Ishiyama-dera Temple: Shiga’s Most Beautiful Temple

According to its own records, Ishiyama-dera dates back to 8^th century when the monk Ryoben[良弁], was ordered to pray to find gold to make Emperor Shomu’s Daibutsu (the Daibutsu of Todai-ji Temple). First, Ryoben went to pray in Yoshino, where the god there told him to go to  Ishiyama-dera, and to bring with him a statue of Kannon Bosatsu that once belonged to Prince Shotoku. When he arrived in Ishiyama-dera, Ryoben had a vision telling him to dig for gold in Tohoku. Ryoben sent word to the emperor, who sent his men to dig at the specified location, where they did indeed find gold.  Later, when Ryoben went to move the Kannon statue, it refused to budge. So, he decided to enshrine it in Ishiyama-dera.

Along with Kiyomizu Temple and Hase-dera Temple, Ishiyama-dera has long been a very sacred place and was also very popular with a number of Japanese authors and aristocrats. Ishiyama-dera appears in many Japanese classics such as The Pillow Tales, The Sarashina Tales. During her stay at Ishiyama-dera, even Lady Murasaki, author of The Tales of Genji, found her inspiration for the “Exile to Suma” chapter, in which Genji was exiled from Kyoto to Akashi.

Upon entering the temple, you quickly notice the abundance and variety of rocks at the temple grounds. I guess the temple really lives up to its name (ishi [石] is Japanese for stone). The most eye-catching rocks in the temple are the big wollastonite stones on which much of the temple stands.

Hondo

Ishiyama-dera’s hondo (main building) is quite large but unfortunately it is a bit hard to see the entire building, as it is in the corner of the temple. It enshrines a 3m tall Nyoirin Kannon statue, which sits cross-legged deep in thought. If you are able to get a glance at it you are in luck! The main statue is normal closed to the public, but once every 33 years*, the temple allows visitors to come and behold its precious idol.

*Feeling bummed about not being able to see the Kannon statue? You’re in luck! Though the rule is every 33 years, there is an exception if Japan crowns a new emperor– which they did this year (2019) !! This means that in 2020 Ishiyama-dera will open up the statue for viewing!

At the top of a short staircase just above the hondo is Ishiyama-dera’s tahoto.

Tahotos are a common sight at Shingon Buddhist temples throughout Japan and are easily distinguished by their square-shaped base and rounder second tier. Ishiyama-dera’s tahoto is particularly famous, as it is the oldest existing one in the country (the second is Kongo Sanmai-in in Koyasan).