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Hasedera Buddhist Temple
Commonly called the Hase-kannon
Kamakura, Japan
Hasedera Buddhist Temple Origins Twenty-five years later in 736, it was washed ashore at the beach of Nagai, the other side of Kamakura. A court noble picked up the statue and enshrined it at the present Hasedera Buddhist Temple naming Priest Tokudo as the founding priest. Hence the Temple's assertion that it was founded in 736. See Buddhist temples. |
Entrance gate (Mon) ...... Six details below: Entrance gate (Mon) ... #1 of six details ... Curved eaves Entrance gate (Mon) ... #2 of six details Entrance gate (Mon) ... #3 of six details Entrance gate (Mon) ... #4 of six details: tokyō, a system of supporting blocks and brackets supporting the eaves of a Japanese building, usually part of a Buddhist temple or Shinto shrine. Entrance gate (Mon) ... #5 of six details Entrance gate (Mon) ... #6 of six details ... Rafter ends painted white for preservation and decoration. Hasedera is built along the slope of a wooded hill. A strolling garden with ponds is found at the base of the slope just after entering. Stone lantern in pond See photos of another pond below. Shōrō: a temple's belfry, a building from which a bell is hung .... Three details below: Shōrō: a temple's belfry: #1 of three details Shōrō: a temple's belfry: #2 of three details. Note wooden bell ringer at right. Shōrō: a temple's belfry: #3 of three details. The temple's main buildings are built further up the slope, reached via stairs. Along the way stands the Jizo-do Hall with hundreds of small Jizō statues of the Jizo Bodhisattva placed by parents mourning offspring lost to miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion. These statues remain in place for about a year, before being removed to make way for more statues; it is estimated that some 50,000 Jizō statues have been placed at Hase-dera since WWII. Two details below: Jizo-do Hall: #1 of two details Jizo-do Hall: #3 of two details Strolling garden ... Two details below: Strolling garden - #1 of two details Strolling garden - #1 of two details: stone lantern Torii in front of the Benten Kutsu Cave. The temple is built on two levels and also includes an underground cave. The cave, called benten kutsu cave, contains a long winding tunnel with a low ceiling and various statues and devotionals to Benzaiten, the sea goddess and the only female of the Seven Lucky Gods in Japanese mythology. One of the statues: Benten Kutsu Cave Benzaiten statue Pond: 2 details below: Pond: #1 of two details Pond: #2 of two details Garden featuring stones and gravel. 3 details below: Garden featuring stones and gravel - #1 of three details Garden featuring stones and gravel - #2 of three details Garden featuring stones and gravel - #3 of three details Main building Main building Main building Slightly curved eaves ... The weakest part of the roof, the ridge, is reinforced with layers of ceramic tiles and mortar, topped with a line of cylindrical tiles, and finished at the gable with a decorative onigawara (below) demon tile ... End tiles ... Two rows of rafters Incense burner Stone lantern Incense burner ... The weakest part of the roof, the ridge, is reinforced with layers of ceramic tiles and mortar, topped with a line of cylindrical tiles, and finished at the gable with a decorative onigawara (below) demon tile Kamakura Bay Kamakura Bay |