Amano-san Kongo-ji Temple (Woman's Koya)

This ancient temple is said to have been founded by Gyoki Bodhisattva in the Tempyo period (729-749) at the behest of Emperor Shomu. During the Kounin period (810-824), Kobo Daishi Kukai is said to have practiced at the temple.

Within the precincts of the temple is the Gobutsudo Hall, the 7th temple of the New Saigoku Sanjusanjo, and the principal image of the temple is the Thousand-Armed Goddess of Mercy.

In addition to receiving the devotion of Emperor Go-Shirakawa in the Heian period (794-1185), the temple was designated as an imperial temple by Emperor Godaigo in 1336, and was also used as a place of departure for Emperor Go-Murakami in the Nanbokucho period (1644-1644).

It became famous as “Onna-nin Koya” (Women’s Koya) because women were allowed to visit the temple.

In the precincts of the temple, there is a pagoda built in the late Heian period (794-1185), which is not only the oldest pagoda in Japan but also the oldest wooden structure in Osaka Prefecture.

It has many cultural assets such as sculptures, paintings, and crafts, including five national treasures such as three wooden seated statues of Fudo and Kakusei Myoo, and landscapes of the four seasons of the sun, moon, and moon.

The precincts of Kongoji Temple are designated as a national historic site, and most of the numerous buildings are designated as national important cultural properties and national registered tangible cultural properties.

The garden, created in the Muromachi period (1336-1573), is beautiful in all seasons, and is especially famous for its cherry blossoms in spring and autumn leaves in fall.

Also known as “Onna-no-Koya,” it is one of the tourist attractions in Okukawachi and has been selected as one of the 100 best places for greenery in Osaka.

It is also one of the cultural assets of the Japan Heritage Site “A town where you can encounter the Middle Ages - a treasure house of the cultural heritage of the Middle Ages that has been preserved for a thousand years.

Passing through the Gate of the Tower, an Important Cultural Property, you will find many buildings within the spacious precincts of the temple, including Kondo, Daboto, Gobutsudo, Yakushido, Mikado, Kangetsu-tei, and Maniin.

The main hall, “Kondo,” enshrines three Buddhist statues (national treasures): the principal image, “Dainichi Nyorai,” and the flanking statues, “Fudo Myoo and Fudo Sansei Myo” (national treasures).

In addition, the famous sake “Amano-shu”, which began to be sold around 1432, received a red seal from Toyotomi Hideyoshi and is still sold at the temple today.

Starting in 1605, Toyotomi Hideyori had the temple buildings improved, and Kondo, Taho-to, Shokudo, and Roumon were repaired. In addition, the Gobutsudo and Yakushido halls were rebuilt, and the Gomado, the Dharmagura, the Maniin Shoin, the Jinjusha shrine of Sujimyojinsha, the Niu Koya Myojinsha, the Jinjusha worship hall, and the Jinjusha bell tower were erected.

In 1700, the temple was repaired again under the order of Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, the Shogun of the Edo Shogunate, with Oka Hanyasu, the lord of Kishiwada, as magistrate, and Gumonmochido and Kaisandodo were also built. At the end of the Edo period, the temple had a domain of 307 koku.

However, during the Meiji period (1868-1912), the number of pagodas was reduced from about 90 to only Maniin, Kanzoin, and Kichijoin.

Since the main temple buildings were not damaged in the war, many valuable cultural assets remain.