Iwamadera Temple
Iwamadera Temple is located in the mountains south of Otsu, close to the border between Otsu and Uji. It is a Shingon Buddhist temple founded in 722 by the priest Taicho (682–767) and is formally known as Shohoji. Taicho was granted permission to found the temple by Empress Gensho (683–748) after helping to cure her illness.
Taicho is said to have chosen the site for the temple because of the abundant katsura trees (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) in the area. According to legend, Taicho heard the mantra of Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion, coming from the trees and knew the spot must be sacred to the deity, so he asked for permission to build a sanctuary there. At the back of the temple grounds is a giant katsura tree thought to be more than 500 years old. Its trunk splits into a thick tangle of branches, and a shrine to the Shinto deity of the tree stands before it.
Iwamadera’s main object of worship is a 15-centimeter-tall gilt-bronze statue of Kannon that was worshiped by Empress Gensho. The statue used to be housed within a wooden sculpture of Kannon that was reputedly carved by Taicho from a local katsura tree, but which has been lost. The gilt-bronze statue is kept in the main hall (hondo), which was reconstructed in 1577. Though the building is open to visitors, the statue is not on public display. A larger statue of Kannon is displayed inside the hall instead.
It is said that each night Kannon flies out of the hall and down into the underworld to rescue souls. The bodhisattva returns each morning, drenched in sweat from the effort, and is thus also known as Asekaki (sweating) Kannon.
Apart from saving souls, the Kannon at Iwamadera is also believed to help in forestalling dementia. In a larger hall in front of the main hall, a special ritual is performed to pray for Kannon’s help in warding off the effects of aging. Participants stand facing a statue of Kannon and put a large earthenware plate on their heads, which is believed to aid clarity of thought. Opposite this hall is the Daishido, a hall containing sculptures of Taicho and Kukai (774–835), the priest who founded the Shingon school.
Beside the main hall is a small garden with a pond where carp swim about. The pond is said to be the inspiration for one of poet Matsuo Basho’s (1644–1694) most famous haiku: “an ancient pond / a frog jumps in / the splash of water.” Basho was a frequent visitor to the temples of Otsu and is believed to have composed the poem after a stay at Iwamadera. The poem is engraved on a plaque on a large stone in the garden.
