遠妙寺

Overview

Onmyō-ji is a temple of the Nichiren school in Ichibe, Isawa-cho, Fuefuki City, Yamanashi. Its mountain name is Ukai-san, and it is celebrated as the historic site where the famous Noh play Ukai (The Cormorant Fisher) is said to have originated. Within the grounds stand the Ukai hall and a memorial pagoda, and as the setting of a tale mourning the soul of a fisherman burdened by the taking of life, it leaves a quiet, reflective impression on visitors.

Highlights

• ●A Nichiren temple bearing the mountain name Ukai-san
• ●Its standing as the birthplace of the Noh play Ukai
• ●The Ukai hall and memorial pagoda within the grounds
• ●A place of faith counted among the Kai 108 Pilgrimage Sites

History

The temple is regarded as the birthplace of the Noh play Ukai, deeply tied to the story in which the spirit of a man who fished with cormorants is delivered to salvation. The Ukai hall and memorial pagoda in the precinct carry this legend's devotion into the present. Counted among the Kai 108 Pilgrimage Sites, its former head temple is Kuon-ji on Mount Minobu, and it has kept the dharma light in Isawa as a Nichiren temple of the Kagamishi lineage (Zengakukai).

Map

35.6510, 138.6402 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Head to Isawa-cho from the Ichinomiya-Misaka or Kofu-Minami interchange
2. 2Visit Onmyō-ji and walk the grounds of Ukai-san
3. 3Reflect on the tale of the Noh play Ukai at the Ukai hall and pagoda
4. 4Enjoy a round of hot springs at nearby Isawa Onsen

Did you know?

💡 The Noh play Ukai tells of the ghost of a cormorant fisher who is saved by a traveling monk, and this temple is regarded as the historic site of its origin. The Ukai hall and memorial pagoda in the precinct, offered in prayer for the repose and salvation of one whose trade was the taking of life, are known even among devotees of Noh.

Nearby spots