ZenkÅ-ji
The Zenko -ji (Japanese善 光寺), also Shinshu Zenko -ji (信 州 善 光寺) to distinguish him from others of the same temples, is a Buddhist temple in Nagano, Japan in Nagano Prefecture (formerly Shinshu ). The city was built around the year 670 temples originally built in the year 1897. Historical significance is the Zenko -ji in addition, as the scene of clashes between Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen in the 16th century, when it served as the basis for Kenshin.
The temple was built under the reign of Emperor Kimmei, but postponed several times until he got his current location. At the end of the Kamakura period (1192-1333) many temples copied the famous to date style of the Zenko -ji, many newly built temple was also attended by the same name or Shin- Zenko -ji ( " New Zenko -ji " ) to.
In the Sengoku period (1477-1615), the High abbot of the temple was afraid because of the wars Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen for the safety of Zenko -ji and had built a new Zenko -ji in today Kōfu, which still exists.
1598 Toyotomi Hideyoshi moved the hidden Buddha statue of the temple to Kyoto and then to Shinano. Finally, both the statue and the temple but were moved back to Nagano.
Zenko -ji is currently 39 priests of the Tendai sects shū (25 Priest) and Jōdo Shinshu administered (14 priest). In it the Buddha Amida is worshiped mainly in the form of a hibutsu, a hidden Buddha idol, which is usually not made available to the public ( this happens only once every 6 or 7 years, most recently in 2003 and then again only in 2009). According to legend, this hibutsu Be the first Buddha statue that came to Japan.
In the main hall ( the dogs ) and a close pitch-dark transition is applied, the cross the temple -goers to touch a hanging there from the ceiling key which should thus enable enlightenment.
Olympic games
The 1998 Winter Olympics were opened by the ringing of the Zenko -ji temple bell.
In protest against the Chinese crackdown on the Buddhist religionists in Tibet, the monks of the choice of the temple members as a starting point for the Olympic torch relay in Japan in 2008 a rejection.