Sendai's Famous Temples! What are the "Kitayama Gozan" that the Date Clan Adhered To? [Part 2] | The Five Mountains System of Temples and the Relationship Between the Date Clan and Zen Buddhism

What exactly are the "Gozan" (Five Mountains)?

In the first and second parts of this series, we've seen how Date Masamune concentrated five Rinzai Zen temples in Kitayama, north of Sendai Castle, and how they came to be revered as the "Five Temples of Kitayama." This shows that successive generations of the Date family cherished these temples, but what exactly is the meaning behind the grouping of "Five Temples"?

The term "Gozan" originally referred to five monasteries (shōja) that existed in ancient India around the 5th or 6th century BC, during the lifetime of Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism

Incidentally, the "Gion Shōja" mentioned in the famous opening line of "The Tale of the Heike," "The sound of the bell of Gion Shōja," is also considered to be one such example

Based on this story, Emperor Ningzong, the fourth emperor of the Southern Song dynasty in China during the 12th or 13th century, patronized five temples and established the "Five Mountains" system, which marked the beginning of this institution

These practices spread in Japan along with the spread of Zen Buddhism, and it is known that during the Kamakura period, temples in Kamakura and Kyoto were ranked under the name "Gozan" (Five Mountains), although the details of the system at that time are not well understood

During the Nanboku-cho period, the selection of the Five Mountains of Kamakura was left to the individual discretion of the Ashikaga shoguns. However, the third shogun, Yoshimitsu, carried out a major reform in 1385 (the third year of the Shitoku era, a Northern Court era), dividing the Five Mountains into the "Kamakura Five Mountains" and the "Kyoto Five Mountains."

The two Gozan temples known today were established at this time, with Kyoto's Nanzen-ji Temple of the Rinzai sect positioned above them as a "special, higher-ranking" temple

Below, we will examine the five temples in Japanese history that served as the basis for the Date Five Temples and the Kitayama Five Temples, focusing on two important regions: Kamakura and Kyoto

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What are the Five Great Zen Temples of Kamakura?

As mentioned earlier, there are many unknowns about the early Kamakura Five Mountains, and their full scope remains unclear

However, it has been pointed out that the Kamakura shogunate's patronage of the newly introduced Zen Buddhism was not only due to its affinity with the warrior's code, but also because it was an attempt to maintain its interests by cleverly incorporating conflicts with existing religious forces

In particular, religious forces were deeply involved in the vested interests related to trade with China at that time, and these interests were intertwined not only with the authority of Buddhism but also with practical economic considerations

Let's take a look at an overview of the Five Great Zen Temples of Kamakura below

Kenchōji Temple

This temple is the first-ranked of the Five Great Zen Temples of Kamakura. Its temple bell, made in 1255 and designated a National Treasure, bears the inscription "Kencho Zenji," and is considered to be the oldest known use of the term "Zenji" in Japan

• Sect: Rinzai Zen sect, Kenchoji branch
• Mountain name: Kofukusan
• Principal deity: Jizo Bodhisattva
• Founded in Kenchō 5 (1253): Hōjō Tokiyori (Fifth Regent)
• Founder: Rankei Dōryū
• Current location: Yamanouchi, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture

Engaku-ji Temple

This temple is the second-ranked of the Five Great Zen Temples of Kamakura, and is unique in that it commemorates both samurai and Mongol soldiers who lost their lives during the Mongol invasions

• Sect: Rinzai Zen sect, Engaku-ji branch
• Mountain name: Zuirokusan
• Principal image: Crowned Shakyamuni Buddha
• Founded in 1282 (Kōan 5): Hōjō Tokimune (8th Regent)
• Founder: Mugaku Sogen
• Current location: Yamanouchi, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture

Jufuku-ji Temple

This temple is the third-ranked of the Five Great Zen Temples of Kamakura. The surrounding area has strong ties to the Minamoto clan, and it is said that the residence of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, the father of Minamoto no Yoritomo, once stood here.
It is also said that this was the first place Yoritomo intended to build his residence after arriving in Kamakura.

• Sect: Rinzai Zen sect, Kenchoji branch
• Mountain name: Kikokusan
• Principal image: Crowned Shakyamuni Buddha
• Founded in 1200 (Shoji 2): Hojo Masako
• Founder: Myōan Eisai
• Current location: Ōgigayatsu, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture

Jōchi-ji Temple

This temple is the fourth-ranked of the Five Great Zen Temples of Kamakura, and it retains many horizontal cave-style memorial halls and ossuaries called "yagura," which are unique to this region

• Sect: Rinzai Zen sect, Engaku-ji branch
• Mountain name: Kinpozan
• Principal deities: Amida Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha, Maitreya Buddha　
• Founded in 1281 (Kōan 4): Hōjō Moritoki (10th Regent)
• Founding priests: Nanshu Kokai, Daikyu Shonen, Gottan Funei
• Current location: Yamanouchi, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture

Jōmyōji Temple

It is the fifth-ranked temple among the Five Great Zen Temples of Kamakura, and it is said that during the Muromachi period, the Ashikaga Shogunate's residence was located to the east of this temple, and that the Ashikaga clan resided there

• Sect: Rinzai Zen sect, Kenchoji branch
• Mountain name: Tokazan
• Principal deity: Shakyamuni Buddha　
• Founded in 1188 (Bunji 4): Ashikaga Yoshikane (second head of the Ashikaga family)
• Founder of the temple: Taikō Gyōyū
• Current location: Jōmyōji Temple, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture

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What are the Kyoto Five Mountains?

