Taiseki-ji

Founding and early period

Cherry Blossom flowers overlooking the Dai Kyakuden.

According to Nichiren Shōshū tradition, Taiseki-ji was founded in 1290 by Nichiren's disciple Nikkō on a tract of land called "Ōishi-Ga-Hara (大石ケ原)" (English: Big Stone Field) donated by the district steward, Nanjō Shichiro-Jiro Tokimitsu (1259–1332). The archaic name derives from an alternate reading of the kanji for Ōishi (大石), taiseki, and ji (寺), which means temple. Tokimitsu was one of Nichiren's lay followers and he looked up to Nikkō as his personal teacher. It started with one small temple building but grew gradually as Nikkō's disciples built sub-temples. It went through further growth phases during the mid-Edo period and in the post-World War II period.

San-mon Gate

The Sanmon gate (currently under restoration and enlargement).

The Sanmon (written 三門, sometimes 山門) gate is Taiseki-ji's "front door" and has been designated as a Shizuoka prefectural cultural asset. It was built in 1717 with monetary assistance from Lady Tennei-in, the wife of sixth Shogun Tokugawa Ienobu, who donated 300 Ryō gold pieces ($360,000 USD) for its construction. It is the closest Taiseki-ji monument in proximity to public government roads. In 1997, it suffered significant vandalism and graffiti tagging. It is currently tented under enlargement and reconstruction with a deadline of January 2021.

Mutsu-bo

The Mutsubo, designated as the first building of Taisekiji.

The first Mutsubo (六壷) was erected in 1290, making this historically Taiseki-ji's first building. It has been rebuilt many times since. Inside the temple is a gohonzon claimed to be from Nikko Shonin.^[1] The current structure, which uses much keyaki heartwood, was completed in 1988. The Mutsu-bo building is the second location in which the High Priest of Nichiren Shoshu transfers to once Ushitora-Gongyo is concluded, where in this building, another morning Gongyo recitation is offered by the young priests acolytes who are in training.

Toba-Shitsu

The Toba-Shitsu office is a specialized building next to the Mutsubo where Toba memorial tablets and stupa are offered by Hokkeko members for their deceased friends, relatives and pets. The memorial tablets are inscribed by a groups of young priests assigned in the building, while a designated second floor is where the memorial tablets are stored for veneration. The donations collected for the memorial tablets are allocated for the maintenance of the Taiseki-ji gardens. In this building, only Japanese Yen currency is accepted for donations and Hokkeko members may be assisted by the younger priests to begin the procedure for one's deceased ashes to be enshrined in the columbarium of the head temple.

Dai-Kya-kuden

The Kyakuden (客殿: Reception Hall) was first built in 1465. The current structure, a wood-clad steel-framed structure, was completed in 1998 and replaced the a previous steel-reinforced concrete building from 1964. The previous structure was built and donated by the lay believers of Nichiren Shoshu and was replaced because of worries about structural integrity in a major earthquake. The priesthood also cited its imposing ferroconcrete mass as incongruent with the architectural tone appropriate for a temple compound. A pre-war building, which had been requisitioned by the Japanese imperial military, burnt down in a June 1945 arson that claimed the life of 62nd High Priest Nikkyō Shonin.

The Reception Hall is the site of ushitora Gongyō, a prayer service performed daily at the transition from the "hour of the ox (ushi)" to the "hour of the tiger (tora)". The service begins at about 2:30 AM and ends about an hour later. This is believed to mark the transition from darkness to light as well as the hour at which all Buddhas attain enlightenment. The service is customarily officiated by the high priest or his proxy. The purpose of the service is, among other things, to pray for the spread of the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin throughout the world and thereby bring about peace and prosperity for all humankind. The Ozagawari Gohonzon (English: Gohonzon of the High Seat of the Buddhist Law) is prominently enshrined within the Dai Kyakuden on its second floor, flanked by two lifesize statues of both Nichiren Daishonin (LEFT) and Nikko Shonin (RIGHT).

Mieidō

The Miedo (Image hall) where the Namamiei statue of Nichiren Daishonin is enshrined.

A Fenghuang rooster Phoenix located within one of the transoms of the Mieido hall.

The original Mieidō (御影堂: image hall) was built in 1522. The Mieidō houses an image of Nichiren Daishōnin (hence its name) with the earliest historical records dating from 1388. The current, classical structure was built in 1632 and has had several subsequent renovations, the most recent major one in 1971. It was designated a cultural asset by Shizuoka Prefecture in 1971. After a major renovation that took ten years, the Mieido was reopened in November 2013.

