Founder’s Hall (Kaisando) 開山堂

Official explanation

The hall at the end of this path is dedicated to Saeki Ariyori (dates unknown), the man credited with establishing Mt. Tate as a site of worship in the eighth century. It contains a wooden statue of Saeki, depicted in a seated position with hands clasped, possibly in prayer. The statue dates from the early Kamakura period (1185–1333) and is designated an Important Cultural Property.

According to legend, a young Saeki encountered manifestations of Amida Buddha, the Buddha of infinite light and life, and Fudo Myo-o, the Immovable Wisdom Buddha, on Mt. Tate. He is said to have been out hunting with his father’s white hawk when he encountered a fearsome bear. The creature attacked, but the young hunter managed to loose an arrow into its chest. Bleeding, the animal fled.

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Saeki followed the blood trail deep into the mountain and eventually saw the bear enter a cave. Followed by his father’s hawk, he took a cautious step inside and was suddenly blinded by a flash of light. When his vision returned, there was no sign of either the bear or the hawk. Instead, Amida Buddha stood before him, pierced by the arrow, accompanied by Fudo Myo-o.

Overwhelmed, Saeki apologized profusely to Amida, who responded by imploring the young hunter to receive the Buddhist precepts and commit himself to ascetic practice. Saeki agreed and was granted the religious name Jiko. He devoted his life to promoting ascetic practice on the mountain, eventually founding the present-day village of Ashikuraji. Exhibitions at the nearby Tateyama Museum of Toyama introduce the history of worship on Mt. Tate, including the legend of Saeki Ariyori.

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.