Historic Heritage
Konshoji Temple
This temple of the Tendai sect stands near the summit of Mt. Konzeyama in an aura of stillness and silence.
Following its founding by Roben (687-773) in the Nara Period, the garan grand hall atop the mountain was built by Ganan, and it became recognized as a state-sponsored temple to pray for the peace of the country, being awarded an allotment of 2 annual ordinands.
In the Middle Ages, it became the center of Buddhist culture in the Konan Area, with many people converting to Buddhism such as the first shogun of the Kamakura Period, Minamoto no Yorimoto, the famous samurai Minamoto no Yoshitsune, the first shogun of the Muromachi Period, Ashikaga Takauji, and his son, Ashikaga Yoshiakira.
Ascending the approach, one comes upon the Nio-mon Gate, then continuing one level higher, the front of the Hondo Main Hall. Before the Hondo and to the right, the Nigatsu-do Hall stands, in which the oldest and largest standing wooden statue of Gundari Myo-o (Kundali Wisdom King) in Japan is enshrined.
This ancient scene instills a feeling of peace in one's heart.
On the hill to the left of the Hondo Main Hall is the Kokuzo-do Hall, in which is enshrined a wooden statue of Kokuzo Bosatsu (Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva) sitting in a half-lotus position. Kokuzo Bosatsu is worshipped as a symbol of great wisdom and good fortune, and as the buddha of the Jusan Mairi Coming of Age Ceremony.
Wooden Statue of Shaka Nyorai (the historical Buddha) Seated Wooden Statue of Gundari Myo-o (Kundali Wisdom King) Standing Wooden Statue of Kokuzo Bosatsu (Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva) Sitting in Half-lotus Wooden Statue of Bishamonten (Vaiśravana) Standing Wooden Statue of Jizo Bosatsu (Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva) Sitting
Now on Sale!【"Konshoji Temple Horseshoe Votive Tablets" made with a real horseshoe and "Thoroughbred Votive Tablets" made in the shape of a horse】
Inquiries：Konshoji Temple Honbo
TEL：077-558-2996
Access：Konshoji Temple HonboMAP
Parking spaces：13
※fee for viewing the principal object is required
Komasaka Stone Buddhist Reliefs (Komasaka magaibutsu)
On Mt. Konzeyama near the border of Otsu City, facing the ruins of Komasakadera Temple is a high relief of the Buddhist Triad carved onto the face of a giant granite boulder.
In a 6-meter tall and 3.6-meter wide rock face is carved the statue of ａ 3-meter-tall Amida Nyorai (Amitabha Tathagata) seated in the middle with a head 70 centimeters wide, with Kannon Bosatsu (Avalokiteśvara) and Seishi Bosatsu (Mahāsthāmaprāpta) flanking him. There are 12 intermediate-level reliefs of Buddhist figures surrounding them, carved into the rock.
The central figure of Amida Nyorai is seated on a rectangular seat on a dais representing Mt. Sumeru with a lotus design, and the flanking figures of Kannon and Seishi stand atop lotus daises.
The Amida Nyorai figure does not depict the classical rahotsu spiral-shaped curls of hair to symbolize enlightenment, and he is clothed in monk's robes which expose his right shoulder. The hem of his robes drapes over the pedestal as he sits with feet crossed, and it appears he is performing a mudra similar to the dharmachakra mudra, though it cannot be clearly distinguished. As the flanking figures are without any label, their names cannot be confirmed.
However, it is a composition characteristic of the triad as the flanking images have their hair tied up in large topknots, as well as their faces and hips pointed toward the central figure.
It is unclear as to when the reliefs were carved, but as the ruins of the Komasakadera Temple (serving as the back temple for Konshoji Temple) constructed around 816 by Ganan who founded Konshoji Temple are found directly below it, it is theorized that they were carved sometime during the temple's heyday, between the Heian Period and the Kamakura Period (794 - 1333). Another theory dates their creation as far back as the Hakuho Period (645 - 710), but it remains unknown.
The influence from Unified Silla (the Korean Peninsula from 668 – 935) on the style of the central figure can clearly be recognized, with a gentle rounded face, large eyes and nose, and extremely realistic shoulders. Long ago, immigrants from mainland Asia settled around this area, and it can be said that they transmitted the Chinese style of Buddhist Stone statues to here.
○Please see the address to the Ritto City Website written below for more information about the Konzeyama Hiking Course, on which the Komasaka Stone Buddhist Reliefs can be found:
http://www.city.ritto.lg.jp/kanko/konnzeyamahiking/8614.html
Inquiries：Ritto City Tourism and Local Products Association
TEL：077-551-0126
Access：Ritto City, ArahariMAP
Former Herbal Medicine Store (Kyu Wachusan Honpo)
Located about 2 kilometers east of JR Tehara Station following the Old Tokaido Road in the Rokujizo area. The setup of a prosperous merchant from long ago still remains in the house of the Osumi Yaemon family.