While the Kamakura Shogunate was based in Kamakura, the Muromachi Shogunate maintained its headquarters in Kyoto, while also establishing a branch office in the Kanto region called the "Kamakura Kubo." As a result, it also provided patronage to Rinzai Zen temples in Kyoto, and although there were changes over time, the "Five Mountains" were established in the region

However, it's important to note that this ranking of temples is influenced by the political motives of the Ashikaga clan, and is not simply a ranking that includes the Five Great Zen Temples of Kamakura

Tenryu-ji Temple

It is the first-ranked temple among the Five Great Zen Temples of Kyoto, and is currently one of the constituent sites of the World Heritage Site "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto."

• Sect: Rinzai Zen sect, Tenryu-ji branch
• Mountain name: Reigizan
• Principal image: Shakyamuni Triad　
• Founded in the second year of Kōei (Northern Court era: 1343): Ashikaga Takauji (First Shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate)
• Founder: Musō Soseki
• Current location: Saga Tenryuji Susukinobaba-cho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto City

Shokokuji Temple

This temple is the second-ranked of the Five Great Zen Temples of Kyoto and is famous for having produced Sesshu, a painter-monk of the Muromachi period. Furthermore, the well-known Kinkaku-ji and Ginkaku-ji temples are sub-temples of Shokoku-ji

• Sect: Rinzai Zen sect, Shokokuji branch
• Mountain name: Mannenzan
• Principal deity: Shakyamuni Buddha　
• Founded in Eitoku 2 (Northern Court era: 1382): Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (Third Shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate)
• Founder: Musō Soseki
• Current location: Imadegawa-dori Karasuma, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto City

Kenninji Temple

This temple, ranked third among the Five Great Zen Temples of Kyoto, housed Tawaraya Sōtatsu's "Wind God and Thunder God" painting, which is designated a National Treasure

It should be noted that the claim that this is the oldest Zen temple in Japan is incorrect. The correct answer is that Shofuku-ji Temple, a Rinzai sect Myoshin-ji school temple in Hakata Ward, Fukuoka City, is considered the first Zen temple in Japan

• Sect: Rinzai Zen sect, Kenninji branch
• Mountain name: Mannenzan
• Principal image: Eleven-faced Kannon　
• Founded in 1202 (Kennin 2): Minamoto no Yoriie (third shogun of the Kamakura shogunate)
• Founder: Myōan Eisai
• Current location: Shijo-sagaru, Yamato-oji, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto City

Tofuku-ji Temple

As the fourth-ranked temple among Kyoto's Five Great Zen Temples, its numerous magnificent buildings are sometimes described as "the distinctive appearance of Tofuku-ji Temple's temple complex."

Incidentally, Nanzenji Temple, which ranks exceptionally high, is called "Bukezura" (warrior face) because it was deeply revered by the Ashikaga family, while Shokokuji Temple, which ranks second, is called "Shomyo-zura" (Buddhist chanting face) because of the beautiful chanting of sutras it performs

• Sect: Rinzai Zen sect, Tofuku-ji branch
• Mountain name: Enichisan
• Principal deity: Shakyamuni Buddha
• Founded in 1236 (Kachō 2): Kujō Michiie (father of Fujiwara no Yoritsune, the fourth shogun of the Kamakura shogunate)
• Founder: Enni
• Current location: Honmachi, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto City

Manju-ji Temple

Manju-ji Temple is the fifth-ranked temple among the Five Great Zen Temples of Kyoto. While you can receive a temple stamp (Goshuin), please note that it is currently closed to the public and therefore not open to the general public

• Sect: Rinzai Zen sect, Tofuku-ji branch
• Mountain name: Enichisan
• Principal image: Amida Buddha
• Founded in 1096: Retired Emperor Shirakawa
• Founder: Jūjikakukū (Tōzan Tanshō)
• Current location: Honmachi, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto City

Summary: The deep relationship between the Date clan and Zen monks

We have looked at the five Rinzai Zen temples known as "Kitayama Gozan," which were revered and protected by the Date clan of the Sendai Domain

It is said that this system was modeled after the "Five Mountains of Kamakura" and "Five Mountains of Kyoto," which were established in the Kamakura and Muromachi periods in imitation of the Chinese system and underwent changes over time. The Date clan, however, had a significant historical connection to Zen Buddhism

It is well known that Date Masayori, who established the Five Great Zen Temples of Date, was deeply devoted to Buddhism, but the Date family also produced monks. For example, one of the sons of Date Tanemune, the grandfather of Date Masamune, became a monk at the age of six and became the head priest of Toshōji Temple, the family temple of the Date clan and later the foremost of the Five Great Zen Temples of Kitayama. His name was Daiyū Kōho, and he was Tanemune's thirteenth son, making him Masamune's great-uncle

Taiyu recommended "Toraya Sōetsu" of the Myōshin-ji branch of the Rinzai school to Date Terumune, the father of Date Masamune. Toraya later became the head priest of Shifuku-ji Temple, which was relocated and became one of the five major temples of Kitayama, and he became Masamune's teacher of learning. He was also the founder of Kakugan-ji Temple, one of the five major temples of Kitayama, which was established by Masamune, giving us a glimpse into the deep connection between the Date clan and Zen monks

It is well known that Zen Buddhism has historically received support from the samurai class, partly due to political background, but it would not be an exaggeration to say that the "Five Mountains" were one of the spiritual pillars for the Date clan

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