Draft:Kuhonbutsu (Jōshin-ji)

• Comment: Hi @Esguil10: This is a very decent piece of work. It seems you may have translated the article from the corresponding one on the Spanish Wikipedia. However, both the Spanish and Japanese Wikipedia articles cited a lot of unreliable sources, and I think you may be a bit confused about why the draft was rejected when most of the sources are taking from those articles.
  In this article, most of the sources currently cited are either official websites or blog posts, which are considered non-independent and user-generated content respectively, and are deemed unreliable on Wikipedia. You may want to consider using history books and scholarly publications as sources for the temple's history. For instance, the first source you cited, Patricia J. Graham's Faith and Power in Japanese Buddhist Art, 1600–2005, is quite promising, and the Edo meisho zue is another good source you may use. (You can access from this link[1] if you can read Japanese.)
  Additionally, you could look for news articles from reputable media outlets, such as this source from Fuji Evening News[2] or this from Kochi Shimbun[3]. Try to replace all the websites currently cited in this article with more reliable sources like these.
  Please do not hesitate to reach out to me on my talk page if you have any further questions. Cheers and happy editing! Prince of Erebor（The Book of Mazarbul） 08:16, 14 July 2024 (UTC)

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Kuhonbutsu Jōshin-ji
九品仏浄真寺
Religion
Affiliation	Buddhism
Sect	Jodo-shu
Location
Location	7 Chome-41-3 Okusawa, Setagaya, Tokyo 158-0083
Country	Japan
Website
https://kuhombutsu.jp/

Kuhonbutsu (九品仏), officially designated as Joshin-ji (浄真寺, Joshin-ji) , is a Buddhist temple situated in Setagaya, Tokyo. Affiliated with the Jōdo sect, it is dedicated to the Buddha. The temple derives its name from the presence of nine statues, each depicting a different manifestation of Amida Buddha, within its premises.

History

The temple was constructed on the former site of Okusawa Castle, which was previously owned by the Kira clan. Following the destruction of the castle during the Sengoku period, shogun Tokugawa Ietsuna bestowed the plot upon the Jodo sect. In 1678, a priest called Kaseki built the temple.

Architecture

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The premises are situated on a hill surrounded by an embankment, remanent of the now-disappeared Okusawa Castle. The temple grounds also house a number of old trees, including an 800-year-old kaya and a 300-year-old ginkgo.

Additionally, the temple layout is aligned with the principles of the Pure Land tradition. Derived from the 36 votes of Amida Buddha, the grounds occupy 3,600 tsubo (12,000 m²), the columns of the Three Buddha Halls are 36 in total , and the distance between the Jōbon-dō and the Main Hall is 36 ken (76.2 m).

Halls

Main Hall (Ryūgo-den)

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  Main Hall (March 2023)

The Main Hall o Ryūgo-den (龍護殿^?) is a 20-metre-tall and 20-metre-wide construction. The hip roof is covered with copper plates. Affixed to the lintel is a plate inscribed with the official name of the hall, "Ryūgo-den." Inside, there are a number of ornamental figures, the most notable of which is a 2.81-metre-tall statue of Gautama Buddha. The original statue, created by Kaseki, was destroyed in a fire in 1748, after which a replacement was installed in 1760. ​​

Three Buddha Halls(Sanbutsu-dō)

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  Gebon (March 2023)
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  Chūbon (March 2023)
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  Jōbon (March 2023)

There are three halls facing the Main Hall: the Gebon-dō (下品堂?) on the left, Jōbon-dō (上品堂?) in the centre, and the Chūbon-dō (中品堂?) on the right. Each building houses three golden statues of Amida Buddha, also sculpted by Kaseki with the help of his disciple Kaoku. These statues symbolise the nine levels into which the individuals who are reborn in the Pure Land are classified according to their purity at the time of their death. The Gebon-dō contains the statues representing the lower level. The Chūbon-dō houses the statues of the intermediate level. Ultimately, the Jōbon-dō contains the statues of the upper level. Each statue is depicted in a different posture. The more mundane poses are reserved for the statues of the lower levels, and the more sacred ones for the statues of the upper levels.

Five Sanctuaries Hall

This hall serves to protect the northeast side of the temple grounds (鬼門 (ki-mon^?), which is considered to be a particularly inauspicious location. The five most important Shinto shrines in Japan (Ise, Kasuga, Sumiyoshi, Kumano Hongū and Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū) are represented here and venerated.

Founder's Hall (Kaizan-dō)

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  Founder's Hall

The statue of Kaseki is situated within this hall. The tradition says that this statue provides protection against misfortune and ensures safe childbirth for pregnant women. It is forbidden for individuals who are not affiliated with the temple to enter the building, except on the seventh day of each month.

Enma Hall (Enma-dō)

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  Enma Statue
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  Datsue-ba Statue

The hall houses three statues. The one in the middle depicts Enma, the demon king, who is responsible for determining the degree of culpability associated with the sins that the deceased had committed during their lifetime. The statue on the left depicts Datsue-ba, a devilish woman who inhabits the banks of Sanzu River. She strips the deceased of their garments. Lastly, the statue of Keneo, which is responsible for measuring the sins of the deceased, can be found on the right.

Kannon Hall (Kannon-dō)

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  Kannon Hall

This hall is dedicated to the worship of Kannon. A total of 33 statues, representing the 33 manifestations of Kannon, are situated around the building.

Gates

Sōmon

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  Puerta exterior del templo

The Sōmon is a simple wooden structure. On the right pillar, it bears the official name of the temple, while on the lintel, there is a plaque reading "Hanjujo (般舟場?)." This plaque makes reference to the Pratyutpanna-samadhi sutra (Japanese: 般舟三昧経), which contains the earliest known references to Amida Buddha and his Pure Land. Although the gate is of 19th-century origin, the copper roof was installed in 1882.

Eastern Gate (Tō-mon)

The eastern gate was constructed in the latter part of the 20th century. It is connected to the road that encircles the temple and serves the purpose of providing vehicular access to the temple grounds.

Main Gate (Hon-mon)

The Main Gate or 仁王門 (niō-mon?) is the entrance to the main worship area of the temple. It is a wooden structure built in 1793 and stands on a stone platform. It is six metres in height and has an irimoya roof with copper plates installed in 1964 that replaces a former thatched roof. Furthermore, the gate's body is divided into two floors. The upper floor contains one statue of Amida and 25 statues of Bodhisattvas. The lower section, at the front, contains two statues of Niō, the protective deities of Buddhism. At the back, two staircases are installed on either side, on which are placed a statue of the wind god Fūjin and a statue of the lightning god Raijin.

Founder's Mausoluem

The founder's mausoleum is situated behind the Chūbon. Here, Kaseki and the respective abbots who succeeded him are buried.

Bell Tower

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  Bell Tower

This Korean-style bell tower can be found on the left of the Main Gate. The structure was erected in 1708 as a result of a donation from the Fujisawa family, who were members of the Tanioka clan. The wooden structure is adorned with intricate carvings and elaborate sculptures. Additionally, the bell is adorned with arabesque-like motifs, as well as depictions of Buddha and celestial beings. It is noteworthy that this bell is one of the few of its kind that has survived in Japan, since the metal from bells was melted down and used to support the war efforts during World War II. It is thought that the chrysanthemum flower emblem found on the bell's sides, associated with the Japanese imperial family, is the reason why it was spared from this fate.

External links

Category:Buddhist temples in Tokyo Category:Buddhist temples Category:Religious buildings and structures in Japan