SHIGA, Jun 12 (News On Japan) - Mii-dera, located in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, spans a vast area equivalent to about ten Koshien Stadiums. Known for the "Evening Bell of Mii," one of Japan's three most famous bells, the temple grounds also house numerous national treasures and important cultural properties.
Among them are buildings that form the origins of Japanese residential architecture, as well as structures donated by historical figures such as Tokugawa Ieyasu and Nene, the wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The temple, one of Japan's major Buddhist complexes, is being thoroughly explored.
Standing behind is the magnificent gate of Mii-dera, designated as an important cultural property. Originally part of another temple, Hideyoshi relocated it to his Fushimi estate. After Hideyoshi's death, Tokugawa Ieyasu had it transferred to Mii-dera.
Although widely known as Mii-dera, the temple’s formal name is Onjo-ji. The commonly used name Mii-dera originates from an important feature located deeper within the temple grounds.
Mii-dera boasts ten national treasures and fifty-two important cultural properties. As one of the four main temples of the Tendai sect’s Jimon branch, it has a history spanning over 1,300 years. While many associate Mii-dera with its famed bell, the temple also preserves early examples of shoin-style architecture, considered the prototype of modern Japanese residential design.
One of the central structures is the Kondo, or main hall, which was built in 1599. It was donated by Nene, Hideyoshi’s wife. Although Hideyoshi once cherished the temple, for reasons still unclear, he eventually issued an order for its confiscation and dissolution. Following his death, Nene donated the funds to rebuild the main hall, perhaps as an act of atonement.
The Kondo houses the temple's principal image, a highly sacred hidden Buddha that is not shown to the public. The interior of the hall is divided into three areas, reflecting the Tendai tradition, and features a serene and unadorned space.
Accompanied by the temple monk Inuyama, visitors were given a rare opportunity to view the inner sanctum. The principal Buddha, believed to be a 10-centimeter-tall figure from the Tenmu Emperor's era, rests inside a sacred container. Numerous other Buddhist statues, including more than 20 important cultural properties, are enshrined in nearby halls open to the public.
The name Mii-dera originates from a small building known as the Akaiya, which protects a sacred spring. The spring's water was historically used for significant Buddhist rituals and by emperors Tenmu, Tenchi, and Tenji for their sacred rites. The name combines "On," referring to the sound of water, and "I," meaning well, which eventually evolved into "Mii-dera."
One of the temple’s most famous features is its bell, known as the "Evening Bell of Mii," which is counted among the Eight Views of Omi and one of Japan’s three great bells. While the bell at Byodoin is praised for its appearance and the bell at Chion-in for its inscription, Mii-dera’s bell is renowned for its resonant tone. The bell, inscribed with 108 knobs symbolizing earthly desires, produces a lingering reverberation that has earned it a place among Japan’s 100 best soundscapes.
The tour then proceeded to the Kojoin Guest Hall, a national treasure regarded as the origin of Japanese shoin-style architecture. The building, reconstructed by the master craftsman Yamanaka Nami, features asymmetrical design elements that depart from the symmetry typical of earlier palace architecture. Its interiors include decorative alcoves, staggered shelves, and tatami-matted floors, representing a transition from aristocratic Shinden-style structures to more practical residential forms.
The surrounding garden, designated as a national scenic spot, extends the landscape depicted in the fusuma sliding door paintings and was even visited by Oda Nobunaga.
Deeper within the temple lies the most sacred area known as the To-in, where the mausoleum of Enchin, Mii-dera’s founding monk, is enshrined. Normally closed to the public, the building’s exterior is rarely seen.
The Sanju-no-to, a three-story pagoda built during the Muromachi period and funded by Tokugawa Ieyasu, stands nearby as another important cultural property.
Finally, the tour reached the Kannondo, Mii-dera’s most visited hall. The principal image here is a highly sacred Kannon statue, which is only unveiled to the public once every 33 years. For elderly or less mobile visitors, the Kannondo is often the main destination, as it is easily accessible. The building itself, along with neighboring structures such as the Kogosho and Tsukidashi-dai platform, are also designated as important cultural properties.
At the top of the approach, visitors are rewarded with a panoramic view of Lake Biwa, from a spot once admired by poet Matsuo Basho.
After walking extensively through the vast temple grounds, the guide concluded by encouraging visitors to take their time exploring Mii-dera’s rich historical and architectural treasures.
Source: YOMIURI
