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Kongobuji Temple

Heart of Koyasan Shingon Tantra

Kongobuji Temple was founded by Kobo Daishi and is the headquarters of the Koyasan Shingon School of Buddhism. In a broader sense, the entire Mount Koyasan is within the boundaries of Kongobuji Temple, while the term Kongobuji Temple is often used to refer to the temple merged by Seiganji Temple and Kosanji Temple, which has the largest rock garden in Japan.

The Kongobuji Temple 金剛峯寺, founded by Kobo Daishi Kukai, is the headquarters of the Koyasan Shingon School of Buddhism. In a broader sense, the entire Mount Koyasan is within the boundaries of Kongobuji Temple. The Koyasan Daimon Gate is the main gate of the mountain, and the Golden Hall of Danjo Garan Sacred Temple Complex 壇上伽藍 is the Main Hall. Nowadays, the Kongobuji Temple is often referred to the temple merged by Seiganji Temple and Kosanji Temple in 1869.

The oldest building in the temple is the Main Gate of Kongobuji, which was built in 1593. In the old days, the gate was only used by the royal family and the high-ranking monks in Koyasan, while the general monks could only use the small side gate. The small entrance and the Grand Entrance to the Main Hall were created for the same purpose.

Carvings on the Roof and Rainwater Tank

The Main Hall is 60 meters long and about 70 meters deep, and is the core building of Kongobuji Temple. Important ceremonies and sermons of Koyasan are usually held in the Ohiroma (大広間, the Grand Room), which has Momoyama style sliding screen door paintings by famous artists. There are also small rooms in the Main Hall, such as Umenoma, Yanaginoma, and The Kitchen, where meals are prepared and served for the monks of the temple.

Manywhere Tips:
It is hard to believe that rice for 2,000 monks is cooked in these three pots only, maybe ancient monks eat less.

Koya-kun, the Mascot of Koyasan

The Banryutei 蟠龍庭, located between Betsuden Hall and Okuden Hall, is a typical Japanese dry landscape garden built in 1984 on the 1150th anniversary of the death of Kobo Daishi. The stone garden is made of white sand from Kyoto and granite stones from Shikoku Island, and at 2,340 square meters, it is the only one of its kind in Japan.