Is Enichiji Temple, founded by the high priest Tokuichi of the Hosso sect, the birthplace of Aizu Buddhist culture? [Bandai Town, Fukushima Prefecture]

Bandai Town, Yama District, Fukushima Prefecture, is located northeast of Aizuwakamatsu City, at the southern foot of Mount Bandai

here called Enichiji, which

Excavation surveys and restoration work have been carried out on this site, which is now a national historic site , with the restored main hall and inner gate quietly conveying the appearance of the temple in its former days.

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Enichiji Temple, a base of Aizu Buddhism established in the early Heian period

was founded in 807 Tokuitsu,

Tokuichi, who is said to be the founder, was a scholarly monk who is said to have studied Hosso Buddhism in the southern capital of Nara (Kofuku-ji Temple and Todai-ji Temple). In his twenties, he moved to the eastern provinces and is said to have based himself in Aizu, where he devoted himself to the study of doctrine and to spreading the teachings

Although there are no historical documents that directly explain the origin of the name Enichiji Temple, the temple's name, "Enichi," means "the sun of wisdom" in Buddhist terms

Based on Tokuichi's solid academic knowledge, the temple flourished as the mother temple of Aizu Buddhism

Tokuitsu his doctrinal debate with Saicho the "San'ichi Gonjitsu Soron ." This debate is considered the first inter-sectarian dispute in the history of Japanese Buddhism, and shows that Tokuitsu, despite being based in Aizu, far from the capital, possessed sufficient academic knowledge to be able to debate on an equal footing with high-ranking monks from the central government.

Also, around the 6th year of the Kōnin era (815), a letter was delivered from Kōbō Daishi Kukai , in which Kukai praised Tokuichi Bodhisattva, saying, "Tokuichi Bodhisattva is like a pearl of precepts or a pearl of ice, and his ocean of wisdom is clear and pure..." (Collection of Koyasan Miscellany, Volume 1).

This shows that Tokuitsu was already in Mutsu Province and had established a base for spreading Buddhism, and that Kukai highly valued his activities

Tokuichi had ideological connections with Saicho and Kukai, two of the greatest monks of Heian Buddhism, and it is believed that Enichiji Temple maintained a high standard in both scholarship and missionary work

Decline, abandonment, and rebirth

From the Middle Ages onwards, Enichiji Temple gradually fell into decline

In 1589, during the Sengoku period, Date Masamune defeated the Ashina clan in the Battle of Suriagehara and invaded Aizu. The fires of the war reached Enichiji Temple and most of the temple buildings were burned down, leaving only the main hall

The only remaining main hall was burned down again in 1626 during the early Edo period. Although it was rebuilt afterwards, it is said that it was nowhere near the scale of the former grand temple complex

Furthermore, Enichiji Temple was officially abandoned during the anti-Buddhist and anti-Shrine Movement in 1869, and the temple buildings and pagodas fell into disrepair. Over the years, its existence has remained only in people's memories

After a long time, in 1970, this place the "Historic Site of Enichiji Temple Ruins," and since then, preservation and research work has been fully underway.

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The restored ruins of Enichiji Temple

The Shinpen Aizu Fudoki (New Edition of Aizu Topography) (1809, Bunka 6) states that "extremely magnificent, with over 3,800 temple buildings and over 300 monks."

Excavations have revealed that the grounds of Enichiji Temple are extremely vast, and the remains are divided into three areas: the main temple area, the ordination platform area, and the Kannonji area

Preservation and maintenance work began in 2003, with the main hall being restored in 2008 and the inner gate in 2009 based on the results of excavations

Since then, the temple has entered the maintenance and utilization phase, and in 2018, a seated statue of Yakushi Nyorai (a restored statue) was enshrined in the main hall

The restored main hall and inner gate

The current site of Enichiji Temple has recreated the main hall and inner gate based on the results of excavations. The main hall is a gabled building with a cypress bark roof, and the interior, lined with vermilion-painted pillars, is truly majestic

Once you pass through the inner gate, you will find a restored stone-paved plaza, and behind the main hall, the foundation stones of the former lecture hall and corridor remain in order, allowing you to get a real feel for the layout of the temple complex from the Heian period

These buildings are not simply tourist facilities, but have been "restored as cultural assets" based on academic documents, faithfully reflecting the positions of the foundation stones found during excavations, and have been maintained to create and allow visitors to experience the spaces of the past

Tokuichi Mausoleum

At the back of the grounds is the Tokuichi Shrine be the tomb of Tokuichi Bodhisattva. It was once thought to be the base of a three-story pagoda, but excavations have revealed that it is the base of a five-story pagoda.

Mount Bandai Enichiji Temple Museum

The Bandai Enichiji Temple Museum, located adjacent to the west side of the site, displays roof tiles, fragments of Buddhist statues, metal fittings, and other artifacts unearthed during the excavation. Visitors can also view computer-generated reconstructions and video materials introducing Tokuichi's life

Enichiji Temple Yakushido Hall

This is an old temple of Yakushi faith, whose name appears in the Muryoju Fudoki (1350). It was destroyed by fire in 1879 and rebuilt in 1895 due to the faith of local residents

Niomon Gate

and survived the fire that destroyed the Yakushido Hall in 1879. It

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summary

Enichiji Temple is one of the oldest temples in the Tohoku region in the early Heian period whose founding date is known, and is an important historical heritage site as the birthplace of Aizu Buddhist culture

For over a thousand years, it has been carefully preserved as a place to convey the history and spiritual culture of the region

Enichiji Temple <Information>

• Name: Mt. Bandai Keijiji Temple
• Address: 4950 Bandai Honjikami, Bandai-machi, Yama-gun, Fukushima Prefecture, 969-3301
• Phone number: 0242-73-2320
• Official URL: Bandai Town Official Website – Historic Site of Enichiji Temple

Google Map

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