Yakusen-ji, Buddhist temple in Hyōgo, Japan
Yakusen-ji is a Jishū Buddhist temple in the Hyōgo ward of Kobe, in Hyōgo Prefecture. Its main hall was rebuilt in 1973 after World War II; of the seven original subtemples, only Fushō-in remains. The grounds hold a sacred spring, and the temple keeps a wooden seated Yakushi Nyorai from the Heian period.
According to temple tradition, Yakusen-ji was founded by Gyōki during the Tenpyō era (729–748) and in 746 held Japan's first segaki ceremony. The temple was originally Tendai; during the Enbun era (1356–1360) Reizan Kūa, eighth patriarch of the Jishū school, revived it and converted it to Jishū. Of seven former sub-temples only Fushō-in remains, and the current main hall was rebuilt in 1973.
Yakusen-ji is the first stop, number 1, on the Fukuhara Saigoku Sanjūsan Kannon pilgrimage, where the eleven-faced Kannon is venerated. The temple belongs to the Jishū school and holds a Heian-period seated Yakushi Nyorai statue, designated an Important Cultural Property in 1940, plus a coloured silk painting of the segaki rite from the Joseon dynasty.
The temple sits in a forested hillside area, so wearing appropriate footwear is recommended for the walking paths. Arriving early helps you experience the site in a quieter setting and allows more time to explore the grounds.
The temple's name comes from a spring in its grounds: returning from exile on Oki Island in the Kenmu era (1334–1337), Emperor Go-Daigo fell ill, and medicine prepared with this water cured him, earning the temple its name. The spring is still called Reisen, the miraculous spring.
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