Gokaicho of Oiwasan Bishamonten following Ashikaga City forest fire
What is Degaicho?
Extra "Degaicho" of Oiwasan Bishamonten
Due to a forest fire in Ashikaga City on February 21, 2021, which threatened to spread and destroy the temple, the main statue of Bishamonten, as well as other statues of Buddha, cultural properties, and fixtures were evacuated from February 23, 2021.
For a detailed status of the evacuation, please click here.
The main hall was restored over the course of one month in March 2021, and the Gohonzon, which had been evacuated to a facility in Ashikaga City, was able to be relocated to the main hall on March 30. 260 years of age-related deterioration and damage from the evacuation had damaged the legs, belongings and pedestal, but miraculously, the statue was able to maintain its standing posture. Miraculously, the statue was able to maintain its standing posture.
The temple is scheduled to be reopened for restoration in the spring of 2022.
Until then, the three images of the Gohonzon are enshrined in the main hall, leaving the kitchen as dekaicho.
A fee of 1,000 yen will be charged for the restoration of the main sanctuary and cultural properties.
We would like to ask for your cooperation in passing on our nearly 1,300 years of history to the next generation.
Please refer to the Transportation Access when visiting.
Gokaicho is a special occasion when statues of Buddha that are normally kept secret are opened to the public. When Gokaicho is performed in the hall where the statues are enshrined, it is called "Ikaicho," meaning "Gokaicho in the hall. On the other hand, when the Gokaicho is performed outside the hall where it is usually enshrined, it is called "Degaicho".
At Oiwasan Bishamonten, the main statue of Bishamonten, which was damaged during an emergency evacuation during a forest fire in Ashikaga City in 2021, has been removed from the kitchen and enshrined in the main hall for the first time in 260 years.
This dekicho will be held until June 4, 2022. The next opportunity to visit the shrine will be several hundred years from now, so please take this opportunity.