This site is an online media that delivers all sorts of trivia about the six Tohoku prefectures, from sightseeing and gourmet spots to local customs, history, and more
Mount Atago is located near Atagobashi Station on the Sendai Municipal Subway Namboku Line, on the way from central Sendai towards Nagamachi . While it is famous for Atago Shrine , Daimanji Temple and Kokuzo-son Temple are located just behind it.
Here, you will find a thousand wooden Buddha statues, commonly known as the " Thousand Buddhas ," which are said to be the origin of the original place name "Sendai," which was "Sentai. "
Overall view of Daimanji Temple
A Soto Zen temple said to have been founded by the Oshu Fujiwara clan
Daimanji Temple's main gate
Daimanji Temple is a Soto Zen temple said to have been founded by the Oshu Fujiwara clan. Its mountain name is Mount Kokuzo, and its principal deities are Shaka Nyorai and Kokuzo Bosatsu
Main Hall of Daimanji Temple (Phoenix Hall)
It has a long history of over 800 years, and is said to have been revived by the third head priest of Ryusen-in Temple, Ryozan Koju, who rebuilt the Kokuzodo Hall around 1573 when it had fallen into disrepair
It consists of the main tower, Kokuzo-do, and the affiliated temple, Daimanji. It is the third temple on the Hokkoku Eighty-Eight Sacred Sites pilgrimage route and the third temple on the Sendai Seven Kannon Sacred Sites pilgrimage route . As its principal deity is Kokuzo Bodhisattva, it is also the guardian deity for those born in the Year of the Ox and the Year of the Tiger
Incidentally, the adjacent Atago Shrine is the guardian deity for thoseborn in the Year of the Dragon and the Year of the Snake .
The Thousand Buddhas at Daimanji Temple and Kokuzodo Hall, from which the name Sendai is derived
The gate of the Kokuzodo Hall at Daimanji Temple
Before Lord Date Masamune established his base in Sendai, there were five temples in the area now known as Aobayama: Chōsenji, Ryūsenji, Kōzenji, Genkōan, and Daimanji . Among them, the Kokuzōdō of Daimanji was the main tower, and at that time it was called Kokuzō Castle or Kokuzō Shield (or Manor)
The main hall of Kokuzodo
Later, the Kokubun clan, who ruled the Miyagi district of Mutsu Province (present-day Sendai City to Matsushima Town area), took control of the castle. They changed the name to Sentaijo (千藰城), after the thousand Buddha statues (sentaibutsu) enshrined in the Kokuzo-do hall . (Sentaibutsu refers to a thousand wooden Buddha statues carved for memorial purposes.)
Sentai-do
This is documented in the "Date Jike Kiroku," the official history of the Sendai Domain compiled by the Date family.
The castle is called Sentaijo because there is a shrine to Sentaibutsu on the castle grounds
It is written:
The Thousand Buddhas enshrined inside the Sentaido Hall
In other words, it is said that the thousand Buddha statues in the Kokuzo-do Hall of Daimanji Temple were the catalyst for the creation of the place name "Sendai," evolving from "thousand Buddhas" > "thousand generations" > "Sendai (Sendai)."
After the construction of Sendai Castle, it was moved twice to its current location in Mukaiyama
Historical documents indicate that Daimanji Temple was moved to Kyogamine along with the Kokuzo-do Hall when Lord Date Masamune built Sendai Castle, and then moved again to its current location on Mount Atago when the Kansenden Mausoleum for the second lord of the domain, Lord Date Tadamune, was constructed . It is said that Harada Kai, famous for his involvement in the Date Incident , took the lead as the magistrate in charge of the relocation to Mount Atago.
Temples dedicated to the guardian deity of the Sendai Zodiac, the Year of the Ox and the Year of the Tiger
The Kokuzo Hall of Daimanji Temple is also the temple dedicated to the years of the Ox and Tiger, the guardian deities of the zodiac in Sendai
Stone statues of the twelve zodiac animals lined up next to Sentaido Hall
Sendai Zodiac Guardian Deity
[Child] ・Zenryoin Kannon Hall (Thousand-Armed Kannon)
Furthermore, within the grounds of Kokuzodo there is an octagonal hall and stone statues of the 12 zodiac animals where you can pray to all eight of the guardian deities of the 12 zodiac animals, so even if you visit with family or friends of different zodiac signs, everyone can pray to their own guardian deity!
Octagonal Hall, the Guardian of the Zodiac
Furthermore, right next to the Kokuzo-do Hall is the Atago Shrine, which houses the guardian deities of the Year of the Dragon and the Year of the Snake, two of the twelve zodiac signs of Sendai
It is also famous for its ability to ward off cancer!
Daimanji Temple is also famous for its ability to ward off cancer, and due to word of mouth reports of wishes coming true, it is now visited by worshippers from all over the country. Prayers for warding off cancer are also accepted
summary
About half of the Sentaido Buddha statues were destroyed in air raids during World War II, but only about 450 of the Buddha statues currently enshrined in the Sentaido Hall managed to survive to the present day
View of Sendai city from Kokuzodo
This Buddha is the origin of the name Sendai. You can see it not far from the center of the city. If you have the chance, be sure to visit
Daimanji Temple <Information>
Name: Kokuzosan Daimanji Temple Kokuzoson
Address: 4-4-1 Mukaiyama, Taihaku Ward, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, 982-0841
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
![Good morning socks](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/fashion_kutsushita_ana-150x150.jpg.webp "[Miyagi Prefecture] Learn the Miyagi dialect! "Dakara" (so), "Ikinari" (suddenly), "Good morning socks"?")
