Hōkai-ji (Kamakura)
Encyclopedia
is a Buddhist temple in Kamakura
, Kanagawa Prefecture
, Japan
. Often called , or "bush-clover temple", because those flowers are numerous in its garden, its existence is directly linked to a famous tragedy that on July 4, 1333 wiped out almost the entire Hōjō clan
, ruler of Japan for 135 years. The temple was in fact founded expressly to enshrine the souls of the 870 members (men, women and children) of the clan who, in accordance with the samurai code of honor, committed suicide on that day at their family temple (bodaiji
) of Tōshō-ji
to escape defeat. Together with ancient Sugimoto-dera
, Hōkai-ji is the only temple of the Tendai
denomination in Kamakura. Formerly a of the great Kan'ei-ji
(one of the two Tokugawa family temples), after its destruction it became a branch of Enryaku-ji
.
had been built in 1237 by Hōjō Yasutoki
in memory of his mother and, according to the Taiheiki
, from its foundation until the end of the Kamakura shogunate
it was the Hōjō's funerary temple (bodaiji
); every Hōjō regent
had been buried there. The Taiheiki
relates how on July 4 1333, at the fall of the shogunate at the hands of Nitta Yoshisada
, almost all members of the Hōjō clan in Kamakura barricaded inside Tōshō-ji, set it on fire and killed themselves, leaving just a few survivors. Recent excavations in situ have revealed the basic structure of the temple, shards of Chinese pottery, and roof tiles bearing the Hōjō family crest.. Stones and other surfaces singed by fire were also found, confirming the presence of a fire
shoguns, Ashikaga Takauji
, was given by Emperor Go-Daigo the order to build a new temple, today's Hōkai-ji, in a certain spot in Komachi
, move there the remains of the clan and make it the new Hōjō funeral temple. (Tōshō-ji was rebuilt where it used to stand.) That particular area was chosen because it had been until 1333 the Hōjō clan's Komachi residence. Later, because the locals claimed that the neighborhood was still haunted by Hōjō ghosts, a shrine called Tokusō
Gongen
was erected within the temple to placate them. The shrine still stands next to Hōkai-ji's main hall.
The stele at the temple's entrance (see photo on the left) reads:
After the failure of Emperor Go-Daigo's Kenmu restoration and his consequent fall from power, Hōkai-ji came under the protection of Ashikaga Takauji himself. The temple's shichidō garan
was finally completed around 1353. The temple was completely destroyed by fire in 1538. At the beginning of the Edo period
Tenkai
, founder of Kan'ei-ji
, asked from shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu
that the temple were supported and maintained by the state.
) and Taishakuten (Indra
), both made during the Nanboku-chō period and both prefectural Important Cultural Properties
. There are also the statues of the Ten Deva Kings, of Enma
, lord of the Beyond, and a sitting statue of the temple's founder Enkan. Finally, the Main Hall contains another national Important Cultural Property, a statue of Shokei, the second head priest of the temple, made in 1372.
To the right of the Main Hall stands the Kankiten-dō, a small structure enshrining , who is the Buddhist version of god Ganesh. The 152 cm statue inside the building, representing two elephant-headed human beings (a male and a female) embracing, represents him. Because of the statue's sexual connotations, the building however is, like most halls dedicated to this deity, closed to the public.
The shrine and the torii
nearby constitute , founded to pacify the souls of the Hōjō. The building was rebuilt in 1992 and contains a statue of Hōjō Takatoki, the last regent and, following protocol, the last Hōjō to kill himself.
Next to the entrance stands the dedicated to Prince Shotoku
, who adopted Buddhism as the official religion of Japan. On the doors is visible the chrysanthemum
, symbol of the Imperial Household. Every year on January 22, carpenters, plasterers and blacksmiths gather together for the memorial service held in his honor. The prince was directly responsible for the construction of many temples, Hōryū-ji
among the others.
Kamakura, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...
, Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Often called , or "bush-clover temple", because those flowers are numerous in its garden, its existence is directly linked to a famous tragedy that on July 4, 1333 wiped out almost the entire Hōjō clan
Hojo clan
See the late Hōjō clan for the Hōjō clan of the Sengoku Period.The in the history of Japan was a family who controlled the hereditary title of shikken of the Kamakura Shogunate. In practice, the family had actual governmental power, many times dictatorial, rather than Kamakura shoguns, or the...
, ruler of Japan for 135 years. The temple was in fact founded expressly to enshrine the souls of the 870 members (men, women and children) of the clan who, in accordance with the samurai code of honor, committed suicide on that day at their family temple (bodaiji
Bodaiji
A , in Japanese Buddhism is a temple which, generation after generation, takes care of a family's dead giving them burial and performing ceremonies in their soul's favor. The name is because in Japan the term , which originally meant just Buddhist enlightenment , has also come to mean either the...
) of Tōshō-ji
Tosho-ji
was the Hōjō clan's family temple in Kamakura during the Kamakura period. Its founder was Taikō Gyōyū and it was constructed in 1237 by Hōjō Yasutoki in memory of his mother, who had her tomb there. According to the Taiheiki, from its foundation until the end of the Kamakura shogunate every regent...
to escape defeat. Together with ancient Sugimoto-dera
Sugimoto-dera
is a Buddhist temple in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, one of the oldest temple in Kamakura and, together with Hōkai-ji, the only one of the Tendai denomination. The temple is Number one of the Bandō Sanjūsankasho pilgrimage circuit. Two of the three statues of goddess Kannon it enshrines...
, Hōkai-ji is the only temple of the Tendai
Tendai
is a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism, a descendant of the Chinese Tiantai or Lotus Sutra school.Chappell frames the relevance of Tendai for a universal Buddhism:- History :...
denomination in Kamakura. Formerly a of the great Kan'ei-ji
Kan'ei-ji
-External links:** * National Diet Library: ; *...
(one of the two Tokugawa family temples), after its destruction it became a branch of Enryaku-ji
Enryaku-ji
thumb|300px|Konpon Chū-dō , Enryaku-ji's main hall is a Tendai monastery located on Mount Hiei in Ōtsu, overlooking Kyoto. It was founded during the early Heian period. The temple complex was established by Saichō , also known as Dengyō Daishi, who introduced the Tendai sect of Mahayana Buddhism...
.
History
The temple of Tōshō-jiTosho-ji
was the Hōjō clan's family temple in Kamakura during the Kamakura period. Its founder was Taikō Gyōyū and it was constructed in 1237 by Hōjō Yasutoki in memory of his mother, who had her tomb there. According to the Taiheiki, from its foundation until the end of the Kamakura shogunate every regent...
had been built in 1237 by Hōjō Yasutoki
Hojo Yasutoki
Hōjō Yasutoki was the third shikken of the Kamakura shogunate in Japan. He strengthened the political system of the Hōjō regency.He was the eldest son of second shikken Yoshitoki...
in memory of his mother and, according to the Taiheiki
Taiheiki
The is a Japanese historical epic , written in the late 14th century. It deals primarily with the Nanboku-chō, the period of war between the Northern Court of Ashikaga Takauji in Kyoto, and the Southern Court of Emperor Go-Daigo in Yoshino....
, from its foundation until the end of the Kamakura shogunate
Kamakura shogunate
The Kamakura shogunate was a military dictatorship in Japan headed by the shoguns from 1185 to 1333. It was based in Kamakura. The Kamakura period draws its name from the capital of the shogunate...
it was the Hōjō's funerary temple (bodaiji
Bodaiji
A , in Japanese Buddhism is a temple which, generation after generation, takes care of a family's dead giving them burial and performing ceremonies in their soul's favor. The name is because in Japan the term , which originally meant just Buddhist enlightenment , has also come to mean either the...
); every Hōjō regent
Shikken
The was the regent for the shogun in the Kamakura shogunate in Japan. The post was monopolized by the Hōjō clan, and this system only existed once in Japanese history, between 1203 and 1333...
had been buried there. The Taiheiki
Taiheiki
The is a Japanese historical epic , written in the late 14th century. It deals primarily with the Nanboku-chō, the period of war between the Northern Court of Ashikaga Takauji in Kyoto, and the Southern Court of Emperor Go-Daigo in Yoshino....
relates how on July 4 1333, at the fall of the shogunate at the hands of Nitta Yoshisada
Nitta Yoshisada
was the head of the Nitta family in the early fourteenth century, and supported the Southern Court of Emperor Go-Daigo in the Nanboku-chō period, capturing Kamakura from the Hōjō clan in 1333....