The Osumi Clan prospered as a pharmacy selling herbal medicine called wachusan, amidst several drug stores selling medicines to travelers passing through Rokujizo in the Edo Period. It is said that the house operated not just as a pharmacy, but as a rest stop between Kusatsu-juku Station and Ishibe-juku Station, for nobles and daimyo lords. It is said that the name wachusan (literally "neutralizing powder") was given to this medicine directly by Tokugawa Ieyasu in person. When he was suffering from a stomach ache, he was presented with the medicine, and immediately recovered upon taking it.
The interior of the house is truly gorgeous, with a large area for the store, luxurious ranma transoms over the entranceway and more. In particular, installed in the store space are robustly constructed plank doors, something no doubt the shop of a wealthy merchant would possess. Furthermore, the forms of old remain preserved in the work area via a geared rotary quern for powdering medicine with wooden driving wheels, creating a fascinating scene.
The storefront, the medicine manufacturing area, the kitchen, living quarters, and entranceway, as well as the residence, front gate and retreat space are all designated Important Cultural Properties by the country, and the entire complex is designated a Historic Site by the country.
In 2001, the garden was designated a Place of Scenic Beauty by the country. This Chisen Kansho-style pond appreciation garden, said to have been a piece designed by Enshu Kobori, has grassy knolls constructed the main garden, and Mt. Nikkoyama is able to be seen in the background. This garden is painted with a sense of refinement like a scene taken out of a traveler's heart while journeying on the Tokaido Road.
＜Important Cultural Properties＞
Osumi House Main Building, Gate, Retreat Space
＜Historic Site＞
Former Herbal Medicine Store (Kyu Wachusan Honpo)
＜Place of Scenic Beauty＞
Osumi Garden
Inquiries：Ritto Tourism Association
TEL：077-551-0126
Access：Ritto City, Rokujizo 402MAP
Entrance fee：500 yen, by appointment only
Parking spaces：3
Shinzenkoji Temple
A temple of Pure Land Buddhism, about 2.2 kilometers east of JR Tehara Station. The temple is said to have its origins in the Mid-Kamakura Period, when Munesada Komatsu, a descendant of Taira no Shigemori, visited Zenkoji Temple in Shinano Province (now Nagano Prefecture) 48 times to commemorate the Taira Clan. He experienced a vision, and brought a statue of Amida Nyorai (Amitabha Tathagata) in the likeness of what he saw back to Ritto. In the reception hall, a Nanboku-cho Period (1336 - 1392) Wooden Statue of Amida Nyorai Standing is enshrined. It is designated an Important Cultural Property, as it demonstrates influence from the Song dynasty of China (960 - 1279).
There is a beautiful rock garden in front of the reception hall, said to have been constructed at the time when Toshitsugu Honda, lord of the Zeze Domain, built the main hall. In the center of the garden is an island, at the tip of which is placed an unusually shaped rock, looking exactly like the head of a turtle.
○One of the 108 Holy Sites of Biwako
＜Important Cultural Property＞
Wooden Statue of Amida Nyorai Standing
＜Important Cultural Property of the City＞
Single Aureola Amida Nyorai Triad (not publicly displayed)
Inquiries：Shinzenkoji Temple
TEL：077-552-0075
Access：Ritto City, Hayashi, 256MAP
A taxi from JR Tehara Station costs about 800 yen.
Parking spaces：50
HP：To access the home page and mobile site, please search "Shinzenkoji Shiga"https://www.shinzenkoji.jp/
Tohozan Anyoji Temple
This Sennyu Sect temple of Shingon Buddhism was built for the Emperor Shomu to worship at. It served as a camp of the 9th shogun of the Muromachi Period, Yoshihisa Ashikaga.
【Yoshihisa Ashikaga Encampment Ruins】
In order to suppress the doings of Takayori Sasaki (Takayori Rokkaku), Yoshihisa Ashikaga, the 9th shogun of the Muromachi Period, made his camp at Anyoji and commanded from there. The Sasaki Clan's forces fought little against the shogun's army before hiding in Koga. The Sasaki Clan's forces fought little against the shogun's army before hiding in Koga.
【Tohozan Anyoji Temple Garden】
The garden spreads out to the northwest of the Anyoji Temple reception hall. This Chisen Kansho-style pond appreciation garden, has cleverly used the foothills of Mt. Anyojiyama to create a hilly scene, and it is designated a Place of Scenic Beauty by the prefecture. Plants such as pines and rhododendrons are finely trimmed, and the 8 Views of Omi are mirrored around the pond, which mirrors the form of Lake Biwako. The views of vegetation interwoven with the mountains, changing with each of the four seasons, are truly spectacular.
