in Japan. Nichiren taught devotion to the Lotus Sutra, entitled Myōhō-Renge-Kyō in Japanese, as the exclusive means to attain enlightenment and the chanting of Nam-Myōhō-Renge-Kyō as the essential practice of the teaching...
is said to have died.
A short walk from Ikegami Station
Ikegami Station
is a Tokyo Kyuko Electric Railway Ikegami Line station in Ōta, Tokyo. It is close to Ikegami Honmon-ji.- Station layout :Two ground-level side platforms.- Bus service : bus stop**Tokyu Bus...
(Tōkyū Ikegami Line
Tokyu Ikegami Line
The is a line operated by Tokyu Corporation. It runs through Tokyo, extending from Gotanda Station in Shinagawa to Kamata Station in Ōta.New 3-car 7000 series EMUs were introduced in December 2007, with a total of 19 sets due to be delivered by 2011....
) or Nishi-Magome Station
Nishi-magome Station
is the southern terminal of the Toei Asakusa Line, a subway line operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation. It is located in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan. It is the southernmost station of the Tokyo subway network. Its station number is A-01....
(Toei Asakusa Line), Ikegami Honmon-ji contains a number of buildings, most of which have been reconstructed since the bombing of 15 March 1945. They include the Important Cultural Property designated five-storey pagoda
Pagoda
A pagoda is the general term in the English language for a tiered tower with multiple eaves common in Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and other parts of Asia. Some pagodas are used as Taoist houses of worship. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most commonly Buddhist,...
built in 1608, the kyōzō
Kyōzō
in Japanese Buddhist architecture is a repository for sūtras and chronicles of the temple history. It is also called , , or . In ancient times the kyōzō was placed opposite the belfry on the east-west axis of the temple. The earliest extant kyōzō is at Hōryū-ji, and it is a two-storied structure....
built in 1784, and the hōtō
Tō
The , sometimes also called or is the Japanese version of the Chinese pagoda, itself an interpretation of the Indian stupa. Pagodas are quintessentially Buddhist and an important component of Japanese Buddhist temple compounds but, because until the Kami and Buddhas Separation Act of 1868 a...
, built in 1781 where Nichiren was cremated. Other buildings have been rebuilt, or newly constructed, since 1945.
Now in Ōta-ku
Ota, Tokyo
is one of the 23 Special wards of Tokyo, Japan.As of May 1, 2011, the ward has an estimated population of 676,458, with 348,492 households, and a population density of 11,376.69 persons per km²...
, suburban Tokyo, Ikegami Honmon-ji was at some distance from the city until the mid-20th century. Basil Hall Chamberlain
Basil Hall Chamberlain
Basil Hall Chamberlain was a professor of Tokyo Imperial University and one of the foremost British Japanologists active in Japan during the late 19th century. He also wrote some of the earliest translations of haiku into English...
and W. B. Mason wrote of it in 1907: Its fine situation and magnificent timber make it one of the most attractive points within easy reach of Tōkyō.
The area between the station and the temple hosts a large festival, O-Eshiki , from 11 to 13 October, with mandō and matoi
Matoi
A ' is an object used in Edo period Japan by to notify people of a fire nearby or within a building. It was put on the nearby roof of the burning building by the . Each different group of firemen in the Edo period had their own matoi to identify themselves. In modern Japan, the matoi is only used...
; thousands of worshippers visit the temple.
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...
.
External links
35.578889°N 139.705167°W