Paintings and Calligraphy of Ushitozan Kofuku-ji Temple ＜Sumida Ward Cultural Property Series＞

A collection of materials featuring paintings and calligraphic works related to the Gyutozan Kofukuji Temple.

- Title: Paintings and Calligraphic Works of Gyutozan Kofukuji Temple
- Author: Kuroda Ward Board of Education
- Publisher: Kuroda Ward Board of Education

151 pages

Preface
March, 2019

Gyutozan Kofukuji Temple was founded in the Edo period under the guidance of the founding priest Tetsugyu Dokki Zenji and the founder Masanori Inaba. It is a Obaku school temple located in Mukojima, Sumida Ward, and has remained in the same location to this day. The Obaku school was founded by Ingen Ryuki, who came to Japan in the early Edo period, and people at the time were exposed to the latest Buddhist teachings and culture. Zenji Tetsugyu was a Obaku monk said to be from Nagato, and he received the Dharma transmission from Mokuan Shoto, and founded the Jotaiji Temple in Kanagawa, the Joshuji Temple in Kyoto, and the Dainenji Temple in Sendai. Except for some calligraphic works, no documents remain at Kofukuji Temple, and clarifying the history of the temple is a future challenge. The current temple buildings were constructed in 1933 (Showa 8), after the Great Kanto Earthquake, and include the main hall (Daio-den), guest hall, kitchen, bell tower, and gate. Fortunately, the temple was spared from the war, and the seated statue of Zenji Tetsugyu, the main hall (Daio-den), the bronze bell, and the grave of Kanzan Ikeda are all registered and designated as cultural properties of Sumida Ward.

Since its founding, Kofukuji Temple has preserved many paintings and calligraphic works, including a statue of Ingen Ryuki. Of these, fifty-seven paintings were registered as Sumida Ward Registered Cultural Properties in 2014 (with additional registration in 2018). However, these paintings were rarely displayed within the temple and were kept in a hidden state. Therefore, Sumida Ward conducted high-resolution digital photography in 2015 and 2017 for the purpose of record preservation and public display.

This book introduces the paintings and calligraphic works of Kofukuji Temple, which are believed to have been created in the Edo period. We hope that you will be able to feel a part of the Obaku culture that was brought to the Mukojima area by the founding of the temple.

Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to the many predecessors who have preserved these cultural properties to this day, overcoming various difficulties, and to the current chief priest, Masahiro Okuda, for his cooperation in the publication of this book.

Sumida Ward Board of Education

Thank you for your interest.