Commemorating Ikegami Honmonji O-Eshiki
Japan has many traditional festive occasions. One of them honors the Ikegami Honmonji O-Eshiki (お会式) every October.
Ikegami Honmon-ji (池上本門寺) is a temple located in south Tokyo. It was erected to honor the place of death of Nichiren (considered to be the founder of the Buddhist Nichiren Sect).
The temple grounds also include the administrative headquarters of Nichiren Shū, a confederation of the original Nichiren Buddhist Schools dating back to Nichiren’s original disciples. A number of buildings within the temple’s complex were reconstructed after the WWII bombings, such as the historic five-story pagoda built in 1608, the repository of religious writings (kyōzō (経蔵)) built in 1784, and the hōtō that was built in 1781 where Nichiren was cremated.
Hōtō (Pagoda) of Ikegami Honmon-ji Temple in Tokyo.
Around 700 years ago, the high priest Nichiren left his residence at Mt. Minobusan to recover from his illness. As it turned out, he fell short of his destination and died in Ikegami, now known as Ota-ku, Tokyo. Ikegami Honmonji O-Eshiki is held every year from October 11th to the 13th. O-eshiki refers to a Buddhist service that commemorates a death. Thousands of worshipers flock to the temple to pay homage to Nichiren.
One of the attractions includes an elaborate lantern stand called a mandō (万灯). On the evening of the 12th, there is the Mando Kuyo Parade, whose two-kilometer pathway is adorned by a hundred lanterns. The parade runs from Ikegami Station to Ikegami Honmon Temple .
“Kuyo” means to make offerings for the repose of the soul of the dead. Thousands of followers chant the prayer of the seven letters of ‘na-mu-myo-ho-ren-ge-kyo’ as drums and flutes play in the background. The festival culminates with the the Rinmetsudoji Hoyo on the 13th, where the head priest solemnly pounds a gong just as was done at the moment of the high priest Nichiren’s death.
Ikegami Honmonji Temple is a short walk from Ikegami Station (Tōkyū Ikegami Line) or Nishi-Magome Station (Toei Asakusa Line).
