Famous temple in Matsushima that stands quietly and majestically at the mercy of the powers of time and disasters

5.0
旅行時期：2022/10（約3年前）

by Cyberさん（男性）

松島・奥松島クチコミ：2件

松島を代表する寺院の一つ。時の権力者による宗派や寺の名前の変遷、大地震等による被災等数々の艱難辛苦を乗り越えながらも、静謐ながら堂々たる仏閣の姿を今に残している。
この寺院だけでなく、周辺の寺院を含め、この地帯の地形の特徴からか、洞窟や岩窟の史跡が多い。これらの史跡には立ち入ることが出来ないが、歴史に残る数々の僧の修業の場、供養場でもあり、往年の寺院の姿に思いを馳せることが出来るだろう。また境内には、伊達政宗公が文禄の役の際に朝鮮から持ち帰り手植えされたとする、紅白の梅『臥龍梅』がある、まだ寒さの残る春先の季節に美しく咲き誇り、ほのかな梅の香りを漂わせる。
本堂・庫裡・宝物館のエリアは有料となっており、これらの建物内は全て撮影禁止となっている。特に本堂内は非常に豪華で美しい屏風の数々を見ることが出来るが、前述の通り撮影禁止であるため、しっかりと目に焼き付けておきたい。本堂・庫裡に入る際は靴の脱着場があり、そこに段差があるるが、そこさえ気を付けていれば車椅子等の障碍を持つ方でも利用しやすい寺院となっている。

It's one of the representative temples of Matsushima. The temple has been through many hardships and tribulations, such as changes in religious sects and names due to those in power at the time, and damage caused by major earthquakes, but it still retains its serene yet imposing appearance.
Not only this temple, but also many other temples in the surrounding area have historic sites of caves and grottoes, probably due to the geographical features of this area. Although it's not possible to enter these historic sites, they are places where many historical monks have been trained and memorial services have been held, and visitors can recall the appearance of the temples of the past. In the precincts of the temple, there is a red and white plum tree called "Garyu-bai" which was brought back from Korea by Lord Date Masamune during the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592 and planted by hand.
There is a charge for the main hall, the kori (storehouse), and the museum of treasures, and photography is prohibited in all of these buildings. In the main hall, in particular, you can see many gorgeous and beautiful folding screens, but as mentioned above, photography is prohibited, so you should make sure to take a good look at them. There are steps to remove your shoes when entering the main hall and the kori, but as long as you are careful with these steps, the temple is accessible to people with disabilities such as wheelchairs.