Ryosen-ji
Encyclopedia
is a small Buddhist
temple in Shimoda
, Japan
. It is noteworthy as the location of the signing ceremony for the Treaty of Amity and Commerce
(also known as the Harris Treaty) between the Tokugawa shogunate
of Japan and the United States of America on July 29, 1858. Due to this connection, the temple grounds and main hall have been designated as a National Historic Site by the Japanese government.
Imamura Masanaga. Three large Gorintō
stone monuments on the grounds (the graves of a number of the Shimoda bugyō) are designated as Shimoda City historic monuments. During the visit of Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry to Shimoda in 1854 in one of the initial attempts by the United States to end the national isolation policy
of the Japanese government, the temple had been designated as his shore residence.
The temple as a small museum, which displays a number of artifacts related to Commodore Perry, the Black Ships
, and contact between Japan and the West. In recent years, the temple has also been noted for the profusion of jasmine
flowers in its gardens.
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...
temple in Shimoda
Shimoda, Shizuoka
is a city and port in Shizuoka, Japan.As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 25,054 and a population density of 242 persons per square kilometer...
, 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 is noteworthy as the location of the signing ceremony for the Treaty of Amity and Commerce
Treaty of Amity and Commerce (United States-Japan)
The , also called Harris Treaty, between the United States and Japan was signed at the Ryōsen-ji in Shimoda on July 29, 1858. It opened the ports of Yokohama and four other Japanese cities to American trade and granted extraterritoriality to foreigners, among other stipulations.-The Treaty:The...
(also known as the Harris Treaty) between the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
of Japan and the United States of America on July 29, 1858. Due to this connection, the temple grounds and main hall have been designated as a National Historic Site by the Japanese government.
History
Ryōsen-ji was founded in 1635 by the Nichiren sect prelate Nitchō, with the support and patronage of 2nd Shimoda bugyōShimoda bugyo
were officials of the Tokugawa shogunate These bakufu appointees were responsible for administration of the port of Shimoda and foreign trade in the area....
Imamura Masanaga. Three large Gorintō
Gorinto
is the name of a Japanese type of Buddhist pagoda believed to have been first adopted by the Shingon and Tendai sects during the mid Heian period. It is used for memorial or funerary purposes and is therefore common in Buddhist temples and cemeteries. It is also called or , where the term sotoba...
stone monuments on the grounds (the graves of a number of the Shimoda bugyō) are designated as Shimoda City historic monuments. During the visit of Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry to Shimoda in 1854 in one of the initial attempts by the United States to end the national isolation policy
Sakoku
was the foreign relations policy of Japan under which no foreigner could enter nor could any Japanese leave the country on penalty of death. The policy was enacted by the Tokugawa shogunate under Tokugawa Iemitsu through a number of edicts and policies from 1633–39 and remained in effect until...
of the Japanese government, the temple had been designated as his shore residence.
The temple as a small museum, which displays a number of artifacts related to Commodore Perry, the Black Ships
Black Ships
The Black Ships was the name given to Western vessels arriving in Japan in the 16th and 19th centuries.In 1543 Portuguese initiated the first contacts, establishing a trade route linking Goa to Nagasaki...
, and contact between Japan and the West. In recent years, the temple has also been noted for the profusion of jasmine
Jasmine
Jasminum , commonly known as jasmines, is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family . It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of the Old World...
flowers in its gardens.