The great Buddha of Nihonji in Chiba Prefecture, Japan It was completed in 1783 and it is the largest pre-modern stone buddha of its kind in the world.
In Chiba prefecture, far from the traditional cultural centers of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nara, there is a temple complex called Nihonji. The temple is located on the side of a sacred mountain amidst an old rock quarry and has a surprisingly long and varied history. It is also home to two Daibutsu – giant Buddha statues- that are carved into the walls of the old quarry. Through the centuries, this temple has weathered more than its fair share of storms throughout the centuries in spite of its far distance from the various seats of political power. And yet, the temple has persisted and today is a popular place for Japanese tourists.
The Tokyo-Wan Ferry departs for Kurihama from the Chiba side of its crossing. Taken from Mt. Nokogiri in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
Nihonji is an old temple, founded in the year 725. This makes it a couple years older than the great temple of Todaiji in Nara. In fact, Nihonji is the Kanto region’s only existing Nara period temple built by imperial decree. The temple was also large, with numerous halls and almost 100 monks living on the grounds. Several major figures in early Japanese Buddhism visited in the early days of the temple, including the founder of Todaiji Rouben. In the 12th century the first Shogun, Minamoto no Yoritomo, ordered the temple to be rebuilt and commissioned Jizo statues in the main lecture hall.
Ahrat Statues at Nihonji on Mt. Nokogiri. There are 1,500 of these statues in total, though many of them have been badly damaged over the years.
This would not continue forever, however. In 1271, the Nikaido clan took over the area and in 1331 a local dispute led to Nihonji being burned to the ground. The temple buildings wouldn’t be rebuilt until after 1400 by the first Ashikaga Shogun. When the Ashikaga Shoguns weakened bringing about the Warring States era, Nihonji once again fell into neglect, disrepair, and may have even been abandoned for a short time. By the end of the Sengoku, the once great temple was considered a subordinate to another nearby temple.
Small statues sit under a tree beside the great Buddha of Nihonji. There were two huge piles of this figurines next to the daibutsu. One pile with the red bonnets, one pile without.
The Edo period saw a revival of Nihonji’s fortunes. The temple was transferred to the Soto Zen sect of Buddhism in 1647 on the orders of Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third Tokugawa Shogun, and became a center for Zen practices. The Temple was also relocated from the base of the mountain to its current location on the mountain’s southern side in 1774. In the same year, a collection of 1,500 stone Arhats were carved and placed along the various walking paths throughout the temple complex. Soon after, a 31 meter (101 feet) tall daibutsu was carved into the mountainside which was the largest stone Buddha in the world until modern times. The good times wouldn’t last forever, though, and the end of the Edo period would see more troubled times for Nihonji and Mt. Nokogiri.
The Chiba countryside on the south side of Mt. Nokogiri on the way to Hota station. From there, one can take the train back to Hama-Kanaya station next to the ferry port.
When the Tokugawa Shogunate fell, there was a huge backlash against Buddhism and Buddhist properties. The movement, called Haibutsu Kishaku, started when the newly formed Meiji government formally separated the Shinto and Buddhist religions. Under the Tokugawa, the temples flourished because all Japanese had to be a member in good standing of a temple in order to do business or survive. In reality, this was likely to stop banned Christians, but it also made the temple abbots very powerful. By the time those rules ended, many people hated the temples and the people who ran them. This resulted in attacks on temples and priests and in some cases riots against some Buddhist sites. Nihonji and its daibutsu felt the effects too. The Buddha still shows the repaired scars where rioters attempted to deface it. Many of the Arhat statues have been beheaded and smashed. Several of the temple buildings were burned by rioters. In the early 20th century, repairs and restoration work were attempted but an earthquake in 1939 undid much of the repair work.
This Kannon relief was carved in 1966 and represents prayers for world peace.
Today the temple stands much smaller than it was originally, but it is still situated in an area of great natural beauty. There are several observation points along the top of the mountain that allow visitors to look out on Tokyo Bay and the Boso peninsula. The mountain itself and the approaches to Nihonji are accessible by several hiking trails, both on the north and south side of the mountain, and there a rope way to the top. The temple buildings, the daibutsu, and many of the Arhat statues have been repaired and restored. In 1966, a 30.0m (99 feet) tall Kannon statue was carved into another vertical stone face left behind by the old quarry. In addition, the Indian government presented a tree grown from a cutting from the original Bodhi tree which Siddhārtha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, is said to have meditated under to find enlightenment. The small tree now grows on the temple grounds.
The gate going into Nihonji on Mt. Nokogiri in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. There were very few buildings open when I visited as the main hall complex looked like it was under some construction.
Nokogiriyama (yama is Japanese for mountain) is a beautiful place to visit. From Tokyo or Yokohama, it is not hard to get to, as there is both a train line from Chiba city and a ferry from Kurihama in Yokosuka city. The ropeway costs 500 yen each way, though I usually take the ropeway up, hike down the south side, and walk to the next train station south of the ferry port. It is a popular place for Japanese tourists, and most of the brochures and papers are also available in English. If you are in the area and have a day to spend, Nihonji and the sacred Nokogiriyama are well worth the visit.
One note: When I visited, the main halls and central part of the temple proper were closed, possibly for renovations.