Narita-san Shinsho-ji
- Other Names: 金剛王院 (Kongou ou in)
- Japanese: 成田山新勝寺 (Narita-san Shinshou-ji)
Narita-san Shinshô-ji is a Buddhist temple in Narita, Chiba prefecture. The patron temple of the Ichikawa family of kabuki actors, it is chiefly dedicated to the deity Fudô Myôô, and is famous for its ogoma fire rituals.
The head temple of the Chisan branch of Shingon Buddhism, its chief object of worship, a grand statue of Fudô Myôô, is said to have been dedicated by Kûkai himself, at the request of Emperor Saga. The sculpture was originally enshrined at Jingo-ji on Mt. Takao, but, during the rebellion of Taira no Masakado in 939, at the request of Emperor Suzaku, the monk Kanchô fled with it to the Kantô, and at Narita in Shimousa province, stopped and performed an o-goma fire ritual for 21 days. At the end of the 21 days, the rebellion was ended, and Kanchô established a new temple on the spot, dubbing it Narita-san Shinshô-ji (lit. "new victory temple").
Grounds
The temple complex occupies an extensive area of land, and contains a considerable number of halls and structures.
Perhaps the most famous and iconic structure associated with the temple is the massive "Peace Tower" (heiwa daitô) which stands atop the mountain, high above the remainder of the complex. Built in 1984 on the occasion of the 1150th memorial service (1149th anniversary of the death) for Kôbô Daishi (Kûkai, founder of Shingon Buddhism in Japan), it houses a six-meter tall image of Fudô Myôô among a number of other smaller images, mandala, and sutras from China, India, and beyond. The bottom floor of the structure contains an exhibition on the history of the temple, and a workshop where monks work to copy sutras; finally, a time capsule containing messages of peace is buried underneath the tower, to be retrieved in 2434, on the occasion of Kûkai's 1600th memorial service.
The temple's main gate, most recently rebuilt in 2008, is about 15 meters tall, and features wooden carvings of the twelve signs of the zodiac on its kaerumata (decorative roof beams). The gate also serves as a storehouse for eight Buddha statues.
The Niô-mon ("Two Kings Gate"), also known as Shitenmon ("Four Gods Gate") for the four sculptures installed there, dates to 1830. An Important Cultural Property, the gate is constructed in the irimoya style, with copper roof shingles, and a chidori-hafu gable in the front, and noki-kara-hafu on the rear side. In addition to the Niô (aka Kongô Rikishi), the eight-pillared gate houses sculptures of Tamonten and Kômokuten.
A series of grottoes cut into the rock wall behind the main hall house small bronze statues of the eight disciples and 36 disciples of Fudô Myôô. These are accompanied by stone slabs inscribed with the names of individuals and organizations which have made sizable donations to the temple.
A small shrine to Benzaiten (Benten), dating to the Genroku period, is considered the oldest structure on the grounds.
Another shrine on the grounds, originally dedicated to Shusse Inari, is now known as Dakiniten-dô, as it houses a sculpture of Dakiniten gifted to the temple by Inaba Tango-no-kami Masatomo, lord of Sakura castle, in the early 1700s.
The Kômyô-dô, originally the main hall of the temple, is now a secondary hall, located off in one corner of the grounds. Originally built in 1701, it was significantly repaired in 1768, then moved in the 1850s behind the Shaka-dô, which at that time became the main hall; when the current main hall was constructed in 1964, the Kômyô-dô was moved again, to its current location. A good example of mid-Edo period architecture, the irimoya-roofed building remains largely in its original form, albeit with the outer veranda and flooring of its outer hall removed; the hall, today designated an Important Cultural Property, houses an image of Dainichi Nyorai.
An expanse of sacred woodland extending to the east of the temple's main garan is organized around a hall known as Senshindô, where monks can engage in ascetic practices and training. The area is also home to two waterfalls, known simply as the "male flying" and "female" waterfalls, and to a Waterfall Fudô (otaki fudô son) enshrined at the top of the falls.
References
- Pamphlets available on-site.
- Plaques on-site.
