Mimuroto-ji Temple (三室戸寺)
Mimuroto-ji Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture. The temple's honorific mountain prefix is Myojozan. It is the 10th of the 33 temples that are visited during the Kansai Kannon Pilgrimage. It is a Bekkaku Honzan (Extraordinary head temple) of Honzan Shugenshu sect.
History
Mimuroto-ji Temple is said to have been founded by the monk Gyohyo of Nara Taian-ji Temple at the request of Emperor Konin during the end of Tenpyo era (729 - 748). It then went on to be relocated several times due to fires and other reasons before being rebuilt at its current location during 1469 - 1486.
Mimuroto-ji Temple flourished as a high ranking Tendai Sect temple with the backing of temples such as Enjo-ji Temple, but became destroyed by war damages during the mid-Muromachi period. Although it was later revived, it did have a brief period of decline.
In 1573, the temple was set ablaze for supporting Yoshiaki ASHIKAGA who was in conflict with Nobunaga ODA.
After that, the current main hall was rebuilt in 1814, during the latter part of the Edo period,
Buildings
Main hall
The main hall is a robust temple in the style of Juso Irimoya-zukuri (multi-storey building with a hip-and-gable roof), rebuilt in 1805, where a gilt bronze standing statue of Thousand Armed Kannon (or Deity of Mercy)) is placed, which is usually kept hidden from public view.
Amitabha hall
Three-storey pagoda
This three-storey pagoda, 16 meters tall, erected in 1704 originally stood at Kozo-ji Temple in Mikazuki-cho, Harima Province, before being purchased by Mimuroto-ji Temple and relocated to the top of the hill to the west of the temple approach in 1910. It was later moved to its current location (on the eastern side of the belfry) inside the temple's grounds.
Garden
The 16,550 square meters' garden consists of Karesansui (dry landscape style), ponds, springs and a wide garden. It is known for its 20,000 azaleas and 1,000 rhododendrons that come into bloom in May, the 10,000 Japanese hydrangeas that bloom in June, the lotus flowers that bloom in July and renowned for its beautifully colored autumn leaves.
Cultural Properties
Wooden sedentary statues of Amitabha and two attendants on either side of the central Amitabha
Wooden standing statue of Shakyamuni
Wooden standing statue of Vaisravana
Other
Gilt bronze standing statue of Thousand Armed Kannon (or Deity of Mercy)) (the principal image)
Location
21, Todo Shigatani, Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture, 611-0013
Neighboring Pilgrimage Sites
The 33 temples that are visited during the Kansai Kannon Pilgrimage
9. Kofuku-ji Temple; 10. Mimuroto-ji Temple; 11. Daigo-ji Temple
Access
15 minutes walk from 'Mimuroto Station' on Uji-Line of the Keihan Electric Railway