Home Archive by category "Goshuin" (Page 3)

Category: Goshuin

Gujo Hachiman Castle

Gujo Hachiman Castle 郡上八幡城 Matsumoto (松本市) September 17, 2018 The gojoin for Gujo Hachiman Castle in Gujo, Gifu Prefecture. I had no idea castles could have goshuin unitl I got this one. Gujo Hachiman Castle is high up on Mt Hachiman above the city of Gujo and can be seen from the tollway there. It was originally built in 1559 but demolished by the Meiji government in the 1870s in accordance with the Haijo Edict, however the tenshu, or castle keep, was later rebuilt as a museum based on Ogaki Castle’s design in 1933. Gujo is also famous for their…

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Anyo-ji (Gujo)

Anyo-ji 安養寺 Gujo（郡上） September 17, 2018 About Anyo-ji Anyo-ji is located near the base of Mt. Joyama under Gujo Hachiman Castle. It is the largest wooden structure in Gifu Prefecture. It also has a treasure room that you can enter. The nearby Joyama Park is one of the locations for Gujo Odori in the summer. My Visit to Anyo-ji The day we stopped by the temple was unfortunately under construction. A typhoon hit us recently and the roof was in need of repair. You can see other goshuin from Gifu Prefecture here. Links Temples and Shrines of Gujo Hachiman (EN)…

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Onsen-ji

– Onsen-ji – 温泉寺 – Gero（下呂） – September 1, 2018   One of the top three onsen towns in Japan is Gero Onsen in Gifu Prefecture. It’s a lovely river-side city with many onsen to visit. If you venture little ways up the mountain away from the river, you can visit the onsen temple, Onsen-ji. One story form Gero Onsen’s history of over 1000 years is this. In 1265, the onsen’s hot water stopped. The following year, the villagers noticed a the flashing white wings of a white heron dancing on the riverbed of the Hida River every day. When…

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Kogane Shrine

Goshuin for Kogane Shrine

– Kogane Shrine – 金神社 – Gifu – 岐阜 – August 31, 2018 Kogane Shrine is written with the kanji for gold/money, but even without knowing any kanji it’s pretty obvious what people come here for: Luck with money. Why? When you walk up to the shrine, you’re welcomed by a giant gold torii. It is a shrine near the middle of Gifu and is closely connected to two other shrines in the area: Inaba Shrine and Kashimori Shrine. The god enshrined here is Nunoshihime-no-mikoto, wife of Inishiki-Irihiko-no-mikoto who is enshrined at Inaba Shrine and the mother of Ichihaya-no-mikoto at…

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Himuro Shrine

Himuro Shrine 氷室神社 Nara (奈良) August 9, 2018 About Himuro Shrine Himuro Shrine was originally founded as an ice house for Emperor Nintoku in 710. The gods enshrined here are Tsugenoinagi Oyamanushi no Mikoto, Emperor Nintoku, and Nukata no Onakatsuhiko no Mikoto. It still has a strong association with ice today and has ice blocks on the temple grounds. My Visit Honestly, my friend and I here on a whim. We were mostly done with our Nara trip and noticed this quiet shrine and decided to check it out. It was very quiet and calm compared to popular locations like…

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Todai-ji Nigatsu-do (Nara)

Todai-ji Nigatsu-do 東大寺二月堂 Nara (奈良) August 9, 2018 About Nigatsu-do Most people go to Todai-ji in Nara for the Great Buddha (and the deer) and understandably so. It’s huge, very imposing, and absolutely worth the visit. However, there’s more to the temple than the main hall that you pay to enter. This goshuin is from one of the other buildings on the Todai-ji grounds, Nigatsu-do, or February Hall. Originally founded in 752, it was later dedicated to Kannon and Suni-e, a repentance service held on the second month of the lunar calendar, has been held here every year since 760.…

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Todai-ji Nigatsu-do “Namukan” (Nara)

Todai-ji Nigatsu-do 東大寺二月堂 Nara (奈良) August 9, 2018 About Nigatsu-do Most people go to Todai-ji in Nara for the Great Buddha (and the deer) and understandably so. It’s huge, very imposing, and absolutely worth the visit. However, there’s more to the temple than the main hall that you pay to enter. This goshuin is from one of the other buildings on the Todai-ji grounds, Nigatsu-do, or February Hall. Originally founded in 752, it was later dedicated to Kannon and Suni-e, a repentance service held on the second month of the lunar calendar, has been held here every year since 760.…

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Todai-ji (Nara)

– Todai-ji – 東大寺 – Nara (奈良) – August 9, 2018 One could say that no trip to Japan is complete without a trip to Todai-ji, one of Japan’s most famous Buddhist temples. Home to arguably the most famous Great Buddha statue, or Daibutsu, in Japan, it is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Treasure. The giant statue is a stunning 15 meters tall, a number that’s pretty hard to fully comprehend until you’re standing next to it. I’ve had the opportunity to visit it 3 times and its size still puts me in awe. And if that…

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Kasuga Shrine (Nara)

– Kasuga Taisha – 春日大社 – Nara（奈良） – August 9, 2018 I think many people come to Nara for Todai-ji and stay for the deer. Because of this, the deer are often associated with the famous temple, but the actual reason they’re considered sacred is because the deer are believed to be the messengers of the gods enshrined at Kasuga Shrine and that inhabit the area. The shrine is on the east side of the park. A long, upward sloping path leads up to the shrine from the park. Once there, you can enjoy the striking, red architecture and the…

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Ryoan-ji

– Ryoan-ji – 龍安寺 – Kyoto（京都） – August 8, 2018 Ryoan-ji is a Zen temple and home to one of the world’s most famous rock gardens. Originally a villa belonging to the Fujiwara clan in the Heian Period, it was converted into a Buddhist temple in 1450 and the pond, which still exists today, was also installed. The rock garden itself is a mystery. No one knows when it was made, who made it, or what its purpose was. It’s 25 by 10 meters large with 15 differently sized stones arranged in five groups on top of moss islands surrounded…

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