Higashi Hongan-ji is a major Shin Buddhist temple complex near Kyoto Station. Its immense halls express the scale of a religious community, while their reconstruction history reflects the devotion that sustained the institution through repeated fires.
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Higashi Hongan-ji’s scale becomes clear when you stand before its halls: these are buildings designed to gather a large religious community. The temple is the head temple of the Shinshū Ōtani-ha branch of Jōdo Shinshū, a form of Shin Buddhism based on the teachings of Shinran.
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UpgradeQuick facts
- Higashi Hongan-ji was established in 1603.
- It is the head temple of the Shinshū Ōtani-ha branch of Jōdo Shinshū.
- Its main halls were reconstructed in 1895.
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