Jogon-in Temple (浄厳院)
Jogon-in Temple is a Jodo (Pure Land) sect temple located in Azuchi-cho, Gamo-gun, Shiga Prefecture. Sango (literally, "mountain name"), which is the title prefixed to the name of a Buddhist temple, is Konzesan. The proper name is Jogon-in of Jion-ji Temple, Konzesan. Honzon (principal image of Buddha) is Amida Nyorai.
History
From 1346 to 1370, the Itokuin of Jion-ji Temple was located in the current location of Jogon-in Temple, which is a Tendai Sect temple built by Ujiyori ROKKAKU of Sasaki clan and Rokkaku clan as Omi-no-kuni shugo (Military Commissioner of Omi-no-kuni). After that, Jion-ji Temple was burnt down by a fire during war. In 1577, Nobunaga ODA invited Meikan JOGONBO, a Jodo (Pure Land) sect priest in Konzesan, Kurita-gun, Omi Province (present Ritto City, Shiga Prefecture) to Azuchi. Nobunaga opened a temple at the remains of Jion-ji Temple with Meikan as its founder and named the temple Jogon-in Temple after it converted to the Jodo (Pure Land) sect.
Nobunaga moved the main hall and honzon (principal image of Buddha) of Jogon-in Temple from another place. It means the main hall was Mirokudo Hall which had been at Koryu-ji Temple in Taga Village (Omihachiman City, as of now), moved to Jogon-in Temple later, and honzon, seated statue of Amida Nyorai was moved from Echi-gun (Shiga Prefecture).
This temple is known as the temple where a Buddhist dispute (so-called the Azuchi religious dispute) was raised by the priests of Jodo sect and Nichiren sect based on a command by Nobunaga in June 1579. As a result of the decision, the Nichiren sect lost, however, it has been said there was a strong political interest by Nobunaga behind this decision.
Cultural Property
Important Cultural Property (government-designated)
Hondo (main hall)
Irimoya-styled roof (hip-and-gable roof)
The front, 7-ken, and the sides, 6-ken ("Ken" means numbers of hashirama (bay, space or distance between two pillars)). Mirokudo Hall at Koryu-ji Temple in Taga Village (Omihachiman City, as of now) was later moved to Jogon-in Temple by Nobunaga.
Romon (two-storied gate)
Wooden seated statue of Amida Nyorai
273 cm height statue
The Heian period
Stupa in a miniature temple
Silver standing statue of Amida Nyorai in a miniature temple
7.8 cm height small statue
The Kamakura period
It is rare since the Buddha statue was made of silver.
Sanno Gongen, colored on silk (the depicted image of Sanno Gongen in the Kenpon-Chakushoku style (silk-based colored picture))
Amida Shouju Raigo zu, colored on silk (Amida Shoju Raigo zu in the Kenpon-Chakushoku style)
Location
744, Jionji, Azuchi-cho, Gamo-gun, Shiga Prefecture
Access
Walk about 10 minutes from Azuchi Station of West Japan Railway