Miedo 御影堂

Miedo Hall

The Miedo Hall is a building that was once part of the Kyoto Imperial Palace complex. As a palace building it was called the Seiryoden Hall, and during the Keicho era (1596–1615) it served as a pavilion where the emperor could rest and receive visitors. After the court donated the building to Ninnaji, it became a place of worship, with a statue of the priest Kobo Daishi (774–835) as its principal object of worship.

Kobo Daishi, known during his life as Kukai, was the founder of the Shingon school of Buddhism. After his death, the imperial court granted Kukai the posthumous title of Kobo Daishi. The 59th Emperor Uda became a Shingon monk after his abdication and took the name Kanpyo Ho-o; he was the first head of the temple. Ninnaji is the head temple of a branch known as the Omuro School.

Miei-dō Hall

The Miei-dō Hall, Eikandō’s largest building, is a shrine to the founders of the Pure Land school of Buddhism, and memorial services are performed here each year in April. The centermost altar enshrines a statue of Hōnen (1133–1212), who established Pure Land Buddhism in Japan. The altar on the left holds a statue of Shōkū (1177–1247), one of Hōnen’s primary disciples and the founder of the Seizan branches of Pure Land Buddhism, and the altar on the right has a statue of Shandao (613–681), an eminent Chinese scholar of Pure Land Buddhism whose writings were studied extensively by Hōnen and Shōkū.

Also enshrined in the Miei-dō Hall is a statue of Binzuru (Sanskrit: Pindola Bharadvaja), the first of the 16 arhats, who flaunted his supernatural abilities and was admonished by Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha. Before attaining true enlightenment, Binzuru was tasked with remaining on earth to continue to spread Buddhist teaching. It is believed that rubbing his body will cure sickness or disease, and the statue’s head is smooth and shiny from decades of being rubbed by visiting pilgrims.

The centermost altar (shumidan) itself is a representation of Mt. Shumi, the centermost point of the world within Buddhist cosmology and the realm of the Four Heavenly Kings (Shitennō) who guard the four directions and are represented by statues in the corners of the hall. It is also said that the 48 pillars that support the roof represent Amida Buddha’s 48 bodhisattva vows, including the Fundamental Vow (Hongan) to save all those who believe in him.

Eikandō’s Miei-dō Hall has been rebuilt several times. After being burned down during the Ōnin War (1467–1477), it was rebuilt in 1497 by Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado (1442–1500) and rebuilt again in 1600 and 1912. The hall is constructed of zelkova wood in an eclectic blend of Zen and traditional Japanese styles.

Founder’s Hall

Enshrined here is Shinran (1173–1262), the founder of Jodo Shinshu (True Pure Land) Buddhism. This hall is the largest and most important building within Higashi Honganji, the head temple of the Otani branch of Jodo Shinshu.

The primary object of worship in the hall is a wooden statue of Shinran that he is believed to have carved himself. The image is kept in a reliquary whose doors are unlocked and opened every morning by one of his descendants, as has been the tradition for centuries.

The hall was constructed between 1880 and 1895 after the former building burned down. It is 76 meters long, 58 meters wide, and 38 meters tall, making it one of the largest wooden structures in the world, with room for up to 3,000 people to congregate. The double-layered hip-and-gable roof makes the building appear to have two stories, but the lower roof is decorative.