Jōdo-ji (Onomichi)
[1][2] During the Nanboku-chō period, Ashikaga Takauji visited the temple on the way from Kyūshū in 1336 and donated a collection of 33 poems thanking for military success.
[1] The temple buildings are located halfway up a hill on a plaza stretching east–west from where there is a view on the Inland Sea.
This hall, dedicated to Amida, "The Buddha of Immeasurable Life and Light" who rules over the Western Paradis or the Pure land was built in 1345.
Built in 1690 from donations by the Hashimoto family, wealthy merchants from Onomichi, this building is a 16.7 by 13.1 m (55 by 43 ft), single-storied, yosemune style[ex 6] structure with hongawarabuki roof tiles.
[ex 3][6][2] To the west rising from a patch of white gravel next to the hōjō and extending up the hillside lies the temple garden (庭園) which has been laid out in 1806 and designated as Place of Scenic Beauty.
On the top of an artificial hill at the back of the garden is the tea house known as Roteki-an (露滴庵, ICP).
According to unconfirmed history, this tea house was originally found inside Fushimi Castle from where it was moved to Hongan-ji, Kyoto until it was disassembled in the late 16th/early 17th century and became property of the Tomishima family.
[6][2] There is a small Japanese rock garden surrounded by the kyakuden to the west, the hōjō to the north, the hōn-dō to the east and by a wall with a Karamon (唐門) gate to the south.
A couple of Shinto shrines and the Monju-dō (文殊堂), a small hall dedicated to Monju, the Bodhisattva of wisdom, are found beyond the tahōtō at the eastern end of the temple precincts.
[13][6][2] There are three notable stone pagodas, designated as Important Cultural Property, found on the temple grounds: one Nōkyōtō (納経塔, lit.
It was built in the 10th month of 1278 by Kōa Yoshichika, as a memorial tower for his father, a wealthy Onomichi businessman.
[6][2] Just north of the nōkyōtō is one of the hōkyōintō, a 3.2 m (10 ft) high pagoda with a notable lotus petal design (kaeribana) at the base.
[6][2] Another hōkyōintō, from the Nanboku-chō period (1333–1392) known as "tomb of Ashikaga Takauji", is found at the southern wall of the temple grounds.
Both hōkyōintō contain shuji seed syllables of among others the Four Buddhas of the Diamond Realm (金剛界四仏, kongōkai shibutsu).
[6][2] The treasure hall (宝物館, hōmotsukan) holds a number of Buddhist sculptures, paintings, crafts articles and written materials, some of which have been designated as Important Cultural Properties.
The principal image of the temple is a 9th-century early Heian period standing sculpture of the Eleven-faced Goddess of Mercy made of colored hinoki wood and designated as Important Cultural Property.
[16][17][18][6] The oldest of these statues dates to 1303, is 94 cm (37 in) tall with the mizura hairstyle holding an incense burner in both hands in front of his body.
[20][21][6] Jōdo-ji owns two notable and similar sutra boxes from 1315, differing in size, originating from China and designated as Important Cultural Properties.
The cover contains the character 天 on the front and 性, 静, 情, 逸 engraved in the four corners.
[23][6] The temple's treasure hall holds four notable articles of written materials designated as Important Cultural Properties.
During the Kenmu era, Ashikaga Takauji, on the way to Kyushu stopped at Jōdo-ji to pray for military success at the temple's Kannon Bodhisattva.
Later, on the 5th day of the 5th month, 1336, on the way back to Kyoto, he stopped by again and together with five of his sons had this scroll offered to the Eleven-faced goddess of mercy, the principal object of worship of Jōdo-ji.
[27][6] In the 1953 movie Tokyo Story directed by Yasujirō Ozu, the temple is prominently featured as a place near the residence of the elderly couple, Shūkichi and Tomi.
