Collection Introduction

Kongobu-ji Temple / 3rd year of Otoku / Heian period

It depicts the scene of Shakyamuni's Nirvana beneath the twin Sāla trees, and has been used since ancient times as the principal image in Nirvana ceremonies.
This painting bears an ink inscription from 1086, making it the oldest surviving Nirvana painting of its kind. Its graceful and elegant expression makes it a masterpiece worthy of being called the greatest work of Japanese Buddhist painting.

Yushi Hachiman-ko/Heian-Kamakura period

It is particularly famous as a masterpiece of the Raigo-zu (welcoming painting) genre, depicting a large three-panel painting of Amida Buddha and various saints playing musical instruments coming to welcome the deceased.

Yushi Hachiman-ko/Heian period

It is enshrined as the principal image of the Nio-e, which prays for the protection of the nation. Originally there were five paintings in the set, but two were lost in a great fire in 1888, and only three remain today.

Its production date is thought to date back to the mid-Heian period.

Seikeiin/Momoyama period

This is a portrait of Takeda Shingen painted by Hasegawa Tōhaku (1539-1610) when he was young. The statue's subject has an imposing physique, shaven head, upturned eyebrows, sharp eyes, a thick moustache, and long sideburns, and the spirit of a military commander who fought through turbulent times is beautifully depicted.

Jimyoin / Momoyama period

Asai Nagamasa's wife, Oichi, was the younger sister of Oda Nobunaga and was a woman renowned for her beauty, but she is also well known as a person who was at the mercy of the turbulent waves of the Sengoku period.
This painting was donated to Jimyoin, the family temple of the Azai clan, along with statues of Azai Hisamasa and Nagamasa.

Kongobu-ji Temple / China Tang Dynasty

It is said to have been brought over from China by Kobo Daishi Kukai and was made in the 7th century. The fragrant wood (sandalwood) is divided into three pieces, each connected by a hinge, and various bodhisattvas are intricately carved around Shaka Nyorai.
It is designed so that it can be carried around by closing the two doors that make up the niche, and is also known as a pillow image.

Kongobu-ji Temple / Late Heian Period

It was the original principal image of the Garan Fudo Hall (a national treasure) and was enshrined together with the Eight Great Children. The left eye is slightly narrowed, and the upper and lower teeth are visible from the mouth. The slender body and the elegant flowing lines of the clothing at the knees show the style of the late Heian period.

(By Unkei) Kongobu-ji Temple/Kamakura Period

This statue is one of the Eight Great Doji. According to temple tradition, it was made by Unkei in Kenkyū 9 (1198), and its craftsmanship and other features make it highly likely that it was made by Unkei or at his workshop.

(By Unkei) Kongobu-ji Temple/Kamakura Period

This is one of the Eight Great Doji statues enshrined together with the seated Acala statue, the principal image of the temple's Fudo Hall. It serves as an emissary of Acala. Its dignified expression shows outstanding workmanship.

Kongobu-ji Temple/Early Heian Period

It is the original principal image of the West Pagoda of the temple complex and is the Vairocana Buddha of the Diamond Realm.
The West Pagoda is said to have been built in 887, and this statue is thought to be the original one. It is extremely valuable as one of the few early Heian period statues at Mount Koya.

Shochiin/Early Heian period

It is made from a single piece of cypress wood. It is characterized by the large lotus flower (choren) on its head, and its eyes wide open, ready to go. The depth of its body conveys a sense of weight. It is the oldest of the Acala statues still standing at Mount Koya. It was made in the early Heian period.

Kongobu-ji Temple/Kamakura Period

This is the original principal image of the Garan Kujaku-do, and was built in 1200 by the Buddhist sculptor Kaikei at the request of Emperor Gotoba. The picturesque pose of a Buddha riding on a peacock's back is beautifully perfected as a Buddhist sculpture.

