Virtual Yokohama City 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #9 New Zenko-ji Temple

     Tendai Sect Buddhism in Japan broke up into the Sanmon School and the Jimon School in the 9th century.  The Shinsei School further split away in 1878.  Under the Religious Corporations Act, the 3 schools were united in 1941, but broke up again after the end of World War II.

     In April, 1880, Nishiyama Chiin opened a missionary hall at Hanasaki-cho, Yokohama.  On June 11, 1883, the hall was officially approved as a temple, and called itself New Zenko-ji.  In March, 1887, it moved to the present place.  The main deity of the temple is the copy of that in Zenko-ji Temple in Shinano Province, or Nagano Prefecture today.

     Zenko-ji Temple is in Nagano and was founded in 644.  The temple enshrines images of the Amida Buddha. According to legend, the image was casted and gilded by Somachatra in Ancient India.  Seong of Baekje (523-554) presented it to King Hironiwa of Japan in 552.  However, it was dumped into a canal due to the Ancient anti-Buddhist policies of Mononobe Clan, who had the hegemony over the Japanese politics in the 5th and 6th centuries. It was rescued by Honda Yoshimitsu on his way to the capital at Horie, Namba, in 600, 601, or 602.  He brought it to his home province, Shinano, and built a temple for it.  The image is said to be the first Buddha statue ever to be brought to Japan.

     Thus, it made multipul fission in Japan. It is estimated that there are not only 443 copies of the image but also 119 Zenko-ji Temples nationwide.

     In New Zenko-ji Temple, the second generation priest, Hoin brought the Arya Avalokitesvara statue of his own into the temple, and built Taiun-an Hall for it.  The temple buildings collapsed on September 1, 1923, in the Great Kanto Earthquake.

Address: 133 Miharudai, Minami Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 232-0002Phone: 045-231-5754