When Anyoji was revived as a mountain for ascetic training in the Edo Period, it is said that there was a rich natural environment. Behind the temple was a vast green forest, and in front, facing the lake, the rising sun would shine in the morning. In the evening, a fog would shroud everything. It is said that to convey the elegant and pure scene, the pond was dug and white lotuses were planted in it, and windows were installed in order to appreciate the character of the garden. Deep refinement can be felt when walking the corridor while gazing at the garden. It's trim and likable form of beauty can be easily enjoyed, as if to transmit the last wish of the head monk.
Inquiries：Shingon-shu Tohozan Anyoji Temple
TEL：077-552-0082
Access：Shingon-shu Tohozan Anyoji TempleMAP
Parking spaces：30
HP：http://tohozan-anyouji.com/
The Crying Jizo
The Crying Jizo is a hidden sightseeing spot that sits inconspicuously off to the side of the road in Arahari, Ritto City; it is one of several stone Buddhist statues in Mt.Konzeyama. The Crying Jizo is located along a mountain pass once frequented by the local people, who erected the statue in the hope that it would grant safe passage. An inscription in the Crying Jizo states that it was erected by two monks named Shinkai and Shozui in 1865. The origin of the name is not the jizo itself, as the figures are not crying; rather, this particular stretch of the mountain pass was known to be so steep and perilous that it would reportedly make those passing through it cry.
Inquiries：Ritto Tourism Association
TEL：077-551-0126
Access：Ritto City, ArahariMAP
Ono-jinja Shrine
This soja-style shrine is located in Konze Village and is thought to have been built in Tentoku 3 (959). Among the collectively enshrined deities, Michizane Sugawara is enshrined at this Shrine. It was previously known under several other names including Onomiya Shrine and Onomiya Temma Shrine, but was changed to the current name during the Meiji period. The shrine has many cultural properties, including the Tower Gate, which is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property.
Access：896 Arahari, Ritto City MAP
About 20 minutes from JR Tehara Station by taxi
Parking spaces：50
Mannenji Temple
Onodera Temple was built in the Nara period in Wado 3 (710). In Tenna 3 (1683), Yudo Zenji, a Zen master of the Obaku school of Buddhism, came to the ruins of the temple and rebuilt a Chinese-style temple on the site which he named Mannen-ji. The temple's principal image is Sho-Kanzeon Bosatsu, said to be a masterpiece carved by Prince Shotoku.
Access：Ono, Ritto City MAP
Parking spaces：10
Kusabira Shrine
You can find Kusabira Shrine at the base of the Hayama River after walking about 15 minutes southwest from Ritto Station East Gate. The shrine was first consecrated in the year 637 and officially constructed in 1325 (Shōchū 2). The main shrine was rebuilt in 1691 (Genroku 4), and it is now designated as an Important Cultural Property of the city. The most unique feature of this shrine is that it is the only one in the country that enshrines a mushroom god. Kusabira is an old word that means ‘mushroom’ in Japanese. The shrine's name comes from an ancient legend that when a famine struck the area, the mushrooms grew overnight on the shrine grounds and saved the people. The shrine has a monument dedicated to mushrooms, and some visitors come to pray for good health. Every year in May, the shrine holds a festival offering narezushi, an ancient form of sushi made from fermented small fish to the gods and worshippers. For goshuin shrine stamps, please visit Isasa Shrine in Kusatsu City.
Inquiries：Ritto Tourism Association
TEL：077-551-0126
Access：1-11-15 Nakazawa, Ritto CityMAP
15-minute walk from Ritto Station East Gate. 15-minute drive from Ritto Interchange.
Magari no Jinsho Ruins/Eisho-ji Temple
Ashikaga Yoshihisa, the ninth shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate, was the main character who led the cavalary procession that was once held here. Yoshihisa was born in 1465 (Kanshō 6) as the son of Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the eighth shogun who built the Ginkaku-ji Temple, and Hino Tomiko. He became the ninth shogun at the age of nine during the height of the Onin-Bunmei War. As the authority of the shogunate began to decline, he led an army and several officials in September of 1487 (Chōkyō 1) to Omi Province to overthrow the governor Rokkaku Takayori aiming to revive his authority. After encamping at Sakamoto, he moved to Magari no Anyo-ji Temple (Tohozan Anyo-ji Temple) and then to Magari no Shinpōkan. During the year and a half period until Yoshihisa’s death in March of 1489 (Chōkyō 3), this city became the center of government, and the area was known as Magari no Jinsho (Jinsho is a Japanese word meaning a place where a camp is set up for a while). Eisho-ji Temple is said to have been built on this site. The temple features a plaque explaining the history in front of the main gate, and the temple grounds have a serene and composed atmosphere.
Many government affairs and court proceedings were held at the shogun’s palace at that time in this city, acting as a "capital" for Japan. There is also a park associated with the area nearby.
TEL：077-552-0071
Access：Kamimagari, Ritto CityMAP
Parking spaces：10