Beyond the hole in the stone lantern, I caught a glimpse of worshippers paying their respects at the Daishi Hall
Although the names are pronounced similarly, what is enshrined inside is completely different. In the Taishido, Prince Shotoku is enshrined. Prince Shotoku, who revered and protected Buddhism, is worshipped by all sects as the founder of the rise of Buddhism in Japan, and there are Buddhist temples called Taishido throughout Japan. Daishido, on the other hand, are dedicated to priests who have been given the title of "Daishi," which in the case of the Shingon sect means Kobo-Daishi.
Since Gokoku-ji Temple in Otsuka is a temple of the Shingon sect, Kobo Daishi, the founder of the Shingon sect, should be enshrined in the Daishido-Hall, which stands casually beside the main building of Gokoku-ji Temple, which stands tall and stately. The reason I wrote "should" is because I am not sure. The official website says only that "the old Yakushido-Hall was renovated after 1926 and moved to its current location to become Daishido-Hall." It does not say whether Kobo Daishi is enshrined inside the hall or not, and there is only a sign saying "Daishido-Hall" in front of the hall.
A person with a high level of Buddhist literacy might be convinced that since it is a Daishido, Kobo Daishi could be the only person enshrined inside. However, people like me, who do not have a high level of Buddhist literacy, cannot be sure, so we want some kind of explanation. If you are a person like me, who is just a tourist, you might be more interested in and appreciate the temple if it has a written explanation rather than a visit to the temple.
| May 2022 IN THE CITY TOKYO | |
| BACK SHOT HOLE OTSUKA STONE LANTERN TEMPLE WORSHIPER |
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PHOTO DATA
No
12282
Shooting Date
Mar 2022
Posted On
May 31, 2022
Modified On
August 13, 2023
Place
Otsuka, Tokyo
Genre
Street Photography
Camera
SONY ALPHA 7R II
Lens
ZEISS LOXIA 2/35
