Fudoin Kondo

The Rise and Fall of Fudoin Temple
Fudoin Temple, located in Ushida-Shinmachi along the Ota River, is Aki Ankokuji Temple.

During the Muromachi period, brothers Ashikaga Takauji and Tadayoshi built Ankokuji temples in various provinces to console the spirits of samurai who died in the wars between the Northern and Southern Courts. This is when Ankokuji Temple was established in Aki Province. It flourished as a Zen temple of the highest rank and as the family temple of the Takeda clan, lords of Kanayama Castle.

However, during the Daiei era (1521-1528), the temple buildings were burned down in the ravages of war, and it is said that at one point the principal image of Medicine Buddha was barely able to shelter from the elements in a straw shed.

It was rebuilt by Ankokuji Ekei, who lived through the Warring States period as a diplomatic monk for the Mori clan.

He is said to have been a man of excellent judgment and initiative.

Later, he gained the trust of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and served as one of his close aides.

Ekei served as the abbot of Ankoku-ji Temple for approximately 30 years, until 1600, during which time he constructed, rebuilt, and maintained most of the temple's buildings.

It is believed that Ekei's influence also contributed to the development of Ankoku-ji Temple.

However, after the Battle of Sekigahara, Ekei was executed as one of the ringleaders of the Western Army, and the Mori clan, lords of Hiroshima, were also transferred to Choshu.

Later, Yuchin, a prayer monk for the new lord, Fukushima Masanori, entered Ankoku-ji Temple and converted his sect from Rinzai to Shingon Buddhism. He enshrined a statue of Acala in the main temple, and the temple came to be known as Fudo-in Temple, a name it still has to this day.

The Kondo Hall, relocated from Yamaguchi
The Kondo Hall of Fudoin Temple is said to have been originally built by Ouchi Yoshitaka in Yamaguchi, Suo Province, and then relocated here by Ekei.
The painting of a celestial maiden and flying dragon on the ceiling bears the inscription "Tenbun 9 Koushi year (1540)...," suggesting that it was likely built around that time.

This Kondo Hall is the largest Zen Buddhist temple remaining in Japan.
With intricately crafted details such as the shrimp-shaped rafters, the large bottle-shaped sash carvings, and the joints under the eaves, the building exudes a sense of delicacy amid its grandeur.
Furthermore, the hall boasts features not found in other Zen Buddhist temples, such as an open-air one-ken passageway at the front and a mirrored ceiling in the inner sanctuary, divided into two sections, front and back.

Date of designation: February 8, 1958
Overview: Three bays wide, four bays deep, single-story, with a mokai (semi-jointed veranda), hip-and-gable roof, and shingled roof