The Gods of Mount Koya Exhibition

Mount Koya is located in a basin of mountains called the Inner Eight Leaves and the Outer Eight Leaves, and is a sacred place of Shingon esoteric Buddhism, likened to the eight-petaled lotus flower on the central platform of the Taizokai Mandala, and is known as the Pure Land of the Buddha's Body. Kobo Daishi presented this land suitable for esoteric Buddhism to the Imperial Court, which bestowed it upon him in Konin 7 (816). As the first step in the construction of temple buildings, the Daishi enshrined Kariba Myojin, who had guided him to Mount Koya, Nyu Myojin, the local land god, and the Twentieth deity of the Twelve Princes, in the temple complex. According to the Daishi's revelation, the one hundred and twenty attendant deities were divided into thirty deities each in four directions, and it was prayed that the thirty deities would take turns to protect the people and the temple complex together with the two deities every month. The founding of Mount Koya was also to fulfill a vow that Kobo Daishi made to the gods when he returned to Japan from China, praying for a safe voyage.

In addition to the gods enshrined by the Great Master, there are other deities such as the esoteric Buddhism heavenly deities such as Harita Mu and the ancient Japanese deity Hachiman who have maintained close ties with esoteric Buddhism and are fervently worshipped at Mount Koya in their own individual forms.

In this special exhibition, the gods who have been worshipped by Kobo Daishi since the temple's founding, as well as those whose worship has ceased, will be displayed as "The Gods of Mount Koya" through 3 national treasures (6 items), 12 important cultural properties (13 items), and 34 undesignated cultural properties (45 items).