, almost all members of the Hōjō clan in Kamakura barricaded inside Tōshō-ji, set it on fire and killed themselves, leaving just a few survivors. Recent excavations in situ have revealed the basic structure of the temple, shards of Chinese pottery, and roof tiles bearing the Hōjō family crest.. Stones and other surfaces singed by fire were also found, confirming the presence of a fire
Hōkai-ji
The man who would later become the first of the AshikagaAshikaga clan
The ' was a prominent Japanese samurai clan which established the Muromachi shogunate and ruled Japan from roughly 1336 to 1573.The Ashikaga were descended from a branch of the Minamoto clan, deriving originally from the town of Ashikaga in Shimotsuke province .For about a century the clan was...
shoguns, Ashikaga Takauji
Ashikaga Takauji
was the founder and first shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate. His rule began in 1338, beginning the Muromachi period of Japan, and ended with his death in 1358...
, was given by Emperor Go-Daigo the order to build a new temple, today's Hōkai-ji, in a certain spot in Komachi
Komachi (Kanagawa)
is a locality in Kamakura, Kanagawa prefecture, Japan, defined as the part of town north of the Ebisubashi bridge on the Namerigawa. The part of town south of the same bridge is called .- References :...
, move there the remains of the clan and make it the new Hōjō funeral temple. (Tōshō-ji was rebuilt where it used to stand.) That particular area was chosen because it had been until 1333 the Hōjō clan's Komachi residence. Later, because the locals claimed that the neighborhood was still haunted by Hōjō ghosts, a shrine called Tokusō
Tokuso
Tokusō was the title held by the head of the mainline Hōjō clan, who monopolized the position of shikken of the Kamakura shogunate in Japan....
Gongen
Gongen
During the era of shinbutsu shūgō , in Japan a During the era of shinbutsu shūgō (religious syncretism of kami and buddhas), in Japan a During the era of shinbutsu shūgō (religious syncretism of kami and buddhas), in Japan a ( was believed to be a Japanese kami which was really just the local...
was erected within the temple to placate them. The shrine still stands next to Hōkai-ji's main hall.
The stele at the temple's entrance (see photo on the left) reads:
This is where the Komachi residence of the Hōjō clan used to stand. Starting from [second regent] Hōjō YoshitokiHojo Yoshitokiwas the second Hōjō shikken of the Kamakura shogunate and head of the Hōjō clan. He was the eldest son of Hōjō Tokimasa and his wife Hōjō no Maki...
, the regentsShikkenThe was the regent for the shogun in the Kamakura shogunate in Japan. The post was monopolized by the Hōjō clan, and this system only existed once in Japanese history, between 1203 and 1333...
usually lived here. [Last regent] Hōjō Takatoki would party here day and night and sometimes would, together with the other vassals, toss a dengakuDengakuDengaku Dengaku Dengaku (田楽）were rustic Japanese celebrations that can be classified into two types: dengaku that developed as a musical accompaniment to rice planting observances and the dengaku dances that developed in conjunction with sangaku. The dengaku celebrated for rice planting was...
performer a mountain of hitatare (a type of garment) and hakamaHakamaare a type of traditional Japanese clothing. They were originally worn only by men, but today they are worn by both sexes. Hakama are tied at the waist and fall approximately to the ankles. Hakama are worn over a kimono ....
as a reward. The mansion was destroyed by fire during Nitta Yoshisada's invasion of Kamakura in 1333. Today's Hōkai-ji was built here in 1335 by Ashikaga Takauji. This temple was built here as the Hōjō's funeral temple to soothe the resentment of Takatoki and his clan, who had previously been enshrined at Tōshō-ji.
