Gangoji Temple, Nara

“Gangoji Temple” is a temple in Nara Town, the old city area of Nara City. Hokoji, also known as Asukadera Temple, was built by SOGA no Umako and is famous as the first authentic Buddhist temple in Japan. It was Gangoji Temple that Hokoji was moved to Heijokyo in 718.
At first, Gangoji Temple was a temple where you could study both Hossoshu sect and Sanron Sect. Also, it boasts a vast site, and the entire area of Naramachi was the site of Gangoji Temple, but it gradually declined in the middle of the Heian period. There is a history of being remodeled and revived in the Kamakura period.
During the Kamakura period, it was once again prospered as a temple of the Jodo sect centered on Gokuraku-bo (paradise temple). In 1451, peasant uprising occurred, and Kondo Hall and others were destroyed and rebuilt. However, it was not rebuilt after the typhoon broke down.
Gangoji Temple was divided into three parts, Gokuraku-bo, To-to-in Temple, and Shoto-in Temple. Of the three, Gangoji Temple is the largest. Gangoji Temple Gokuraku-bo is now a shingon-ritsu sect temple, and it is a temple visited by many tourists as branch temples of the Saidai-ji Temple.
Gangoji Temple, which was registered as a World Heritage Site, was a prosperous base for the popular belief until the Edo period. However, after that, it was devastated and reconstructed from the middle of the Showa era to the present. Nowadays, it has been improved and has become a typical tourist spot in Nara as a tourist temple. There are valuable cultural assets such as Gangoji Temple Gokuraku-bo Engi Emaki (picture scroll depicting the stories about paradise).
Gangoji Temple is registered as a World Heritage Site and is a popular tourist spot in Nara along with Todaiji Temple. It is recommended as a sightseeing spot that represents Nara City as well as the Naramachi area, so make sure to visit when you visit Nara.

It is a treasure house of cultural properties

Gangoji Temple is the temple of the Shingon Risshu sect in Nara Park. Hokoji Temple (the current Asukaji Temple), the oldest temple in Japan, is its predecessor and was valued as an important historic value that continues from the Asuka period, and it was registered as a world heritage site. In addition, Gokuraku-do Main Hall and Zen-shitsu Room are national treasures, East Gate is designated as important cultural asset, etc. It is a treasure house of cultural properties. It is also called a flower temple, and you can enjoy strolls of beautiful flowers through the four seasons, such as Kikyo (Bellflower) and Hagi (Bush Clover).

The temple was prosperous, boasting the vast site comparable to Todaiji and Kofukuji

Hokoji Temple which is the oldest temple in Japan that SOGA no Umako built on Asuka area in 588 is the beginning of Gangoji Temple. It was moved to Nara along with the capital of the Heijo-kyo Capital site in 710, and it was named Gangoji Temple. During the Nara period, the temple was prosperous, boasting the vast site comparable to Todaiji and Kofukuji, but it gradually wane from the middle of the Heian era.

Arranged in a unique way called Gyoki roofed-style

The current Main Hall and the Zen-shitsu Room were once a building called Sobo (Monks’ lodging house), a place where monks lived a life. Even now, the roof of the Main Hall and the Zen-shitsu Room are partially using the ancient tile of the Asuka period. They are arranged in a unique way called Gyoki roofed-style which was laid so that round roof tile and flat tile overlap. Among them, the roof tiles carried from Hokoji Temple are often of reddish color tones, so it would be fun to look for the ancient tile while looking up at the roof.

‘Jodo ojo’ (go to the Pure Land) as a sanctuary tower

“Futoden”, no less than 2,500 sets of collecting the guardian deity of children and stone towers from the temple or the local circumference. This name was given because it seems that the rice plant in the rice field is lining up. It is located in the southwest of the precincts, and at that time it was prayed that ‘jodo ojo’ (go to the Pure Land) as a sanctuary tower.

It is fantastic that hundreds of dish of candle stands are lighted and the lights are swaying

Even now, Jizo-e Manto Kuyo-e (an event to commemorate Jizo as the protector of children, and offering many votive lights) is held at the end of August every year, and many people are praying for Jizo Bosatsu “safety of one’s family” I am praying for “state of perfect health.” As the sun goes down, it is fantastic that hundreds of dish of candle stands are lighted and the lights are swaying.

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