Injo-ji Temple (Kyoto City) (引接寺 (京都市))
Injo-ji Temple is a Buddhist Temple belonging to the Koyasan Shingon Sect located in Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto City. It is more commonly known as Senbon Enma-do than by its formal name.
History
Injo-ji Temple was founded by the kaiki (founding priest) ONO no Takamura (802-853) who legend says travelled between this world and the underworld and interacted with Enma-o. The kaisan (founding patron) was Genshin's (a monk) junior disciple Jokaku.
The precinct of the temple is described in "Historia de Iapan" by Luis Frois - a missionary who came to preach in Kyoto during the Azuchi-Momoyama period.
In 1964, the kyogen performances came to an end due to a lack of successors. In 1974, the main hall and Kyogen-do Hall were burned in a suspected arson attack in which the kyogen costumes were also destroyed. However, the Senbon Enmado Kyogen Hozonkai (a preservation society) was formed in the following year and solicited public donations for the repair of the main hall, rebuilt a temporary Kyogen-do Hall, and continues to perform the revived kyogen every year using members from the previous Nishijin Kochu Association and some individuals recruited from the general public.
Precinct
The main hall houses the principal image seated statue of Enma-o (a work attributed to Jocho) flanked by his two attendants Shimyo on the right and Shiroku on the left.
Kyogen-do Hall
Kannon-do Hall
Fugenzo-zakura
Late blooming double-blossom cherry trees that from which the flowers fall in complete corollas.
A ten-storey stone pagoda (Important Cultural Property) with an inscription dating it at 1386 is thought to be a memorial to Murasaki Shikibu (Lady Murasaki).
Events
February: Setsubun-e in which boiled konnyaku is offered.
May 1-4: The Senbon Enma-do Kyogen (Kyoto City intangible folk cultural property), considered to be one of the three great Dainenbutsu Kyogen in Kyoto, is performed with spoken dialogue.
August: Rokusai Nenbutsu (Buddhist invocation) and Urabon-e (Feast of Lanterns) in which the sacred bell that welcomes the souls of the dead is sounded for the entire day.
August 24: Jizo-bon Festival Bon-odori dance.
Address
34 Enmamae-Cho, Senbon-dori Kuramaguchi-dori Streets-sagaru, Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture 602-8307
Access
Take the Kyoto City Bus route no. 206 etc. to 'Kenryuko-mae' bus stop and walk for 2 minutes.