Confidence
| Field | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Temple name | 99% | Lower-left red square seal reads 御寺泉涌寺 (Mitera Sennyū-ji) — the temple's signature seal with its honorific nickname. Calligraphic 泉涌寺 in left column matches. The central calligraphy 佛牙寶殿 (Butsuge Hōden) is uniquely the wording for Sennyū-ji's Shariden. |
| Date | 97% | Right column reads 令和五年五月廿八日 = 28 May 2023. All characters legible. |
Identification
- Name (Japanese): 御寺 泉涌寺 (formal) — also written 御寺泉涌寺
- Name (Romanized): Mitera Sennyū-ji ("Mitera" = "the Imperial Temple" — honorific nickname)
- Specific hall: 舎利殿 (Shariden — Sacred Relic Hall)
- Type: Buddhist temple — head temple of the Shingon Sennyū-ji school (真言宗泉涌寺派)
- Location: Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto (south of Tōfuku-ji)
- Date received: 令和五年五月廿八日 = 28 May 2023
Reading the goshuin
| Element | Reading | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 奉拝 | Hōhai — "humbly worshipped" | Top right, brush |
| 佛牙寶殿 | Butsuge Hōden — "Hall of the Buddha's Tooth Relic" | Center, large brush |
| 泉涌寺 | Sennyū-ji — temple name | Left column, brush |
| Tensho seal (large round) | Temple's main seal | Center red round seal |
| 御寺泉涌寺 | "Mitera Sennyū-ji" — honorific temple seal | Lower-left red square seal |
| 令和五年五月廿八日 | 28 May 2023 | Right column, brush |
The wording 「佛牙寶殿」 is critical: it identifies the goshuin specifically as commemorating worship at the Shariden (舎利殿), the temple's hall enshrining a tooth relic of the historical Buddha — not a generic Sennyū-ji goshuin.
Why this goshuin is special
Sennyū-ji's Shariden is normally closed to the public and only opens during specific commemorative periods. May 2023 was one such opening window, which is why this goshuin can be received in May rather than only on rare special-opening dates. Most goshuincho-collectors who visit Sennyū-ji on an ordinary day cannot get this one — they receive only the temple's standard goshuin.
About the temple — Sennyū-ji
Sennyū-ji was founded in the early 9th century but was given its current form by the monk Shunjō (俊芿, 1166–1227) in 1218, who restored the temple after returning from Song-dynasty China and brought back the Shingon, Zen, and Vinaya teachings. Shunjō named it 泉涌寺 — "Spring-Welling Temple" — because a fresh spring miraculously appeared on the grounds during construction.
"Mitera" — The Imperial Temple
Sennyū-ji's nickname 御寺 (Mitera) literally means "the (Imperial) Temple" and reflects its singular role as the funerary temple of the Japanese Imperial Family since the 13th century. The grounds contain the 月輪陵 (Tsuki-no-Wa Imperial Mausoleum) where many emperors are interred, including:
- Emperor Shijō (四条天皇, 1231–1242) — the first emperor buried here
- The continuous lineage from Emperor Go-Mizunoo (1596–1680) to Emperor Kōmei (1831–1867) — every emperor for ~250 years before the Meiji restoration
- Various empresses and imperial family members
The Imperial Household Agency still administers the mausoleum directly, and Sennyū-ji has a unique civil status as a temple intertwined with imperial protocol.
About the Shariden and the Buddha's tooth relic (佛牙舎利)
The Shariden (舎利殿) houses a tooth relic of the historical Buddha — brought from Song China around 1255 by the monk 湛海 (Tankai), a disciple of Shunjō. The relic is kept in an elaborate reliquary alongside guardian statues of Idaten (韋駄天) and Gakkai Chōja (月蓋長者), both designated Important Cultural Properties.
The Buddha's tooth relic is one of the most spiritually significant objects in Japanese Buddhism — direct contact with the historical Buddha's body. Worship at the Shariden is among the highest-merit acts a Japanese Buddhist pilgrim can perform.
The "Roaring Dragon" ceiling
The Shariden's ceiling features a famous 鳴龍 (naki-ryū / "roaring dragon") painting attributed to 狩野山雪 (Kanō Sansetsu). If you stand directly beneath the dragon and clap, the sound resonates with an eerie reverberation said to be the dragon's cry. This acoustic phenomenon is well-known in Japan and is part of the visit experience when the Shariden is open.
What the blessing means
The merit carried by this goshuin is the highest-tier devotional credit in the Sennyū-ji tradition: direct paid respects to the historical Buddha through his physical relic. It carries blessings of:
- Spiritual purification and accumulation of religious merit (功徳, kudoku)
- Protection by Buddhist guardian deities
- Connection to the imperial-Buddhist tradition that Sennyū-ji uniquely represents