Shana-in, Buddhist temple in Nagahama, Japan.
Shana-in is a temple complex with several halls, including the main Hondo building dating to the early Edo period and the Goma-do Hall from the Muromachi era. The structures reveal different architectural styles from separate time periods that mark the site's long evolution.
Founded in 814 during the Heian period by Kukai, the temple later received its mountain name Shogun-san as a honor from Emperor Gosanjo through Minamoto no Yoriie. This recognition marked the site's elevation within the religious order of that era.
The temple holds Buddha statues rescued from temples that closed during the Meiji period's religious reforms. These sculptures represent a chapter when many sacred sites had to reshape their role in the changing spiritual landscape.
The temple is reachable on foot in about 15 minutes from Nagahama Station on the JR Biwako Line with straightforward walking paths. Comfortable shoes are recommended, as the approach includes some gentle uphill sections through the temple grounds.
The site once housed a tea room called Bosen that was later relocated to Sapporo and renamed the Hassoan Tea House in 1919. This relocation reflects how religious spaces and their elements could be moved and transformed across Japan's landscape.
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