Kosanji’s Sister Church 高山寺の姉妹教会

Official explanation

The Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi in Italy became Kosanji's sister church in 1986 with the blessing of Pope John Paul II. It is rare for two institutions representing different faiths to be linked in this way.

The key figures, Saint Francis (1182–1226) and Myoe (1173–1232), were deemed to have much in common as individuals and in their spirituality. Both preferred solitary practice, rejected secular prosperity, and revered nature. Kosanji has a painting of Myoe meditating in a tree, with birds flying above him. The Basilica of Saint Francis has a painting of Saint Francis preaching to birds.

Read the full explanation

The link between Kosanji Temple and the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi pays homage to two men who lived far apart but led interestingly similar lives.

出典: 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース（観光庁） — www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db. この英語解説文は観光庁の地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業で作成しました。
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Explanation Database. This English text was produced by the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual explanation project and is shown unedited. Opening hours and services may have changed since it was written.