Kongobu-ji Temple/Heian Period

This volume is the handwritten work of Kobo Daishi. It is a discussion of the three religions of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism by three people under his patronage. Confucianism is discussed by Betsuke Sensei, Taoism by Kyobo Inshi, and Buddhism by Kana Koji. They discuss the relative merits of the three religions and explain the wonderful principles of Buddhism. It is said that the Daishi expressed his intention to become a monk among his relatives and acquaintances.
The preface reads, "At the time of Emperor Taira's reign, the Holy Emperor was called Zui, and it was written on the first day of the difficult month of the 16th year of the Enryaku era," which reveals that this work was written when the Master was 24 years old.
The writing paper used is high-quality hemp paper with vertical blinds, and the calligraphy style is mainly semi-cursive with a touch of miscellaneous calligraphy mixed in. The calligraphy style is a brush stroke that suggests the brush strokes were well-learned from the semi-cursive style of the Jin and Tang dynasties, and is written powerfully with a slight upward slope.
There are some differences between this volume and "Sankyo Shiiki," which is said to have revised and retitled this volume, including the preface and ten-rhyme poem. At the end of the second volume, there is a postscript by Muso Kokushi and a letter of donation by Sumie. These indicate that this volume was bestowed upon Kokushi by Prince Kanson of Daikakuji Temple in 1346, passed through Saihoji Temple and then on to Ninnaji Temple, and was placed in the Goei-do Hall at Mt. Koya in 1536, after being stored in the sutra repository at Ninnaji Temple.

Kongobu-ji Temple/Heian Period

In the prayer for the construction of Chuson-ji Temple dated March twenty-fourth 1126(Tenji ３), Fujiwara no Kiyohira wrote, "A copy of the entire Buddhist scriptures, made of gold and silver, was donated," and the corresponding Buddhist scriptures are now kept at Kongobu-ji Temple as national treasures. Among the many volumes of sutras, the oldest has a colophon dated 1117(Eikyū ５), indicating that they had been copied before the prayer for the construction of the temple.
The scroll is made of dark blue paper with silver borders, and alternate lines of gold and silver characters are written on it. It is also known as the "Chusonji Sutra" or the "Kiyohira Sutra" after the name of the person who made the scroll. The inside cover paintings are mostly of Shakyamuni preaching in gold and silver ink, but they are also characterized by their rich variety, including pagodas, landscapes, animals, plants, and people that express the meaning of the sutra.

A total of 298 volumes and 15 books (also the continued collection of treasure slips, Volume Seventy-eight, Letters from the peasants of Ategasho Village, etc.)

The Hokanshu, Zoku Hokanshu, and Mata Zoku Hokanshu are compilations of the most important ancient documents handed down to Mount Koya, compiled in scrolls and booklets, and are an indispensable collection of ancient documents not only to the history of Mount Koya but also to the history of Japan.
The photo shows a letter dated October 1275, 28, filed by farmers of Ategawa Manor (currently Shimizu Town, Arida County, Wakayama Prefecture) against the manor lords (Enman-in Temple and Jakuraku-ji Temple) and outlined thirteen articles about the atrocities committed by the local lord (Yuasa and his family). This letter is often included in textbooks, and the line "Mimi wo kiri Hana wo sogi" ("cut ears and cut flowers") is particularly famous.

Heian Period/Hokanshu Volume 33

This is a handwritten letter by Yoshitsune in which he accepted the lawsuit filed by Mount Koya. Around the time when the Taira clan was about to disappear into the Western Sea, an incident occurred in which Ategawasho, which was the territory of Mount Koya, was embezzled. Yoshitsune, who was the governor of the capital, accepted the lawsuit filed by Mount Koya.

Kongobu-ji Temple / 1285

The town stone of Mt. Koya was originally a wooden stupa erected from Jison-in Temple at the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain as a guidepost for pilgrims. It had rotted away due to years of wind and snow, so Kakuko, the head priest of Henjoko-in Temple, made a vow to have it replaced with a stone one, and it took from 1265 (Bun'ei ２) to 1277 (Kenji ３) to have it replaced. This prayer was written at the memorial service for the town stone's fall on October twenty-first, 1285 (Kōan ８), and is one of the most authentic prayers from the Kamakura period. It is said to have been written by Fujiwara no Gyōyō, the eighth abbot of Seson-ji Temple.

