善南寺

Overview

Zen'nan-ji is a temple of the Jōdo (Pure Land) school in Ikeda, Gifu Prefecture, and the eighth stop on the Nishi-Mino Thirty-Three Kannon pilgrimage. This ancient temple, said to have been founded on the flank of Mt. Ikeda, traces its origins to Saichō, the great teacher Dengyō Daishi. Having survived countless wars and fires from the Heian period through the Edo era and into modern times, it stands as one of the notable temples of the Ibi region, rich with the weight of history.

Highlights

• ●Twelve centuries of heritage said to begin with the founder Saichō
• ●A pilgrimage highlight as the eighth station of the Nishi-Mino Thirty-Three Kannon route
• ●Historic stories of ties to Minamoto no Yoshihira and Emperor Go-Kōgon's visit
• ●A history of changing schools, from Tendai to Jōdo Pure Land

History

According to temple tradition, Zen'nan-ji was founded on the hillside of Mt. Ikeda by Saichō in 811 (Kōnin 2), originally as a Tendai temple with a full monastic compound, holdings of 350 koku, and eighteen subordinate temples. When it sheltered Minamoto no Yoshihira, who had fled defeat in the Heiji Rebellion, the temple was blamed and put to the torch, later revived as a hermitage at Dōgadani. In 1353 (Bunna 2), Emperor Go-Kōgon, then taking refuge at the Kojima temporary palace in Ibigawa to escape the wars of the Northern and Southern Courts, is said to have visited. Its halls were rebuilt at Tōkōdani in 1666 (Kanbun 6), and in 1699 (Genroku 12) it converted to the Jōdo school, inviting the priest Gen'yo as founding abbot. In the Edo period it was maintained by thirteen surrounding villages and held estates of 410 chō. After a fire destroyed it in 1919 (Taishō 8), it was rebuilt at its present site in 1943 (Shōwa 18).

Map

35.4246, 136.5588 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Drive from the Ōgaki area to Ikeda and the foot of Mt. Ikeda
2. 2Visit Zen'nan-ji as the eighth station of the Nishi-Mino pilgrimage
3. 3Reflect on its history since Saichō's founding and its many revivals
4. 4Round off the trip with the nature or hot springs around Mt. Ikeda

Did you know?

💡 From the tale of its burning for sheltering Minamoto no Yoshihira after his defeat in the Heiji Rebellion, to the tradition of Emperor Go-Kōgon's visit during the Northern and Southern Courts period, Zen'nan-ji carries many stories tied to great events in Japanese history. Its shift from a Tendai foundation to the Jōdo school is another point of interest.

Nearby spots