Rare Kawasaki Daishi Daishi Opening Ceremony Draws Crowds Every 10 Years

Daikaicho service started on the 1st at Kawasaki Daishi Heikenji Temple (Kawasaki Ward, Kawasaki City). It is a rare opportunity, once every 10 years, to see the main statue of Kobo Daishi in the main hall, where the curtain called Mitocho was built”. The temple invites people to visit the shrine, saying, “You can connect more deeply with the main image, so please come and visit.” (Naoko Takeya)

“I stayed in line for four hours, but it was training. I want to stay fit for another 10 years.” Yasuko Tsubomatsu (53), a company employee from Kawasaki Ward, visited the shrine with a friend who had visited the shrine last time. He said happily after receiving the red tag.

A “red tag” given to worshipers at Kawasaki Daishi in Kawasaki Ward

The red tag is a special talisman that is only given during the Great Kaicho, and has the six characters “Namu Amidabutsu” printed on washi paper, which is said to have been Handwritten by Kobo Daishi. The time of the award “according to the intuition of the Kansu” (spokesman for the temple), and some worshipers wait for a long time.

Miho Ishikawa (58), a company employee from the same ward, said she had been in line since 7:30 a.m. that day, saying, “I got it 10 years ago and I was able to Last 10 to spend. years without anything special, so the next 10 years will be peaceful.”I hope it will pass,” he said.

It is said that the Heiken-ji Temple began in the Heian period, when the samurai Hirama Kennori, at the age of 42, raised a statue of Kobo Daishi from the bottom of the sea as told in a dream, and opened a temple. dedicated to him. According to the temple, Daikaicho-hoshu has been held since the Edo period, and it was not until 1884 (Meiji 17) that it was held every 10 years. Generally, the opening ceremony refers to the opportunity to view a hidden Buddha that cannot be seen with the naked eye, but at Kawasaki Daishi, you usually see the main image from a separate curtained room. The large opening allows the image of the main image to be more visible.

On the 1st, the Grand Kaihaku Memorial Service, marking the start of the Grand Opening Ceremony, was held from 11am. During this time, the memorial tower (10 meters high) in front of the main hall is connected to the main statue with a “rein”, and it is said that if you touch and send your hands together, you will be able to create a deeper connection.

In anticipation of a large number of worshipers, Keikyu Corporation plans to increase the number of trains on the Keikyu Daishi Line on weekends and other times. During the event, the line will display a commemorative header with a Daruma motif on some trains.

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