龍蔵院, Buddhist temple in Hiroshima, Japan
Ryuzoin is a Shingon Buddhist temple of the Koyasan line in the Ushita-higashi district of Hiroshima's Higashi ward, on the slope of Ushita-yama. Its main image is Kangiten, the elephant-headed Ganesha, and it is stop 26 on the Hiroshima New Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage. From 2004 to 2019 it housed the Japan branch of Depung Gomang Monastery, a Tibetan Gelug monastery.
The temple's origin is an anecdote from 26 February 1589, when Mori Terumoto passed over Udayama and a Kangiten (Ganesha) image appeared from a spring; the Mori family then kept Kangiten as its hereditary Buddhist image. After several relocations, the temple settled at its present site in the early Showa period. In 2004 it became the Japanese branch of the Goman Study Hall of Drepung Monastery, and in August 2019 that monastic function moved to Shinkoin.
The main image is Kangi-ten (Ganesha), and the temple's origin story tells of the deity emerging from a spring when Mōri Terumoto passed over Ushida-yama on 26 February 1589; the Mōri family then kept Kangi-ten as its hereditary household Buddha. Observance days are the 1st and 16th of each month, when rites follow Kōyasan Shingon tradition. From 2004 the temple hosted the Ryūzōin Depung Gomang Gakushō Japanese branch monastery, and resident Tibetan monks selected from Gomang performed daily services until the monastery function moved to Shinkō-in in 2019.
Ryuzoin stands in Ujina-higashi 3-chome, Higashi-ku, Hiroshima, not in Onomichi; the nearest rail access is via Hiroshima city, so plan a tram or bus connection rather than a walk from a station. The main image, Kankiten, has monthly enshrinement days on the 1st and 16th, when Koyasan Shingon rites are held, so time a visit around those dates if you want to see the temple in use.
In 2004 the temple became the Japanese branch of Goman Datsang, a college of Drepung Monastery, and hosted Tibetan monks selected to live and perform daily rites here. The monastic function moved to Shinko-in, also in Hiroshima, in August 2019.
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