Seiryuji Tokugenin Temple

Overview

Seiryuji Tokugenin Temple is a Tendai Buddhist temple located in Kiyotaki, Maihara City, Shiga Prefecture. Its mountain name is Ryutsuzan, and its principal image is Kannon Bosatsu. The temple was founded in 1286 (during the ninth year of the Koan era) by Kyogoku Ujinobu, the first head of the Kyogoku clan, who had been appointed governor of Omi Province in 1283 (during the sixth year of the Koan era). It was built on the site of Kashiwara Castle. The temple's name, Seiryuji, comes from Ujinobu's posthumous Buddhist name. After his death, it became his family temple. The temple fell into decline after the Kyogoku clan's downfall during the Sengoku period (Warring States period). In 1672 (during the twelfth year of the Kanbun era), Kyogoku Takatoyo, the lord of the Marugame domain in Sanuki Province, petitioned the Edo shogunate to exchange two villages in his domain in Harima Province for this land in Omi Province. He then restored this temple, which served as the family temple of Kyogoku Ujinobu, and donated a three-storied pagoda (a Shiga Prefecture designated tangible cultural property). He renamed the temple Tokugenin, after the posthumous Buddhist name of his father, Kyogoku Takahiro. He also gathered eighteen houkyouinto (pagoda-shaped stupas) belonging to successive generations of the Kyogoku clan, which had been scattered around the area, and placed them in the upper section of the newly organized Kyogoku family mausoleum (a nationally designated historic site). The lower section features the stone mausoleum of Kyogoku Takatsugu, who revived the family, along with the graves of successive lords of the Marugame and Tadotsu domains. In spring, the temple is adorned with the magnificent weeping cherry blossoms, said to have been loved by Kyogoku Michiyori. In autumn, the vibrant colors of the maple trees in the pond garden create a breathtaking scene. The temple offers a peaceful and serene atmosphere throughout the year. The Kyogoku family mausoleum, featuring 34 houkyouinto stupas of successive generations of the Kyogoku family, is a designated national historic site offering a glimpse into the past. Seiryuji Tokugenin Temple is a place of peace and tranquility where history and nature harmoniously coexist. Take your time to stroll around and immerse yourself in the stillness.