Kashiba City
Kenpon-chakushoku-shojuraigo-zu
(silk-based, colored painting of Amitabha and Bodhisattvas' welcoming the dead to the Pure Land)


Designated Important Cultural Property (in Anichi-ji's possession)
Kamakura Period

Anichi-ji (Ryofukuji, Kashiba) is known as the birthplace of scholar monk Genshin (Eshin Sozu) of the Heian Period (704-1192). Nicknamed "Pokkuri-san," the temple is visited by many people who wish to die without suffering any pain ("pokkuri-death means a sudden death without pain).
In the late Heian Period, the belief that the last day of this world was approaching spread and the faith in the Pure Land (Jodo) developed. Pure Land Buddhism produced a strong influence on Buddhist statues, paintings, crafts and other fields of the arts.

The influence was most vividly demonstrated in a painting motif called raigo-zu, which depicts Amitabha (Amida), accompanied by 25 Bodhisattvas, coming to welcome the dead to the Pure Land.
This motif was used in many paintings from the late Heian Period to the middle of the Kamakura Period (1185-1333). It should be noted that all these paintings are today designated national treasures or important cultural properties.

Kenpon-chakushoku-shojuraigo-zu in Anichi-ji's possession (a designated important cultural property, 95.0 cm by 53.8 cm) shows a scene of the Kannon Bodhisattva carrying a lotus pedestal and the Seishi Bodhisattva joining its palms together, with the light of grace around them, accompanied by many Bodhisattvas playing musical instruments and moving toward the right bottom corner of the painting to welcome the dead.
This painting contains more welcoming saints than Amida-sanzon-oyobi-doji (a national treasure) at Hokke-ji Temple and Amida-raigo-zu (a designated important cultural property) at Hase-dera Temple. From this fact, it is thought to belong to the same school of Buddhist paintings as Kobuin Temple's Amida-nijugo-bosatsu-raigo-zu (a designated important cultural property) and thus to have been painted during the mid-Kamakura Period.

Source: The Kashiba municipal government

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