We visit a mysterious pagoda near Yomiuri Land, turns out to be an incredibly sacred spot

Anybody who has ever been to the Tokyo amusement park Yomiuri Land might need noticed a white pagoda shut by. If you happen to’re making your approach to Yomiuri Land from the prepare station, you may even mistake it for an attraction on the amusement park, however truly it’s part of Hana Biyori, a flower park subsequent to Yomiuri Land.

Truly, there are two pagodas in Hana Biyori, which opened in 2020 — a crimson one and a white one. Each pagodas have been there since Yomiuri Land opened again in 1964, however now are a part of Hana Biyori, situated in an space of the flower park referred to as ‘the Sacred Forest’. Our reporter Mariko Ohanabatake determined to pay it a go to and and examine additional.

The Sacred Forest is actually an uncommon title for an space of a flower park, however Mariko quickly came upon that it was a becoming one. The white pagoda is manufactured from Pakistani marble and referred to as Shaka Nyorai-Den (or ‘Shaka Corridor of the Buddha’). It’s stated that the hair (Śarīra) and bones (stupa) of the Buddha are enshrined inside it. Śarīra is the time period given to relics discovered within the cremated ashes of Buddhist non secular masters, and stupa refers to a shrine containing the stays of a holy particular person. In different phrases, this pagoda was undoubtedly a sacred place for many who apply Buddhism.

The stupa was enshrined within the former Mahintale Temple in Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka), and was gifted to Japan by the Ceylon authorities in April 1964. Equally, the Śarīra was enshrined within the Buddhist Monastari Temple in former East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh), and was gifted to Japan in September 1964. It’s stated to be extraordinarily uncommon to have each a stupa with the Buddha’s bones and Śarīra with sacred hair in the identical spot.

It’s forbidden to take photographs contained in the pagoda, however Mariko noticed what regarded like two golden bells contained in the temple, which contained the holy relics.

The Sacred Forest is residence to an entire bunch of different issues to see as nicely, comparable to this statue of Myoken Bosatsu, also referred to as the God of the North Star. The statue was created in 1301 by the order of a Buddhist priest and was designated as an Necessary Cultural Property in 1950.

Myokan Bosatsu is alleged to deliver blessings for maritime security, marriage, secure childbirth, affluent enterprise, and luck. He’s additionally believed to be the Guardian of Horses, and in historic occasions samurai prayed to him to offer them with good horses for battle. Whereas it appears to be like just like the statue is doing a peace signal, it’s truly an indication which means “sword.”

In addition to the white pagoda, Hana Biyori’s Sacred Forest can be residence to a crimson pagoda. The crimson pagoda is believed to have been constructed within the seventeenth century, and was moved close to to Yomiuri Land in 1964.

However near the crimson pagoda is one other outstanding sight — the Statues of the Eight Patriarchs, eight figures believed to be founders of main Buddhist sects.

The statues had been created by Sri Lankan sculptor Soma Pala, with former members of the Sculpture Division of the Japan Artwork Institute and have Saicho of the Tendai sect, Kukai of the Shingon sect, Honen of the Jodo sect, Shinran of the Jodo Shin sect, Eisai of the Rinzai sect, Dogen of the Soto sect, Nichiren of the Nichiren sect, and Ryonin of the Yutsu Nembutsu sect. Mariko had examine these males in historical past books, and it was an actual deal with to see all eight of them right here in a single place.

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