For the renovation, the whole structure was taken apart piece by piece, damaged parts were repaired, and finally rebuilt into its original state. But, underneath the antique structure, and invisible to the eye, a modern, earthquake resistant system is integrated using metal springs installed underground. The Mieido hall has pillars of gold leaf, arabesque altar fittings and a supreme vermilion interior portraying various Buddhist gods on the upper transoms who are believed to occupy the Treasure Tower of the Lotus Sutra. Inside the inner sanctum of the building is the venerated Namamiei statue of Nichiren Daishonin, created during the subject's lifetime, per oral tradition.

Hōandō

The Hōandō (奉安堂: hōan is an honorific form of a verb meaning to enshrine or place in an altar; dō is a large building or hall) houses the Dai Gohonzon, the supreme object of worship and veneration in Nichiren Shōshū.

The Hōandō is a temporary storage house built in the style of a traditional Japanese storehouse to signify that kosen-rufu (広宣流布) has yet to be achieved. Loosely defined, kōsen rufu means that the Nichiren Shōshū faith has taken hold as the primary religion of the world's people. This is significant to the Nichiren Shōshū faithful because they believe that, according to Nichiren's will, the Dai Gohonzon is not to be made publicly accessible, but rather stored away and only viewed by those who have asked for and been granted an audience by the high priest, until kōsen rufu has been achieved. A further symbol of this is that, different from all other Nichiren Shōshū altars, the one in the Hōandō is neither decorated with an offering of evergreens nor drums, rendering its altar as incomplete and non-believers are not permitted within while handicapped members and their guardian receive preferential entrance and seating to the building.

At the Shumidan high altar of the Hoando is the Stupa containing the ashes of Nichiren Daishonin (Left), Dai-Gohonzon (Center), and a statue of Nichiren Daishonin carved by Izumi Ajari Nippo Shonin from the same camphorwood of the Dai Gohonzon upon which Nichiren Daishonin once commented of having similar facial features. The Butsudan area itself is referred to as Shumisen.

Numerous relics from Taiseki-ji’s 750-year history are kept in the Treasure House

The Hōandō replaced the Shōhondō (正本堂: true main hall), the Dai Gohonzon's previous home. Before the Shōhondō was completed in 1972, the Dai Gohonzon had been kept locked away in a storehouse called the Treasure House (御宝蔵: Gohōzō) or enshrined in the Hōanden (奉安殿), another storehouse-like structure built behind the Treasure House.^[2]

Gohozo / Hoanden

The treasure house (Gohozo) is only open to believers. Inside there are scrolls and paintings of importance to this sect of Nichiren Buddhism, as well as information about the religion and its history. It also features modest displays of cultural objects donated by pilgrims from countries where they have attracted converts. In the back is the Hoanden building.

The five story Pagoda

Taiseki-ji’s five story (Myo-Ho-Ren-Ge-Kyo) pagoda

Completed in 1749 with the assistance of the Edo government, Taiseki-ji's pagoda costed 5000 gold Ryō (modern equivalent $6.5 million USD). The pagoda (Japanese: Tō) faces west rather than the usual south to signify that Nichiren Buddhism would spread from the east (Japan) to the west (back to the land of Sakyamuni Buddha and beyond). It is the largest five-storied pagoda along the Tōkaidō, the historical main highway along Japan's eastern seaboard from Edo (today's Tokyo) to Kyoto. The structure was designated a national cultural treasure in 1966. It is opened every February 16 for ceremonies to celebrate Nichiren's birthday. Its artistic reconstruction has concluded and opened in January 2017. On the left side of this pagoda is the tombstone of the famed Soka Gakkai leader, Josei Toda, whose remains were re-enshrined in 2001 from the Jozai-ji Temple of Toshima, Tokyo.

Myoren-ji Temple

The Myorenji Temple, named in honor of the wife of Nanjo Tokimitsu.

An approximate 30-minute walk from the Head Temple is the famed Myoren-ji temple, which is the former residence of Nanjo Tokimitsu, whom donated the land of Taisekiji to Nikko Shonin. The temple is named after his wife's Buddhist Kaim-yo name, Myo-Ren. Inside this temple are many artifacts, in particular an original Gohonzon enshrined at its main altar, which was inscribed by Nichiren Daishonin himself, and a decorative small statue of him preserved as a historical remembrance. The priest assigned to this temple is the son of Reverend Urushibata, head of Overseas Nichiren Shoshu bureau and is known for celebrating its own Oeshiki ceremony.

