Ishiyama Temple

This ancient temple, a national treasure, is built on a giant rock and attracts crowds of people every year during the cherry blossom and fall foliage seasons.

Overlooking the Seta River, Ishiyama-dera is a one-of-a-kind temple built entirely on a huge silica limestone bedrock (the limestone is designated as a natural monument). (The silica stone is designated as a natural monument.) The name “Ishiyama-dera” comes from its origin.

The temple dates back to the late Nara Period (747), in the 19th year of the Tempyo Period (747). Ishiyama-dera Temple, founded at the behest of Emperor Shomu, is the head temple of the To-ji Shingon sect of Buddhism and the 13th temple of the 33 sacred places of the Kannon Sacred Shrine in the western part of Japan.

During the Heian period (794-1185), Ishiyama pilgrimages were popular among aristocrats and royalty, and are said to have inspired Murasaki Shikibu to write “The Tale of Genji”.

It is also known for “Ishiyama’s Autumn Moon,” one of the eight scenic spots in Omi, and has appeared in such literary works as “Dragonfly Diary,” “Sarashina Diary,” and “The Pillow Book.

Within the precincts of the temple are many historically valuable buildings, sutras, Buddhist statues, picture scrolls, and other cultural assets, including the main hall, which is the oldest wooden building in Shiga Prefecture and designated as a national treasure; a pagoda donated by Minamoto no Yoritomo; an important cultural property, the statue of Nyoirin Kannon, a hidden Buddha; and the Todaimon Gate, built with an irimoya-style gabled roof.

Ishiyama-dera Temple is also famous for its cherry blossoms in spring and autumn leaves in fall. The vast precincts of Ishiyama-dera are in beautiful harmony with the huge rocks and buildings, including the National Treasure Dabotou (pagoda), and the contrast between the cherry blossoms and autumn leaves is like a painting.

The best time to view the cherry blossoms is from mid-March to mid-April, when approximately 600 cherry trees, including someiyoshino, shidare-zakura, and yamazakura, are in full bloom. Ishiyama-dera Temple is loved by many people for its history and the beauty of its scenery.

The inner sanctuary was built in the mid-Heian period, and the outer sanctuary was donated by Yodo no Kimi in 1602. The main deity, Nyoirin Kannon Bosatsu, is enshrined in the inner sanctuary.

Main Hall (National Treasure)

This is a composite structure connecting the Shodo and Reido. The main hall is built on a slope on the south side of the temple, and the main hall is built in the distinctive kake-zukuri style. Kake-zukuri main halls are often seen in temples dedicated to Kannon Bosatsu, such as Kiyomizu-dera Temple and Hase-dera Temple.

The present main hall is the third generation, and has been remodeled since its construction in the early Nara period. Paintings show that by the end of the 10th century, a kakezukuri (suspended roof) hall was also added.

In 1096, the building was rebuilt, and in 1602, Yodo-dono donated funds to reconstruct the Ganoma and Reido, giving the building its present form. The main hall retains much of its original appearance from the 1096 reconstruction, and is valuable as the oldest building in Shiga Prefecture.

The main hall is 5 ken (5 ken) in length and 2 ken (2 beam spaces) in width with a 1 ken eaves, and has a total front length of 7 ken and a depth of 4 ken. The main hall has a five-gabled hall and a two-beam hall with a one-ken eaves, and the front of the hall is seven ken and four ken deep.

Inside the palace, Nyoirin Kannon is enshrined, and a raised silica limestone stone is used as the base of the main image. The aida (a room with a hallway) is 7 ken (1 ken) wide and 1 ken (1 ken) deep, and connects the main hall and the hall of worship. There is no ceiling inside, but the eaves of the main hall can still be seen when looking up.

The eastern end of the Gonoma is called “Murasaki Shikibu Genji-no-Ma” and houses a statue of Murasaki Shikibu as he was writing. The hall is 7 ken (7 m) wide and 3 ken (3 m) deep, with eaves on three sides except on the north side where it meets the Gonoma, giving it a total frontal area of 9 ken (9 m) and a depth of 4 ken (4 m). The east side is exposed to the elements.

