Eigen-ji

---

title: "Eigen-ji" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["buddhist-temples-in-shiga-prefecture", "eigen-ji-temples", "rinzai-temples", "higashiōmi"] description: "Buddhist temple in Higashiōmi, Japan" topic_path: "society/religion" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eigen-ji" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Buddhist temple in Higashiōmi, Japan ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox religious building"]

Field	Value
name	Eigen-ji
native_name	永源寺
image	Eigen-ji (Rinzai temple).jpg
caption	Main Hall
map_type	Japan Shiga Prefecture#Japan
map_alt	Location in Japan
relief	1
map_caption	Hyakusai-ji
location	41 Eigenjitakano-chō, Higashiōmi-shi, Shiga Prefecture
coordinates
religious_affiliation	Buddhist
rite	Rinzai school
deity	Yotsugi Kanzeon Bosatsu (Avalokiteśvara of prosperity to descendants)
country	Japan
functional_status	Head Temple
website
founded_by	Sasaki Ujiyori and Jakushitsu Genkō
year_completed	1361
::

| name = Eigen-ji | native_name = 永源寺 | image = Eigen-ji (Rinzai temple).jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Main Hall | map_type = Japan Shiga Prefecture#Japan | map_alt = Location in Japan | relief = 1 | map_caption = Hyakusai-ji | location = 41 Eigenjitakano-chō, Higashiōmi-shi, Shiga Prefecture | coordinates = | religious_affiliation = Buddhist | rite = Rinzai school | deity = Yotsugi Kanzeon Bosatsu (Avalokiteśvara of prosperity to descendants) | country = Japan | functional_status = Head Temple | website = | founded_by = Sasaki Ujiyori and Jakushitsu Genkō | year_completed = 1361 Eigen-ji is a Buddhist temple in the Eigenji-Takano neighborhood of the city of Higashiōmi, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. It is the head temple of one of the 14 autonomous branches of the Rinzai school of Japanese Zen

History

Eigen-ji was founded in 1361 by the famous poet and roshi Jakushitsu Genkō under the sponsorship of the shugo of Ōmi Province, Sasaki Ujinori.

At its peak, the temple had over 2000 priests and 56 chapels on the mountainside. During the Onin War, many priests from the Kyoto Gozan temple sought sanctuary at Eigen-ji; however, the temple burned down in 1492 and again in 1563 and fell into decline afterwards.

According to a tradition in Inabe city in Mie Prefecture, a priest from Eigen-ji escaped over the Suzuka Mountains into Ise Province bearing the temple's treasures when the temple was destroyed by Takigawa Kazumasa on orders of Oda Nobunaga in 1570; however, there are no records of such an event at Eigen-ji itself.

During the Edo period, the temple was revived by an abbot named Isshi Bunshu from Myōshin-ji in Kyoto, under the sponsorship of Emperor Go-Mizunoo, his consort Tofukumon-in and Hikone Domain.

Present day

Today Eigen-ji is the head temple of the Eigen-ji branch of Rinzai Zen and governs more than 120 temples and one monastery.

The temple is a noted spot for hanami cherry blossom viewing in spring, with a variant of the sakura known as the "Eigenji-zakura" growing around the temple area. It is also known for the autumn colours of its maple trees in the autumn.

Because of the natural beauty surrounding the temple, it is one of the 100 Views of nature in Kansai.

Principle image

The principle image of Eigen-ji temple is the Yotsugi Kannon. Legend has it that the first abbot of the temple, Jakushitsu, found a small Kannon statue on a rock near the temple. He invited the renowned Buddhist sculptor Gotokan to come to the temple and create a larger statue - inside which the small Kannon statue was embedded.

The principle image of Eigen-ji temple is a hibutus, or “hidden Buddha”. The image is hidden from public view behind a set of closed doors. However, once every 25 years or so, the doors are temporarily opened so that worshippers can gain a glimpse of the statue. The last time that this occurred was in 2016.

Gallery

Eigen-ji (Rinzai temple) - front area landscaping.jpg Eigen-ji (Rinzai temple) - front area.jpg Eigen-ji (Rinzai temple) landscape.jpg Eigen-ji (Rinzai temple) landscape1.jpg Eigen-ji (Rinzai temple) landscape2.jpg Eigenji temple, 永源寺 - panoramio.jpg|Sanmon

References

Notes

References

1. "About Eugene-ji Temple 永源寺について｜臨済宗永源寺派 大本山 永源寺".
2. Nishio, Hisaichi. (1988). "鈴鹿の山と谷 3 (Mountains and Valleys in Suzuka 3)". Nakanishiya Publishing.
3. "Rinzai-Obaku zen {{!}} Head Temples - Eigenji Temple".
4. "関西自然に親しむ風景100選－検索する".
5. "Eigen-ji Temple, Head Temple of the Eigen-ji Branch of the Rinzai Zen Buddhism".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::