Zuihôden (Zuihôji)

Zuihôden is specifically the mausoleum of renowned Sengoku Period warlord Date Masamune (1567-1636 C.E.). As one of the most powerful warlords of his time and founder of the city of Sendai, he was one of the most influential people of his time. He died at the age of 70 in Edo (now Tokyo) and was laid to rest at Zuihôden in an oppulant mausoleum indicative of Edo Period architecture, meaning lots of color and gold. The building today is a recreation because Sendai was mostly destroyed by carpet bombing campaigns by American pilots in WWII. Reconstruction of the mausoleum did yeild remnants of Masamune’s body and was laid to rest again. The artifact fragments are on display in the Sendai City Museum and the Zuihôden Museum. Masamune’s son Tadamune, and grandson Tsunamune are buried in similar mausoleums around the corner along with memorial steele to the Boshin War victims, the war which ended the Tokugawa Shogunate and the reinstallment of imperial political control under Emperor Meiji.

For the casual: 6. For the educated: 9.

Zuihôden is a beautiful building with vibrant colors and elaborate carvings. It’s a small building, but it’s still cool that this is the resting place of Date Masamune. I read in one of my sources that the surrounding pine forest represented the longevity of Miyagi and the prosperity of the Date clan. I wasn’t able to verify if it was real, but it did bring my attention to the woods which are very beautiful. The warmth of the wood with the additional glow of golden hour made it especially beautiful when I was there. I don’t think a person would feel bad if they missed going to this location, but I really thought that the significance of Masamune to the identity of the city, in addition to the raw beauty of the location, really made it worth the short trip for me.

This creature is called a kirin, it’s a Chinese unicorn which brings good luck. Fun fact, when the first giraffes were brought to east Asia, they thought they were these mythical unicorns so the Japanese for giraffe is also kirin. 

The middle crest is the Date clan’s crest. 

 

Hase-dera (Nara)

Founded in the late 7th century in Nara Prefecture, Hase Dera is one of the premier temples devoted to Kannon, the Bodisattva of Compassion. It is a temple devoted to the Shingon sect of Buddhism and is the head temple to the Bunzan school of Shingon. It is home to one of the largest wooden Buddhist statues in Japan, a 12 meter tall (about 40 feet) statue of Kannon. Legend has it that a monk came across an exceptionally large tree in the woods and had enough wood not only to make the venerated statue at Hase-dera in Nara, but had enough to carve a second statue wich was tossed into the sea with a prayer for it to resurface where it was needed most. After 15 years, it washed up in Kanagawa Prefecture, just south of Tokyo. A temple, also named Hase-dera, was constructed in the city of Kamakura to house the statue where it resides today.

For the casual: 7. For the educated: 9.

I love this temple. Ok, now I feel even better. Hase-dera is temple eye candy for anyone interested in the concept of a hidden beauty. Not too far of a train ride from Abe Monjuin in the city of Sakurai, Hase-dera is a bit of a different beast. For one, it has grandeur. Hase-dera has a full build up as you walk from the station over to the temple. From the station, visitors climb down the fights of stairs through traditonal housing until the creek. From there you follow the creek upstream into a maze of very old town houses and stores that fill your senses with fresh baked treats, incense, and ceremonial trinkets. Before long, you can see the base of the temple and that’s when the beauty of it all finally begins to sink in. Unlike most temples or sites of worship, Hase-dera is not on one level of elevation, rather the entirety of the temple, apart from the main gate, is stretched up and across the hillside, connected only by a series of covered stairways which resemble a great tree with its branches baring the fruit of beautiful temple halls.

Trust me when I say I could go on and on about how visually striking this temple is. But that’s also the thing, the architecture of this temple isn’t anything particularly special or extraordinary, rather it’s all about how the temple moves through the mountainous terrain and embraces its surroundings to become something even more. The view from the main hall’s balcony alone warrants the trip into this countryside town. For greater visual stimulation, please consider visiting in autumn or spring for the cherry blossoms or the changing of colors.

I’ll leave you with this story from the time I was there. I was at Hase-dera just following New Years and the weather was perfect. The air was cold and crisp, the sky was crystal clear, and the smell of wood and incense was intoxicating. I was with my best friend and we were both going on and on about how this temple and its sister temple in Kamakura were able to use elevation to enhance the complex and its deity beyond conventional temple design to elicit a stronger spiritual sense. As we decended the steps to the town below, a perfect light mist of snow began to fall desipite the fairly clear skies above. It was like a moment from a dream or a story which defines a moment of serene bliss. I have been counting the days until I can go back.

