Hokoji
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Address :527-2 Chayacho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto Access :Keihan Railway Shichijo > 8 minutes walk |
The Lost Great Buddha
This temple was built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who rose from a peasant background to unify Japan, in order to create and enshrine a Great Buddha statue. The temple was founded in 1595, and the Great Buddha was completed in 1612.
At the time, it was the largest Buddha statue in Japan, but it was destroyed by fire and no longer exists.
The temple bell that changed the course of Japanese history
Within the grounds of Hokoji Temple stands a massive temple bell, 4.2 meters (13.78ft) tall and weighing 82.7 tons.
Normally, you can view it from outside the fence, but sometimes you can go inside during cultural property open house events held by Kyoto City.
This was made in 1614 by Toyotomi Hideyori to commemorate his father, Hideyoshi. The bell’s side is inscribed with an inscription expressing a wish for the nation’s prosperity.
It is said that among these words were curses directed at Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was expanding his power in place of the Toyotomi family at the time.
However, in reality, it was little more than a baseless accusation, and was used as a pretext to wage war against the Toyotomi family.
After that, Tokugawa Ieyasu emerged victorious, and the Tokugawa shogunate lasted for 264 years. For this reason, it is very famous as a temple bell that changed the course of history.
Furthermore, the ceiling features a painting that was originally used in the women’s dressing room at Fushimi Castle and has been relocated here.
