As I mentioned in other temples’ blogs, if you have a chance to visit Tohoku area, there is a pilgrimage course called “The Four-Temple Circuit”. The four temples consist of Zuigan-ji Temple in Matsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, Chuson-ji Temple and Motsu-ji Temple in Hiraizumi, Iwate Prefecture and Risshaku-ji Temple (Yama-dera Temple) in Yamagata Prefecture. All four temples were established by Ennin and visited by Basho Matsuo. You can get temples’ red ink stamps with the name of the temple in calligraphy at those four temples. There is a special red ink stamp book designated for the Four-Temple Circuit.
If you use the book and get all red ink stamps from all four temples, you may be able to get a special gift at the temple which you finally visit.
Please note that temple’s red ink stamp is not just a stamp. In the past, when people made a pilgrimage, they got the red ink stamp from the temple as an evidence of the action of offering your copied Buddhist scriptures by praying with all their hearts. It also means that the red ink stamp with the name of the temple in calligraphy is a part of the principal image of Buddha. It is quite holy and you should not stamp a commemorative stamp of a sightseeing spot that you can stamp when visiting the spot on the red ink stamp book.
Zuigan-ji Temple was originally established by Ennin, Jikaku Daishi, in the 9th century as a temple of Tendai sect and called Enfuku-ji Temple (Matsushima-dera Temple). In the middle of the 13th century, it is said that Hossin reopened Enfuku-ji Temple as a temple of Rinzai sect.
In 1605, Masamune Date who was the founder and the 1st lord of the Sendai Domain rebuilt Enfuku-ji Temple as the temple was going downhill and made large temple halls taking 4 years and renamed as Zuigan-Enfuku-Zen-ji Temple (Zuigan-ji Temple). The buildings are based on Zen temple style and there are richly colored statues and gold-foil-pressed fusuma, papered sliding doors, inside of the hall.
Basho Matsuo, a famous haiku poet, visited this temple in 1689.
The main hall of Zuigan-ji Temple was designated as a Japan National Treasure on March 31st, 1951. Also, the priests’ living quarters and corridors were additionally designated as Japan National Treasures on June 27th, 1959.
The stone monument with the name of the temple is standing in the entrance.
From the entrance of Zuigan-ji Temple, you can enjoy beautiful scene of Matsushima small islands and ocean.
Matsushima
If you visit Matsushima to see beautiful scene, I recommend you to visit Zuigan-ji Temple as well to see beautiful statues, fusumas and others by entering the hall.
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