Koyasan Shakamon-in Temple / Heian Period

It is believed to be a copy of the selected calligraphy that Kukai himself wrote when he was asked to write the inscription for the monument at Masudaike Pond in Yamato Province (Kashihara City, Nara Prefecture), which was completed in 825. This scroll is written in 24 large lines on 152 sheets of five-colored silk in a mixture of seal, clerical, running, cursive, and miscellaneous calligraphy.

Kongobu-ji Temple / Late Heian Period

This chest was made in the late Heian period and is famous for its use of lacquer painting techniques. The entire chest is painted black with lacquer, and various types of gold powder are sprinkled and polished to create a pattern of plovers playing in a stream. It is thought that it was originally used to store sutra scrolls.

(Included prayer beads) Kongobu-ji Temple

This prayer bead box has a twelve-petal flower-shaped inro lid and is made of paper with alternating layers of Japanese paper and linen pasted on top and then lacquered. The front and back are completely painted with black lacquer, and the peony branch and butterfly patterns are scattered on a flat dust ground sprinkled with gold powder. Inside are two strands of prayer beads that are said to have been given to Kobo Daishi by Emperor Junso when he traveled to the Tang Dynasty. One strand is made of dragonfly beads with a red wavy line pattern on a white background, and the other is made of light brown, flat, orange-shaped glass beads made using old techniques.

Kongobu-ji Temple/Heian Period

Esoteric Buddhist ritual implements (Buddhist implements) are indispensable in esoteric Buddhist practices. Originally they were weapons from India, they were later adopted as esoteric Buddhist ritual implements and became symbols of the practitioner's destruction of worldly desires. These esoteric Buddhist ritual implements are called single-pronged vajra, three-pronged vajra, or five-pronged vajra depending on the number of prongs at the end. In addition, a five-pronged vajra or a single-pronged vajra with a bell attached to one end is called a goko bell or dokko bell.

Kongobu-ji Temple/Nara Period

This copper plate triad was discovered at the end of the Meiji period along with a gilt bronze pagoda (see below) in the soil near the left rear of the Okunoin shrine fence. The central statue is a preaching seal, and the two statues on either side are cast standing figures with their right hand raised and their left hand held up, and are thought to be the original form of the Oshidashi Buddha. It is a work from the Nara period.

Kongobu-ji Temple/Hakuho Period

This gilt bronze bodhisattva statue was excavated in May 1963 from the right side of the stone steps in front of the lantern hall of Okunoin. Although some parts are missing, it is in good condition for an excavated Buddhist statue and is an excellent example. It is a single bronze casting, and because what appears to be a seated Buddha can be seen on the jeweled crown and part of a jeweled jar remains in the left hand, it is believed to be a statue of Kannon bodhisattva and was produced around the latter half of the 7th century.

Kongobu-ji Temple/Kamakura Period

This gilt bronze pagoda was discovered in the late Meiji period in the ground near the left rear of the fenced area of ​​Okunoin Gobyo. The body of the pagoda depicts the seeds of the four Buddhas of the Vajrayana realm, and the base is engraved with an inscription by the deceased, Nanbo Matajiro Nyudo, which reads, "The remains of Nanbo Matajiro Nyudo, who entered nirvana and was buried in the earth of Okunoin, on Mount Koya's Hachiyo Peak, died on June twenty-second 1287(Kōan １０)."

Kongobu-ji Temple/Heian Period

In 1964, the buried sutra of Bhikkuni Hoyaku, encased in a triple-layered container, was discovered near the mausoleum of Okunoin. This prayer is inscribed with the date Eikyu 1114 (Eikyū ２), and it was discovered that a person named Bhikkuni Hoyaku had copied the sutra with her prayers, placed it in a ceramic container, and buried it in the ground. Although it was discovered more than 850 years later, it is surprisingly well preserved.