Mibu-dera Temple

Tucked into an everyday neighborhood of houses and shops just west of Shijo-Omiya, Mibu-dera is the head temple of the Ritsu sect, and its principal image is Jizo Bosatsu. Kyoto residents have long turned to it for protection from misfortune and good luck, and it still draws many worshippers at Setsubun and during the Jizo Bon festivities.

According to temple tradition, it was founded in 991 by Kaiken, a monk of Onjo-ji (Mii-dera), who enshrined a statue of Jizo by the sculptor Jocho in memory of his late mother. In 1213 it was moved to its present site. A fire in 1257 destroyed the halls, but the temple was restored through the efforts of the monk Enkaku and became a Ritsu temple. The great fire of 1788 again burned the whole complex, and the Dainenbutsu-do hall was built afterward. In 1962 arson destroyed the main hall, which was rebuilt in 1970. The present principal image, a standing Jizo Bosatsu brought from Toshodai-ji, is an Important Cultural Property.

The highlight is Mibu Kyogen. Said to have been started by Enkaku in 1300, this Dainenbutsu Kyogen is a rare silent drama, performed without spoken lines to the rhythm of gongs, drums and flutes. It is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property and is staged at Setsubun, in spring and in autumn. The stage is the Dainenbutsu-do (rebuilt in 1856), itself an Important Cultural Property.

In the final years of the shogunate, the grounds served as a drill field for the Shinsengumi. Because their headquarters stood nearby at the Yagi residence, Mibuzuka in the precincts holds a bust of Kondo Isami, a statue of Hijikata Toshizo, and the graves of members including Serizawa Kamo, and a memorial service is held on July 16. South of the main hall stands the Sentai-butsu-to, a thousand-Buddha pagoda built in 1988. Stone figures of Amida and Jizo, some dating back to the Muromachi period and unearthed during subway construction in Kyoto, are stacked in a cone around this pagoda-style tower.

The precincts are compact, and a full walk-through takes roughly 30 minutes to an hour. Setsubun in February and the Kyogen days around the fresh-green season are especially crowded, so weekday mornings suit those who want a quieter visit. Nishi Hongan-ji, Nijo Castle and the Kyoto Aquarium are all within walking range, which makes Mibu-dera easy to combine with sightseeing around Kyoto Station or Nijo Castle.