The main hall and the main hall of the shrine are each roofed with a hinoki bark roof. The main hall and the main hall of the shrine are each roofed with a hipped roof, with a large roof over the north and south sides and a staggered gable at the southern end above the main hall. The southern end of the main hall has a staggered gable at the top of the reido. The front of the main hall faces south, but the south side is kakezukuri, so visitors must climb the stairs on the east side and enter around the rim of the reido.

Dabotou (National Treasure)

It is said that Minamoto no Yoritomo donated this pagoda to Ishiyama-dera Temple as thanks for sheltering Minamoto no Yoshihira from Taira no Kiyomori. It is known from calligraphy that the pagoda was built in 1194, making it the oldest pagoda in Japan.

It is a well-proportioned and elegant structure, with interior pillars and ceilings decorated with Buddhist statues, flowers and plants.

The lower level is square, with a shumidan inside, on which a statue of Dainichi Nyorai by Kaikei (Important Cultural Property) is enshrined. The pillars and long handrails are decorated with Buddhist paintings and colors. The upper level consists of 12 columns and is covered with deep eaves. The roof is covered with cypress bark.

Tsukimi-tei (moon-viewing pavilion)

Tsukimi-tei, the symbol of Ishiyama-dera Temple, is located on a hill overlooking the clear waters of the Seta River and was used as a throne by successive emperors, including Emperor Go-Shirakawa.

Located at the eastern end of the ridge of Ishiyama-dera Temple, the pavilion overlooks the Seta River and Lake Biwa, and the moon seen from here is especially famous as the “Eight Great Views of Omi - Autumn Moon over Ishiyama.

According to temple legend, the pavilion was built during the Hogen era (1156-1158) when Emperor Go-Shirakawa went to the temple. The present Tsukimi-tei was rebuilt in 1687.

The building has a slightly long plan in the east-west direction, with a girigakukan of 1 ken and a beam span of 1 ken. On the east side is a square stage with a raised floor.

There are no fixtures and fittings, and the floor is exposed to the elements. The structure is assumed to be kakezukuri, but this is not clear because of the hakama-koshi. The roof is a hipped roof, with thatch on the upper part and shingles on the lower part, but the thatch was replaced by shingles in 2017 (Heisei 29).

Houjoden

This is a treasure house located at the highest point of Ishiyama-dera Temple, northwest of the Dabotou Pagoda. The “Ishiyama-ji Temple and Murasaki Shikibu” exhibition, held in spring and fall, features treasures from Ishiyama-ji Temple and exhibits related to Murasaki Shikibu and The Tale of Genji.

Ishiyama-dera Temple is the head temple of the Toji Shingon sect of Buddhism, located in Ishiyama-dera, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture. The temple’s mountain name is Ishikozan, and its principal deity is Nyoirin Kannon Bosatsu. It is also the 13th temple of the 33 sacred places in the western part of Japan.

On April 24, 2015, the temple was recognized as a Japan Heritage site as part of the “Lake Biwa and Its Waterside Landscape - Water Heritage of Prayer and Life.

The temple is located at the southern end of Lake Biwa, in a scenic spot overlooking the lake from the right bank of the Seta River. The temple’s main hall is built on a huge silica limestone stone, which is designated as a natural monument, and from which the temple takes its name (Ishiyama-dera Silica Limestone is also selected as one of the 100 best geological features in Japan).

Ishiyama-dera Temple also appears in literary works, and is mentioned in “Dragonfly Diary,” “Sarashina Diary,” “The Pillow Book,” etc. It is also mentioned in “The Tale of Genji” and “The Tale of Genji”. It is also said that Murasaki Shikibu, the author of “The Tale of Genji”, got the idea for her story during a visit to Ishiyama-dera Temple.

Ishiyama-dera Temple is also known as “Ishiyama no Autumn Moon,” one of the “Eight Views of Omi,” and is a popular spot for viewing the autumn leaves.

Light-up events are held every fall, and in 2015 it was recognized as a Japan Night View Heritage Site. Ishiyama-ji also owns the Kansai Bijutsu-in (Kansai Art Institute), which was donated by the Western-style painter Miyani Sukeyuki.

History

Ishiyama-ji Temple has a long history, having been founded in 747 by Ryoben (the founder and chief abbot of Todai-ji Temple) at the behest of Emperor Shomu (747).

According to legend, Emperor Shomu needed a large amount of gold for the construction of the Great Buddha at Todaiji Temple, so he ordered a prayer to Mount Kinpu in Yoshino. However, in a dream, he was told that the gold of Mount Kinpu was to be used by the future Maitreya Buddha to cover the earth with gold, and that there was a holy place south of the lake in Omi Province.