After the failure of Emperor Go-Daigo's Kenmu restoration and his consequent fall from power, Hōkai-ji came under the protection of Ashikaga Takauji himself. The temple's shichidō garan
Shichidō garan
is a Japanese Buddhist term indicating the seven halls composing the ideal Buddhist temple compound. This compound word is composed by the word , literally meaning "seven halls", and , meaning "temple". The term is often shortened to just garan. To which seven halls the term refers to varies, and...
was finally completed around 1353. The temple was completely destroyed by fire in 1538. At the beginning of the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
Tenkai
Tenkai
was a Japanese Tendai Buddhist monk of the Azuchi-Momoyama and early Edo periods. He achieved the rank of Daisōjō, the highest rank of the priesthood....
, founder of Kan'ei-ji
Kan'ei-ji
-External links:** * National Diet Library: ; *...
, asked from shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
that the temple were supported and maintained by the state.
Points of interest
The temple's Hon-dō is open to the public and contains many valuable objects. Among the others, it houses Hōkai-ji's main object of worship, a seated statue of Jizō Bosatsu carved in wood around 1365 by artist Sanjō Hōin Ken'en. The statue is a national Important Cultural Asset. On the two sides stand the statues of gods Bonten (BrahmaBrahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
) and Taishakuten (Indra
Indra
' or is the King of the demi-gods or Devas and Lord of Heaven or Svargaloka in Hindu mythology. He is also the God of War, Storms, and Rainfall.Indra is one of the chief deities in the Rigveda...
), both made during the Nanboku-chō period and both prefectural Important Cultural Properties
Important Cultural Properties of Japan
The term is often shortened into just are items officially already classified as Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs and judged to be of particular importance to the Japanese people....
. There are also the statues of the Ten Deva Kings, of Enma
Yama
Yama , also known as Yamarāja in India and Nepal, Shinje in Tibet, Yanluowang or simply Yan in China, Yeomla Daewang in South Korea and Enma Dai-Ō in Japan, is the lord of death, in Hinduism and then adopted into Buddhism and then further into Chinese mythology and Japanese mythology. First...
, lord of the Beyond, and a sitting statue of the temple's founder Enkan. Finally, the Main Hall contains another national Important Cultural Property, a statue of Shokei, the second head priest of the temple, made in 1372.
To the right of the Main Hall stands the Kankiten-dō, a small structure enshrining , who is the Buddhist version of god Ganesh. The 152 cm statue inside the building, representing two elephant-headed human beings (a male and a female) embracing, represents him. Because of the statue's sexual connotations, the building however is, like most halls dedicated to this deity, closed to the public.
The shrine and the torii
Torii
A is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred...
nearby constitute , founded to pacify the souls of the Hōjō. The building was rebuilt in 1992 and contains a statue of Hōjō Takatoki, the last regent and, following protocol, the last Hōjō to kill himself.
Next to the entrance stands the dedicated to Prince Shotoku
Prince Shotoku
, also known as or , was a semi-legendary regent and a politician of the Asuka period in Japan who served under Empress Suiko. He was a son of Emperor Yōmei and his younger half-sister Princess Anahobe no Hashihito. His parents were relatives of the ruling Soga clan, and was involved in the defeat...
, who adopted Buddhism as the official religion of Japan. On the doors is visible the chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemums, often called mums or chrysanths, are of the genus constituting approximately 30 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae which is native to Asia and northeastern Europe.-Etymology:...
, symbol of the Imperial Household. Every year on January 22, carpenters, plasterers and blacksmiths gather together for the memorial service held in his honor. The prince was directly responsible for the construction of many temples, Hōryū-ji
Hōryū-ji
is a Buddhist temple in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Its full name is Hōryū Gakumonji , or Learning Temple of the Flourishing Law, the complex serving as seminary and monastery both....
among the others.
See also
- The Glossary of Japanese BuddhismGlossary of Japanese BuddhismThis is the glossary of Japanese Buddhism, including major terms the casual reader might find useful in understanding articles on the subject. Words followed by an asterisk are illustrated by an image in one of the photo galleries...
for an explanation of terms concerning Japanese Buddhism, Japanese Buddhist art, and Japanese Buddhist temple architecture.