Kuon-ji

Minobu village, in the rural and mountainous area of Mount Fuji 🗻, is home to several temples where visitors can halt for a spiritual retreat and that is easy to reach from Tokyo. About 20 temple’s inns (shukubo) receive travelers for an overnight stay, such as the warm Kakurinbo guesthouse affiliated to Gyogaku-in temple. This lodging is ideally located near Kuon-ji, the most important temple of the city and head temple of the Nichiren Shu, a Buddhist sect founded by monk Nichiren (1222 – 1282) during the Kamakura period (1185 - 1333).

In June 1274, Nichiren decides to retire from the secular world and moves in a hermitage on Mount Minobu (also called locally Minobu-san). He has a small pavilion (Goso-an) built where he lives for 8 years and continues teaching to his disciples. He leaves Minobu a few weeks before his death for a medicinal trip, but passes in Tokyo in October 1282 on his way to an onsen ♨️ in Ibaraki. His last wish is to have his ashes returned and kept at the sacred mountain.

Founded at the same time on the side of Minobusan, Kuon-ji temple now has 2 octagonal pavilions that encasing the ashes of Nichiren:

• Goshinkotsu-do, located next to the main hall Hondo; and,
• Gobyo-sho, built in the vicinity of Goso-an’s remains and that is used as a mausoleum to commemorate Nichiren.

The latter structure is inscribed with Nichiren’s official mantra, on which his whole philosophy is based: "Namu myoho renge kyo" meaning "Homage to the Sublime Dharma of the Lotus Sutra," Nichiren is indeed devoted to the Lotus Sutra that he considered the sole vehicle possible to reach the Nirvana.

Two great schools are still carrying on Nichiren Buddhism:

• The historical current Nichiren Shu that granted its founder the holy title of "Nichiren Shonin"; and,
• The Nichiren Shoshu school, that elevated him to the rank of "Nichiren Daishonin".

Affiliated to the Nichiren Shu, Kuon-ji temple is a beautiful spiritual discovery, with pavilions spreading in the mountain and surrounded by a majestic cedar forest.

Spiritual climbing of Mount Minobu

The visit of the temple starts at the base of Minobusan and continues to the top of the mountain that peaks at 1,153 meters high. The short hike begins at Sanmon, a massive wooden gate that was last reconstructed in 1907. Its 21 meters height and 23 meters width make it one of the 3 largest Buddhist gates of the Kanto area. Its 3 entrances allow worshipers to enter while getting rid of the following human sins:

• Greed;
• Anger; and,
• Foolishness.

Just behind the gate, the 287-steps stone stairway called Bodaitei, the "stairway to enlightenment" opens the hike. It climbs to a concourse where are standing the main hall Hondo and its neighboring Soshi-do hall characterized by its red vermilion color. The top of the stairs can also be reached thanks to an elevator, and there is a parking lot available to people who came driving.

Every morning, prayers are performed at the Hondo at the calling of a monk, who bends 90° to ring the massive bell of the Shoro pavilion located next to a 5-story pagoda. The morning prayer Gongo is open to every one and gathers several dozens of monks. It starts at 5:30 a.m. in summer (or 6 a.m. in winter) and lasts about 1 hour, including chorus chanting of the various chapters of the Lotus Sutra. Sessions of contemplation also take place at the Butsuden pavilion on the daytime and in the evening.

Then, Nichiren’s former hermitage stands in the west, in a more secluded part of the Kuon-ji. His mausoleum Gobyo-sho as well as the ruins of his dwelling Goso-an are quietly immersed in nature, in a place full of spirituality. Nearby, a Buddhist cemetery is sheltering the numerous tombs of the former temple’s head priests (about 92) and highlights the dignified atmosphere of this area.

Once their minds are soothed, visitors can board the ropeway to continue exploring the most remote part of the temple, called okunoin. The summit of Mount Minobu is reached in 7 minutes, offering 2 places to discover:

• Shishin-kaku pavilion, dedicated to Nichiren’s parents and to family ties in general;
• 3 observation platforms with a view on the surrounding mountains, including one to watch Mount Fuji on a clear weather day.

From mid-March to the end of September / early October, it is possible to observe the sun rise in the axis of the sacred mountain and to admire a phenomenon called Diamond Fuji (which also appears at the neighboring Lake Tanuki). Alternatively, seasoned hikers can tread one of the 2 walking trails (East and West) to reach the top of Mount Minobu: they will need 2 to 3 hours to climb and less than 2 hours to go back down to the main hall.

Lastly, Kuon-ji’s grounds are enjoyable with seasonal colors, such as the blooming of the weeping cherry trees 🌸 shidare zakura in spring (several trees are multi-century-old) and the red foliage of the maple trees in autumn 🍁 (at Nichi-dani valley).