Shonen-ji Temple (Kashihara City) (称念寺 (橿原市))
Shonen-ji Temple, situated at Imai-cho, Kashihara City in Nara Prefecture, is the temple of Jodo Shinshu Hongan-ji school. Its sango (literally, "mountain name"), which is the title prefixed to the name of a Buddhist temple, is Imaisan. Its principal image is Amida Nyorai (Amitabha Tathagata). The temple is also called Imai Gobo.
History
The temple started as a nenbutsu-dojo (training hall for Buddhistic invocation) founded by Hoju IMAI (Nyudo Hyobubo KAWASE) who was of the same lineage as important people of the Hongan-ji Temple (1532-1555). Hoju IMAI, together with Mr. Kawai (later known as Mr. Imanishi), worked to complete laying out the jinaicho (temple village) making a moat and earthen walls for fortification. The temple village flourished as an autonomous city after being disarmed by Nobunaga ODA. Emperor Meiji made a stopover at the temple in 1877. Imaicho, where the temple is located, is selected for the Preservation Districts for groups of historic buildings and eight machiya (traditional merchant's townhouse) in the town are designated as national important cultural properties.
Cultural Property
Important Cultural Property (designated by the nation)
Hondo (the main hall)
Kashihara City Designated Cultural Property
Taikoro-tower
Kuri (priests' kitchen and living room), Kyakuden (guest hall) and Taimenjo (meeting place)
Mitsuhide AKECHI's letter to Imai Gosochu
Nobunaga ODA's letter of pardon to Imai Gosochu
Address
335 Imaicho, Kashihara City in Nara Prefecture