Japanese Taj Mahal and Family War 本願寺は父子戦争の結果

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I’ve never been to the Taj Mahal, but looking at this temple made me feel as if I had. This is Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple in Tsukiji, Tokyo. Although it was first built in 1617, it was rebuilt in 1934 after being destroyed by a fire in 1923. The unique design was created by Chuta Ito, a Japanese architect who studied Indian architecture. It’s no wonder it reminds me of the Taj Mahal.

Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple is one of more than 10,000 temples across Japan belonging to the Jodo Shinshu school—the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan, with Nishi Hongwanji Temple in Kyoto serving as the head temple.

Kyoto itself is home to the two most famous Hongwanji branches: Nishi Hongwanji (West) and Higashi Hongwanji (East), which share a fascinating split history. Given its distinct South Asian-inspired stone exterior, it’s no wonder I was reminded of the Taj Mahal when I first looked at Tsukiji Hongwanji.

2020/1/17 Japanese Taj Mahal? タージマハル？

Name of temple	Location	Founded in	Founded by	Key supporter
Nishi (western) Hongwanji temple	Shichijo Horikawa, Kyoto	1591	Kennyo	Hideyoshi Toyotomi; the second unifier of Japan
Higashi (eastern) Hongwanji temple	East of the Western Hongwanji	1602	Kyonyo, Kennyo's eldest son	Ieyasu Tokugawa; the third and last unifier of Japan

In short, the eastern temple is the product of a conflict between a father and son, intertwined with the samurai rivalry between Hideyoshi Toyotomi (1537–1598) and Ieyasu Tokugawa (1543–1616). Hideyoshi was the second of the three key samurai warriors who contributed to the unification of Japan, while Ieyasu was the last, founding the Edo period which spanned over 260 years from 1603 to 1868.

 
After years of fighting against Nobunaga—Hideyoshi’s master—the father, Kennyo, accepted a peace agreement and established the western temple with Hideyoshi's support. However, his eldest son, Kyonyo, insisted on continuing the fight. This internal rift within the Buddhist family led the son to break away from his father's faction and establish a separate temple, the eastern Hongwanji temple, with support from Ieyasu.

From the 1960s to the 1980s, however, the eastern temple sect further split into four sub-sects due to religious and financial disputes. Three of the resulting four head temples are now located in Kyoto, while the fourth is in Asakusa, Tokyo. Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple, on the other hand, is completely unrelated to these four, as it belongs to the western (Nishi) Hongwanji temple group.

Of these Hongwanji temples, I’ve only visited Tsukiji Hongwanji in Tokyo and Nishi Hongwanji—the mother/father temple—in Kyoto. Even though the 'Taj Mahal' of Tokyo looks completely different from the traditional wooden head temple in Kyoto, both are definitely worth a visit.

Nishi (western) Hongwanji and Higashi (eastern) Hongwanji temples are a five- and seven-minute walk from Kyoto Station, respectively.

Located in Tokyo, Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple is easily accessible on foot from four nearby stations:

• Tsukiji Station (Hibiya Line) – Direct connection (0–1 min. walk)
• Higashi-ginza Station (Hibiya Line) – 5-minute walk
• Shintomicho Station (Yurakucho Line) – 5-minute walk
• Tsukijishijo Station (Toei Oedo Line) – 5-minute walk

Needless to say, while you're in Tsukiji, you can visit the historic temple and also indulge in Japanese delicacies like sushi, ramen, and wagyu beef!

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築地本願寺です。でもタージマハルに見えませんか。1617年創建ですが、関東大震災後の火事で焼け落ちてしまい、1934年にインド建築を勉強した伊東忠太氏の設計で建て直されました。タージマハルに見えるのも納得です！

築地本願寺は京都の西本願寺直轄の寺だとのこと。そこでいつも気になっていることを調べてみました。西本願寺と東本願寺ってどう違うの？すると以下のことが分かりました。

名称	創建年度	創健者	庇護者
西本願寺	1591	顕如	豊臣秀吉
東本願寺	1602	教如（顕如の長男）	徳川家康

父子の争いと覇権争いが結びついたのでしょうか。ちなみに1960年代から1980年代にかけて東本願寺はさらに4派に分裂し、その内3つは京都に、残りの1つは浅草に寺があるとのこと（お東騒動）。宗教恐るべしです。

京都の西本願寺と築地本願寺にしか行ったことはありません。見た目は全然違いますが、両方とも見る価値のある寺だと思います。

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