Kiyomizu-dera

Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺), formally Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera (音羽山清水寺), is a Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto. The temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) UNESCO World Heritage site.[1]

Kiyomizu-dera
清水寺
Religion
AffiliationKita-Hossō
DeitySenju-Kannon (Sahasrabhuja Ārya Avalokiteśvara)
Location
Location1-294 Kiyomizu, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture
CountryJapan
Architecture
FounderSakanoue no Tamuramaro, reconstructed by Tokugawa Iemitsu
Completed778
Website
www.kiyomizudera.or.jp
Kiyomizu-dera
"Kiyomizu-dera" in kanji
Japanese name
Kanji清水寺
Hiraganaきよみずでら

The place is not to be confused with Kiyomizu-dera in Yasugi, Shimane, which is part of the 33-temple route of the Chūgoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage through western Japan, or the Kiyomizu-dera temple associated with the Buddhist priest Nichiren.

The temple is currently covered entirely by semi-transparent scaffolding while it is undergoing restoration works in preparation for the 2020 Olympics.

History
Kiyomizu-dera circa 1880 by Adolfo Farsari

Kiyomizu-dera was founded in the early Heian period.[2] The temple was founded in 778 by Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, and its present buildings were constructed in 1633, ordered by the Tokugawa Iemitsu.[3] There is not a single nail used in the entire structure. It takes its name from the waterfall within the complex, which runs off the nearby hills. Kiyomizu means clear water, or pure water.[4][5]

It was originally affiliated with the old and influential Hossō sect dating from Nara times.[6] However, in 1965 it severed that affiliation, and its present custodians call themselves members of the "Kitahossō" sect.[7]

Present

The main hall has a large veranda, supported by tall pillars, that juts out over the hillside and offers impressive views of the city. Large verandas and main halls were constructed at many popular sites during the Edo period to accommodate large numbers of pilgrims.[8]

The popular expression "to jump off the stage at Kiyomizu" is the Japanese equivalent of the English expression "to take the plunge".[5] This refers to an Edo-period tradition that held that if one were to survive a 13-meter (43-foot) jump from the stage, one's wish would be granted. During the Edo period, 234 jumps were recorded, and of those, 85.4% survived.[5] The practice was prohibited in 1872.[5]

Beneath the main hall is the Otowa waterfall, where three channels of water fall into a pond. Visitors can catch and drink the water, which is believed to have wish-granting powers.

The temple complex includes several other shrines, among them the Jishu Shrine, dedicated to Ōkuninushi, a god of love and "good matches".[4] Jishu Shrine possesses a pair of "love stones" placed 10 meters (30 feet) apart[9], which lonely visitors can try to walk between with their eyes closed. Success in reaching the other stone with their eyes closed implies that the pilgrim will find love, or true love.[10] One can be assisted in the crossing, but this is taken to mean that a go-between will be needed. The person's romantic interest can assist them as well.

The complex also offers various talismans, incense, and omikuji (paper fortunes). The site is particularly popular during festivals (especially at New Year's and during obon in the summer) when additional booths fill the grounds selling traditional holiday foodstuffs and souvenirs to throngs of visitors.[11]

In 2007, Kiyomizu-dera was one of 21 finalists for the New Seven Wonders of the World.,[12] but was not picked as one of the seven winning sites.

  • Kiyomizu-dera in autumn
  • Kiyomizu-dera in autumn
  • Kiyomizu-dera in winter
  • A niōmon (deva gate)
  • Pagoda in autumn
  • Rear view of pagoda and adjacent building
  • Statuettes of Ksitigarbha (or Jizō) en masse
  • Otowa-no-taki, the waterfall where visitors drink for health, longevity, and success in studies
  • Torii of Jishu-jinja, a matchmaking shrine
  • Kiyomizu-dera, Illuminated
  • Kiyomizu-dera, Illuminated
  • Kiyomizu-dera, Illuminated
  • Kiyomizu-dera, Illuminated
  • View of Kyoto and Niōmon from Kiyomizu-dera
  • Kiyomizu-dera waterfall
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See also

Notes
  1. "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities)". Retrieved 2008-12-20.
  2. Ponsonby-Fane (1956), p. 111.
  3. Graham (2007), p. 37
  4. "Kiyomizu Temple". 2007-04-07. Archived from the original on 2009-04-03. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
  5. "Kiyomizudera, Kyoto". Retrieved 2008-12-18.
  6. Graham (2007), p. 32
  7. Kiyomizu-deploy
  8. Graham 2007, p. 80
  9. "恋占いの石". Retrieved 2020-08-03.
  10. "japanvisitor.com". Retrieved 2010-08-21.
  11. "Kiyomizu-dera Temple". Archived from the original on December 10, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
  12. "The Finalists for The Official New 7 Wonders of the World". Archived from the original on 2009-06-01. Retrieved 2009-06-01.

References
  • Graham, Patricia J. (2007) Faith and Power in Japanese Buddhist Art (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press) ISBN 978-0-8248-3126-4.
  • Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1956) Kyoto: The Old Capital of Japan, 794-1869. Kyoto: The Ponsonby Memorial Society.

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