 

Honpukuji

Built in 1991, this temple is very different from the vast majority of other entries I have written about so far. The draw for this temple is not the history, the treasures, or even the location really, it's for the architecture. There are many architects that have built inspiring structures around the world, and in Japan arguably the most influential and well known architect is none other than Tadao Ando. This is certainly one of his more curious projects considering what and where this building is. I couldn't find any concrete information as to why Ando-san took on this project, but we are all the more grateful for it. What I did find was that Ando is a Kansai native and many of the projects he works on are in the Kansai area. Considering where the temple is located and what you can see from the hill crest it stands on, it's possible that he worked on this temple because of the view and because he had worked on other projects on Awaji Island. The temple is not the easiest to get to simply because the public transportation to get there is a little clunky, but if you have a car it's very easy to get to. Honpukuji is in the city of Awaji on the Island of Awaji which is just south of Kobe. The temple itself is close to another one of Ando's awe inspiring designs, the Awaji Westin Hotel. The temple is a small part of a slightly larger complex belonging to the Shingon sect.

For the casual: 7. For the educated: 1

Temple? check. Goshuin? check. Great view? check. Designed by world renowned architect Tadao Ando? Wait that's a check too? HOLY COW THAT'S AMAZING!!! That's right folks, for just 400 yen you too can walk inside this amazing modern temple just south of the Westin Awaji Hotel on Awaji Island. And as a bonus, the temple is built underneath a lotus pond which funnels light from the sun into the temple to create a natural halo of light behind the effigies inside! Think it can't get any better? You're wrong! Walk out of the temple and you're faced with a breath-taking view of Osaka Bay!

Ok, to be honest, I love this temple and I love how it is an amazingly beautiful retreat from the world, but I do need to say that it's not a place that I can see many tourists visiting, not because they wouldn't be interested or that the temple has anything less to offer than an inspiring experience, but simply because this temple is not in or really near a major city. Although visitors can see Kobe from the small parking lot, I've been one to experience how painfully isolating Awaji Island can be. The island is not connected by train, the bus system is infrequent on the island since most inhabitants have cars, and the cost to cross the bridge is enough to deter anyone that is only casually curious to visit. So unless the visitor has more than a mild curiousity, then the temple is simply not a practical place to visit. But here's the thing, it is a place to visit. It's an incredible place to visit. Make Honpukuji one of several stops on your trip around Awaji Island. Stop in some resorts for spa relaxation, spend the night or just explore the Awaji Westin Hotel, and visit the farming communities of the island which are home to some of the nicest people I have ever met in my life. So go to Honpukuji and enjoy a beautiful day full of hidden surprises because it's worth crossing that bridge.

 

Mitaki-dera

Nestled in a mountain ravine just west of Hiroshima, Mitaki-dera meaning the Temple of Three Waterfalls, is a temple of the Shingon sect of Buddhism which dates back to the turn of the 9th century C.E. As its name suggests, the temple is built around three small waterfalls which cascade from the mountain tops, through the temple grounds, and make their way into the river system which divides the multiple islands of Hiroshima. The water from these falls are presented in offering during the annual Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony on August 6th to honor those killed in the atomic bombing of the city. The temple is also one of the few buildings in the area to have survived the atomic blast. A two-story pagoda on the temple grounds was donated by a shrine in Wakayama Prefecture and was taken apart piece by piece and reassembled on site in 1951 to honor the souls of those lost in the atomic blast. 

For the casual: 10. For the educated: 10.

There are many reasons to visit this temple but none can really compare to the one reason I love this location over so many others: atmosphere. Getting to the temple from Hiroshima Station is very easy and even the short hike up the hill to the temple from Mitaki station is rather pleasant apart from the incline. As of when I have posted this, I have been to the temple twice, once in late summer/early autumn, and the second shortly following New Years. Both times I have visited I have been swept off my feet with the serenity with which I was embraced. The first time was in the morning after a rather warm weekend. Mitaki-dera is not a temple of buildings, and really I cannot recall how many, what size, and what style of architecture was used in the various small halls of the temple, but what I do remember are the surreal surroundings I found myself in. The temple was cool and damp, the moss covered trees and stones were dripping with the morning, and the soft rush of the falls calmed the mind like waves on a beach. The walls of the ravine close in as you climb, but there is always this wondrous sense of breath about the space. The temple grounds are filled with a variety of effigies from statues newly erected to carvings on the faces of great boulders which are barely distinguished from the encroaching moss. The second time I visited was also in the morning following a rain, but a thick fog refused to leave the valley. These statues took on a new and arcane life of their own as they slipped into and out of sight in the passing mist. My friend and I were greeted with the sudden ringing of the temple bell as another unseen visitor announced their arrival just up ahead. All in all, the temple was something out of a book, a fantasy novel where despite being only meters away from houses and busy streets, we had stumbled on something completely divided. It carried the years in plain sight but it never seemed like it was burdened with it, but rather had let the years shape it and mold it into something amazing. If what I've written doesn't inspire you to visit then nothing else will, but I can say that although each experience is unique, each one will take you to a different world that is not necessarily that of the divine, but more like one which translates an intersection where ripples of humanity and nature are the most harmonious.