Fudoin Kondo

The rise and fall of Fudo-in Temple Located in Ushida-shinmachi along the Ota River, Fudo-in Temple is Aki Ankoku-ji Temple. During the Muromachi period, Ashikaga brothers Takauji and Tadayoshi built Ankoku-ji temples in various provinces to console the souls of warriors who died in the wars between the Northern and Southern Courts. In Aki Province, Ankoku-ji Temple was established here, and it flourished as the family temple of the Takeda clan, lords of Kanayama Castle. However, during the Daiei era, the temple was burned down in the wars, and it is said that at one point the Yakushi Nyorai Buddha, the principal image of the temple, was barely able to shelter from the elements in a thatched hut. It was restored by Ankoku-ji Ekei, who lived in the Warring States period as a diplomatic monk for the Mori clan. He is said to have been a man of excellent judgment and action. Later, he gained the trust of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and played an active role as one of Hideyoshi's close aides. Ekei served as the chief priest of Ankoku-ji Temple for about 30 years until 1600, during which time he built, rebuilt and improved most of the buildings within the temple. It is believed that it was Ekei's efforts that made Ankoku-ji Temple a large temple. However, after the Battle of Sekigahara, Ekei was executed as one of the leaders of the Western Army, and the lord of Hiroshima, the Mori clan, was transferred to Choshu. Later, Yuchin, a prayer monk for the new lord, Fukushima Masanori, entered Ankoku-ji Temple, changed the sect from the Rinzai sect to Shingon sect, and enshrined Acala in the main temple, which is why the temple came to be called Fudo-in, and has remained so to this day. The main hall of Fudo-in Temple was moved from Yamaguchi It is said that Ekei moved the main hall of Fudo-in Temple to this location from a hall built by Ouchi Yoshitaka in Yamaguchi, Suo Province. The painting of a celestial maiden and flying dragon on the ceiling has the inscription "Tenbun 9 Koshi year (1540)..." so it is believed that it was probably built around that time. This Kondo is the largest Zen Buddhist temple remaining in Japan today. The building's details, such as the shrimp rainbow beams, the carvings of the large bottle bundles, and the brackets under the eaves, are all skillfully crafted, giving it a sense of delicacy amid its grandeur. It also has features not seen in other Zen Buddhist temples, such as an open-air passageway at the front and a mirrored ceiling in the inner sanctuary that is divided into two parts, front and back. Date of designation: February 8, 1958 (Showa 33) Summary: Three bays across, four bays deep, single story, with a soffit, hipped roof, and shingled roof