Shōhondō

The Shōhondō, constructed in 1972, demolished in 1998. Circa December 1979.

In 1968, approximately 8,000,000 Soka Gakkai adherents contributed money to construct the building which was to be ^[3] the Shōhondō building at Taiseki-ji, opened from 1972 and completely demolished in 1998. The Soka Gakkai inaugurated the building as the High Sanctuary of the Dai Gohonzon as mandated by Nichiren Daishonin, a title that was disputed by the Myoshinko lay organisation at the time. The temple priesthood, along with Nittatsu Hosoi also directed that the Sho-Hondo as a temporal shrine for the venerated image, issuing a Gohonzon to Daisaku Ikeda with a hand inscription commemorating its construction but refraining from assigning it to be its permanent home. As Nittatsu Shonin wrote in 1973:^[4]

The Sho-Hondo is the True High Sanctuary at the present time, and carries the significance stated in the Transfer Document, "Document for Entrusting the Law that Nichiren Propagated Throughout his Life" ("Nichiren ichigo guho fuzoku-sho") and [the Gosho] "On the Three Great Secret Laws." – (Collected Words of High Priest Nittatsu Shonin, vol. 2-1, p. 3)

The frontal entrance to the Shohondo building, featuring a fountain of fire, now demolished. 3 November 1978

The design of the Shohondo itself is alluded to a crane bird taking its flight, similar to the official logo of the Nichiren Shoshu school while its entrance gates are alluded to the lotus flowers. Outside of the entrance itself was a pond where believers could purify their hands in traditional Japanese manner. Inside featured mid-century modern architecture, bronze carvings and an automatic door Butsudan, considered to be a rare novelty at the time. In its high altar is the main shrine was built to house the Dai-Gohonzon, an inscribed wood block mandala which is the "True Object of Worship" of Nichiren Shōshū.

The Shōhondō was regarded as an important work of post-war Japanese architecture, noted for its vast unsupported roof span. The construction of the Shōhondō was funded largely by the personal donations of the lay believers of the Nichiren Shōshū. An estimated ¥35,536,000,000 was raised, of which ¥35,064,300,000 came from Sōka Gakkai adherents, ¥313,820,000 from Hokkekō adherents and ¥157,870,000 from priests and their families.^[5]

The official reason cited by Nichiren Shōshū for demolishing the building is due to the metal rust discovered on the pillars within the temple. Official reports were conducted by engineers who researched and validated the same ocean sand used for the mortar construction of the building, possibly risking the Dai Gohonzon's safety during an seismic earthquake. The report took one full year to complete and its results were submitted to High Priest Nikken for review. The school also concedes that its demolition of the Shōhondō was an extension of the doctrinal dispute between it and the Sōka Gakkai, emphasizing the impurity of the organisation for deviating from its formal doctrines of orthodoxy.^[6] Former Nichiren Shōshū High Priest, Nikken Shōnin replaced the Shōhondō with the traditional style building of Hōandō in 1998.

The Soka Gakkai refutes both the report and the reason for its demolition. Non-Japanese architects, such as Richard Meier and Robert A M Stern. Terence Riley, former chief curator of architecture and design at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, said that the planned demolition would be a "regrettable finale" to a century that has "witnessed so much loss.".^[7] The buildings of Hoando, Mieido, Dai-Kyakuden and Gohozo have all been completely rebuilt.

Dai Kodo

The Dai-kodo auditorium building, built by Soka Gakkai during the Shōwa period. Currently under demolition.

The last Soka Gakkai building now in the Head Temple is the Dai-Kodo (English: Great Lecture Hall) built in 1 March 1958 and is timely scheduled to be destroyed and rebuilt as a traditional building. The condition of the building since is poorly unrestored and dilapidated. Located within this building is the Gohonzon of Nichiren Daishonin endowed for the enlightenment of women, given to Sennichi, the pious wife of disciple Abutsubo. Flanked in this altar are the two ihai memorial tablets of second High Priest, Nikko Shonin and third successor, Nichimoku Shonin. It is scheduled for demolition and reconstruction after the completion of the new Sanmon gate in 2021.

Notes

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