Daijo-in Temple (大乗院)
Daijo-in Temple is a tatchu (sub-temples in the site of main temple) in Kofuku-ji Temple in Nara City, Nara Prefecture.
History
In 1087, Ryuzen (a son of FUJIWARA no Masakane) founded this temple. Then, Jinpan, a biological son of FUJIWARA no Morosane who was a chancellor, inherited this temple, resulting in Sekkan-ke (the families which produced regents), especially Kujo family, becoming especially powerful. It was regarded as a monzeki temple (a temple of high rank where members of imperial family and nobility enter the priesthood) in the time of the 4th Inju (the 4th chief of a temple), Shinen (a son of FUJIWARA no Tadamichi), and it was an influential tatchu along with Ichijo-in Temple in the Medieval period, with its chief priest having come from the sons of Sekkan-ke or the Shogun family. During that time, it was burned because of the attack on Nara by the Taira family in 1180 and a peasants' uprising in 1451, but two able Inju, Kyogaku and Jinson appeared successively during the Muromachi period, who had trade guilds throughout Nara in control to flourish to a great extent. However, in the Sengoku period (period of warring states in Japan) it continuously lost its shoryo (territory) until it was reduced to 950 koku (171. 3705 cubic meters) in the Edo period.
After that, in accordance with Genzoku (return to secular life) of the last Inju, Ryuho, Monzeki (the chief priest) of Daijo-in Temple (a son of Hisatada KUJO) due to Haibutsu-kishaku (a movement to abolish Buddhism) in 1869, the temple was lost, and Ryuho who called himself 'Hisayoshi MATSUZONO' after Genzoku was given a viscount based on the Peerage Law.
Nara Hotel was founded at its remained site and a part of its garden was restored by the National Trust Japan project, allowing modern-day visitors to view it. The garden of the former Daijo-in Temple is specified as a state scenic beauty.