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Sendai City is the central city of Miyagi Prefecture. About 80km northeast of there, in Tome City,Daitoku-ji Yokoyama Fudo-son Temple. Apparently, the Fudo Myoo statue enshrined thereone of the "Three Great Fudo of Japan,"so I went to investigate!
The entrance to Yokoyama Fudoson
What are the Three Fudo of Japan?
The phrase "Japan's Best" is commonly heard, and its meaning can vary greatly depending on how it's interpreted and selected. This seems to be no exception. There"Japan's Three Fudo"and"Japan's Three Great Fudo Myoo,"and the meaning differs depending on which one you choose.
What are the Three Fudo of Japan?
In the case of Japan's three immovable
The "Yellow Fudo" at Onjo-ji Temple (commonly known as Mii-dera Temple ) in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture.
"Red Fudo" at Koyasan Myooin Temple in Koyacho, Ito District, Wakayama Prefecture
"Ao Fudo" at Shoren-in Temple in Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture
It seems that this generally refers to three Buddhist paintings created during the Heian period
What are Japan's three great Fudo Myo-o statues?
A Fudōson is a temple that, like Yokoyama Fudōson, has Fudō Myōō as its principal deity. To be honest, there is no clear information that says "these are the three locations," and there are several possible locations, including self-proclaimed ones. Nevertheless, the ones that are often mentioned are
Narita Fudoson Temple in Narita City, Chiba Prefecture
Meguro Fudoson in Meguro Ward, Tokyo
Kihara Fudoson Temple in Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture
Nakano Fudoson Temple in Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture
Takitani Fudoson in Tondabayashi City, Osaka Prefecture
It seems that there are five of them. (It's no longer the top three...)
Unfortunately, I was unable to find any clear information from a third party that Yokoyama Fudoson is one of the three Fudoson in Japan, but according to an explanation from the local area,
Narita Fudoson Temple in Narita City, Chiba Prefecture
Sugaya Fudoson Temple in Shibata City, Niigata Prefecture
Yokoyama Fudoson Temple in Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture
These three temples were described as the "Three Fudo Temples of Japan."
Yokoyama Fudoson information sign
The origin of Daitokuji Temple's Yokoyama Fudoson
According to legend, the statue of Acala washed up on Mitobehama Beach in Togura, Minamisanriku Town, Motoyoshi County from Baekje (a country that existed in the southwestern part of the Korean Peninsula) in 1156, and was enshrined here. Another theory is that it was carved by the Oshu Fujiwara clan or Kobo Daishi Kukai during the Heian period
The temple's mountain name and temple name at the time was Myōōzan Kongōji, but it converted from the Shingon sect to the Sōtō sect in 1504. At that time, it was renamed Shirauozan Daitokuji, which it remains to this day. It has long been affectionately known as "Yokoyama no Ofudōsama" (Yokoyama's Fudo Myoo)
The current Fudo Hall of Yokoyama Fudoson
Currently, the grounds of Daitokuji Temple and Yokoyama Fudoson are slightly separated, but this is due to a past fire that destroyed the temple and caused it to be rebuilt further apart. Incidentally, during that fire, the temple was destroyed, but the Acala statue was rescued by local residents and survived
Yokoyama Fudoson Temple's Acala statue
The Fudo Myoo statue enshrined at Yokoyama Fudo-son is a colossal statue made of katsura wood using the joined-wood technique, measuring 16 feet (a standard size for Buddhist statues; standing statues are approximately 4.8 meters tall), with a seated height of 2.75 meters and a weight of 300 kg. Itwas designated an Important Cultural Property in 1997.
The principal image is a pure gold statue of Fudo Myoo, about 5 cm tall, which is enshrined inside this seated statue of Fudo Myoo.It is said to be unveiled only once every 12 years, in the Year of the Rooster.
The 28th of every month is a special day for Fudo Myoo, and the first special day of the year, January 28th, is called "Hatsu-Fudo" (First Fudo). The image is of Fudo Myoo this morning. It's a weekday, but there seem to be quite a few worshippers. https://t.co/M5WDc6bbVBpic.twitter.com/Np3k1XpRZU
The seated statue holds a sword in its right hand to cut off people's worldly desires and karma, and a lasso in its left hand to bind evil.It is huge, and its stern face with its lower lip bitten, combined with the vivid vermilion flame, give it an incredibly powerful presence
It was damaged during the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, but was sent to a cultural property restoration specialist in Kyoto and returned safely to Yokoyama in 2014
If you ask the reception desk, you can take a look around!
Normally the doors are closed, of course, but as you can see in the image below,if you speak to the reception desk on the left side of the Fudo Hall, you can be allowed to enter for free!
If you visit, be sure to ask to see the statue of Acala!
The Japanese dace, designated as a national natural monument
As soon as you pass through the main gate at the entrance, you'll see the temple grounds' pond. This is where the "ugui" fish, another highlight of Daitoku-ji Yokoyama Fudōson, lives.
Yokoyama Fudoson Pond
Considered messengers of Fudo Myoo (a Buddhist deity), the Japanese dace have been fed by worshippers and cared for for many years. Because their habits and ecology can be easily observed, the areawas designated a national natural monument in 1935 as the "Yokoyama Dace Habitat."
Dace of Yokoyama Fudoson
This fish is also called Akahara because the abdomen of the male turns red during spawning season
The Kubo River, Naka River, and Tera River basins that lead to the pond are also designated as natural monuments, and the fish come out to the rivers around May during their breeding season to spawn, and then return to the pond around August
summary
Although I haven't mentioned it much, the carvings on the temple gate and the Nio statues on either side are magnificent, and there are many other sights to see within the grounds of Daitoku-ji Yokoyama Fudōson, including the "Bronze Five-Storied Pagoda," which was designated as a tangible cultural property of Miyagi Prefecture in 1957 , and the "Yakushi-dō" (Medicine Buddha Hall) which sits on a small island in the middle of the pond .
Sculptures on the gate of Yokoyama Fudoson
This is one of the recommended places to visit when sightseeing in the northern part of Miyagi Prefecture. If you have the chance, be sure to visit!
Traveling around the Tohoku region, I enjoy drinking delicious sake and exploring the local history, traditions, and customs. I write articles based on my interests. I'm currently interested in folk performing arts, local toys, and folk beliefs
