Osaka Honganji Temple: The Jodo Shinshu sect of Buddhism was divided into East and West
The Higashi (East) and Nishi (Eest) Honqanji Temples stand along Shichijo Street in Kyoto, less than 500 meters away. The Goei-do of the Higashi Honganji is the largest wooden founder hall in the world and enshrines the wooden statue of the founder, Shinran. The Nishi Honganji, a World Heritage Site, has remained intact to this […]
Enryakuji Temple on Mt. Hiei: The 1200-Year Eternal Light of Japanese Buddhism
Enryakuji on Mt. Hiei, founded by Saichō, is the “Mother of Japanese Buddhism.” Though attacked by shoguns and even Oda Nobunaga, its Eternal Light has burned for more than 1,200 years.
Why was Nagoya Castle Built? For the Iron Defense of the Tokugawa shogunate
Nagoya Castle was built by a warlord, Tokugawa Ieyasu, as a solid fortress in 1612, just two years before the Winter Siege of Osaka against the Toyotomi clan. After Ieyasu's victory, Nagoya Castle kept the western lords in check in the middle of the Tokaido road connecting Edo (Tokyo) and Osaka. He was eager to […]