Later, Ryoben visited Ishiyama and built a hermitage with a statue of Prince Shotoku’s Nyorin Kannon enshrined on a huge rock. The hall covering this hermitage was the beginning of Ishiyama-dera Temple.

Later, from 761, the expansion of the hall and the maintenance of the temple complex were undertaken as a national project, and many Buddhist priests were dispatched to the temple. In the early Heian period (794-1185), the temple became a temple of the Shingon sect of Buddhism, and Ishiyama-dera became increasingly esoteric.

Junsuke Naiku (890 - 953), grandson of Sugawara no Michizane, is known as the founder of the temple. He was a scholarly man and left behind a vast body of writings. His autographs are called “Nioi no Shogyo,” and many of them are still preserved in Ishiyama-ji Temple.

Although Ishiyama-dera Temple was temporarily damaged during the Warring States Period, after Nobunaga Nobunaga’s death, Toyotomi Hideyoshi returned some temple lands to the temple, and during the Keicho Period, Yodo-dono restored Ishiyama-dera Temple.

Fortunately, Ishiyama-dera Temple was not destroyed by military fire, and it retains many valuable cultural assets, including buildings, Buddhist statues, sutras, and documents.

The history of Ishiyama-dera Temple is long, and from its foundation to the present day, many beliefs and histories are still alive.

Literary Works

Ishiyama-dera Temple has appeared in many literary works and is widely known.

The name “Ishiyama” is mentioned in Sei Shonagon’s “The Pillow Book,” and visits and stays at Ishiyama-dera are also described in “The Dragonfly Diary” by Fujiwara Michitsuna’s mother and “Sarashina Nikki” by Sugawara Kojyo-onna.

Ishiyama-ji is especially known as the place where Murasaki Shikibu was inspired to write “The Tale of Genji”. According to legend, Murasaki Shikibu got the idea for the “Suma” and “Akashi” scrolls when she visited Ishiyama-dera Temple on the night of the famous moon on the fifteenth night of August. In the main hall of Ishiyama-dera Temple, there is a special place called “Murasaki Shikibu no Ma” (Murasaki Shikibu Room).

In addition, in Izumishikibu’s “Izumishikibu Nikki” (Izumi Shikibu Diary), there is an expression “Pilgrimage to Ishiyama”. In this work, Izumishikibu describes how she was troubled by her relationship with Prince Atsumichi and sought solace in Ishiyama-dera Temple.

Precincts

The temple grounds include the following buildings and facilities

Main Hall (National Treasure)
This is a building complex connecting Shodo and Reido. The main hall, in kakezukuri style, is built on a slope on the south side and features the reidō section. The third main hall was built in the Nara period (710-794) and later reconstructed. The main hall is the oldest building in Shiga Prefecture and retains the Muromachi period style well.

Rennyo-do (Important Cultural Property)
This hall is dedicated to Rennyo Shonin, a member of the Honganji School of Jodo Shinshu. It was originally a worship hall for the 38 Sho Gongen shrines, but was reconstructed by Yododen.

Kannon-do Hall
Thirty-three statues of the Kannon (Goddess of Mercy) are enshrined in this hall, which are modeled after the principal images of the 33 sacred sites of the Kannon in the western part of Japan.

Bishamondo (Tangible Cultural Property designated by Shiga Prefecture)
This hall enshrines Kabutobo Bishamonten and other deities, and has a unique flat structure.

Mikado (Important Cultural Property)
This hall enshrines the founder of Ishiyama-dera Temple, Kobo Daishi, and others. It was built in the Muromachi period (1336-1573), and is particularly notable for the design of the platform.

Belfry (Important Cultural Asset)
This is a late Kamakura period building with a two-story structure. Inside the bell tower hangs a bell of the Heian period.

Treasure House
Precious treasures are stored here.

Visitors can also enjoy gardens such as the first plum garden “Kaoru-no-en,” the second plum garden “Tofu-no-en,” the peony garden, and the Genji-en.

There are also many other pagodas, halls, tea rooms, and exhibition halls.

The precincts of Ishiyama-dera Temple are spacious and dotted with historical and cultural buildings and beautiful gardens.