Date July 7, 2024
Time Morning (9:00 – 12:00 PM) / Afternoon (1:00 – 4:00 PM)
Place Kai Zenkoji Temple

We held the 2nd Kai Zenkoji Great Shabutsu (Buddha Tracing) Event at the Kondo Hall of Kai Zenkoji Temple, which is now in its 466th year since its founding.

Normally, the general public is not allowed to enter the inner sanctum of the Kondo Hall, so this was only the second time in 466 years that participants were able to enter this sacred space to engage in Shabutsu tracing, the first being a special event during the Eisui Exhibition held two years ago.

We are truly grateful for this rare and precious opportunity.

For this event, we prepared a special tracing template featuring the temple’s principal image, the “Zenkoji-style Amida Triad,” which also serves as the original illustration for the “Kaori Omamori” (fragrance talisman) made available at Kai Zenkoji Temple starting in 2024.

Despite the record-breaking heat on the day, many participants gathered from within and outside the prefecture to devote themselves to Shabutsu tracing. Many remarked that they eventually stopped noticing the heat, showing how deeply focused they were during the session.

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Kai Zenkoji Great Shabutsu Event — Afternoon Session

Venue: Kai Zenkoji Temple, Kondo Inner Sanctum
Date: Sunday, July 7, 2024
Time: Afternoon session: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Participation Fee: 5,000 yen
Includes: Buddhist memorial service, special goshuin (temple stamp), one special tracing template, one sheet of shabutsu tracing paper, fine brush, and small dish

Capacity: Approximately 20 participants

What to Bring:

• Glasses (please be sure to bring reading glasses if needed)
• Personal light source
  (A small personal light will be provided for each participant, but bringing a self-standing desk lamp or headlamp will make tracing more comfortable.)
• Lap blanket (temperature may fluctuate, so please bring one if you feel you may need it depending on the weather)

About Kai Zenkoji Temple
Kai Zenkoji was founded by the warlord Takeda Shingen, who, fearing the destruction of Shinano Zenkoji Temple during the Battles of Kawanakajima, relocated the principal image of Zenkoji Nyorai along with other sacred treasures in the first year of Eiroku (1558).

The principal image is the oldest extant signed statue among the so-called “Ikkō Sanzon-shiki” Zenkoji Nyorai statues. It was created in 1195 (Kenkyo 6) by the Owari monk Jōson as a concealed Buddha (maedachi-butsu) for the original Shinano Zenkoji. This statue is notable for being an exceptionally large life-sized figure.

In addition, the ceiling of the central part of the Kondo Hall features two enormous dragons painted by the Edo-period artist Kisaï. These “crying dragons” are the largest of their kind in Japan.