Senju-ji, also known as Takadayama, refers to a pair of temples which are the chief Buddhist temples of the Takada branch of Jōdo Shinshū, a Japanese Buddhist sect. The current head temple, Senju-ji Honzan, founded in the 15th century, is located in Mie Prefecture. The original head temple, Senju-ji Hon-ji, founded in 1225, is located in Tochigi Prefecture. Both temples are governed by the same abbot.
Senju-ji Hon-ji
Senju-ji Hon-ji was founded by Shinran in 1225. According to legend, a child appeared to Shinran and presented him with seeds and a staff, which he planted in this place to establish the temple. A modern theory is that the origin of Senju-ji was an existing temple where Shinran resided and preached after returning to Eastern Japan from exile in Echigo. Soon after its founding, Senju-ji was named an imperial temple and Shinran made it the center of his activities. He resided here for seven years before returning to Kyoto, and his followers made it an important center of Shinshū Buddhism in Eastern Japan. But much of the temple was destroyed during the civil wars of the 15th century, and leadership of the Takada branch gradually shifted to the Honzan temple in Tsu. The temple's current building dates mainly from an Edo-period reconstruction. Some have been declared Important Cultural Properties by the prefecture and national government.
Senju-ji Honzan
The Senju-ji in Tsu is traditionally said to have been founded by the monk Shinne, who had arrived from Takada. Its predecessor may have been a temple named Muryōju-ji, which came to be called Senju-ji Honzan in the late 16th century. Historically it was closely related to the imperial court and aristocratic culture. In 1478 it was designated an imperial temple, and in 1574 it became a monzeki. Buildings include the Mieidō and Nyoraidō, both of which escaped fires in the 18th century and have been designated National Treasures. Important cultural properties preserved at the temple include paintings, statues, and documents. The Notes on Guidance Toward Birth in the West is a compilation in six volumes of the words, teachings, and practices of Shinran's teacher Hōnen. According to the colophons, Shinran wrote it at the age of 84. It is the oldest primary source of its kind and the best attested of Shinran's late writings in his own hand. It was designated a National Treasure in 1953.
