FUMONKEN
History of Fumonken
Fumonken is the only temple in Kyoto belonging to the Kokutaiji branch of the Rinzai Zen school.
Its head temple is Kokutaiji, the main monastery located in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture. Fumonken traces its origin back to the early 14th century, when Zen Master Jiun Myoi (1274–1345), the founder of Kokutaiji, visited Kyoto on an imperial summons and established a small temple on the site where he stayed. The temple was later destroyed by fire and abandoned, but in 1751 it was rebuilt by Zen Master Shuzan Emyo, a successor in Jiun Myoi’s lineage, as a lodging place for senior monks of Kokutaiji traveling to Kyoto. Shuzan Emyo is regarded as the founding abbot of Fumonken. The temple was originally located in the Nishijin district of Kyoto but was relocated to its current grounds in 1930.
Name and Main Deity
Fumonken is closely associated with Kannon, the Bodhisattva of Compassion.
The name “Fumon” is one of the titles of Kannon, meaning “Universal Gate.” It refers to Kannon’s vow to open the gate of compassion to all beings, hearing their cries and offering salvation. The principal image enshrined here is the Koyasu Juichimen Kannon, revered as a protector of safe childbirth and the healthy growth of children.
Gate
Main hall
Garden
About the Rinzai School
The Kōan Zen founded by Linji Yixuan.
Zen, founded by Linji Yixuan in China, emphasizes kōan practice. Zen was introduced to Japan mainly during the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, with 24 distinct lineages taking root. Except for three branches of the Sōtō school, all of them belonged to the Rinzai tradition. Closely connected with the warrior class in Kyoto and Kamakura, Rinzai Zen flourished around the Five Great Zen Monasteries of
Kyoto (Nanzen-ji, Tenryū-ji, Shōkoku-ji, Kennin-ji, Tōfuku-ji, and Manju-ji) and Kamakura (Kencho-ji, Engaku-ji, Jufuku-ji, Jōchi-ji, and Jōmyō-ji), leaving a profound cultural legacy in Japanese history.
The character of the modern Rinzai school was largely shaped by Hakuin Ekaku (1686–1769), and most current lineages trace their roots back to his teaching. Today, the Rinzai sect has 14 head temples, of which Kokutaiji is one.
Although the Rinzai school does not require a fixed object of worship, most temples enshrine a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha. Others, like Fumonken, enshrine bodhisattvas such as Kannon, embodying the ideals of Mahayana Buddhism.
About the Head Temple: Kokutaiji
Kokutaiji is one of the few Zen monasteries in the Hokuriku region and serves as the head temple of the Kokutaiji branch of the Rinzai school.
Its founder, Zen Master Jiun Myoi (1274–1345), after years of pilgrimage, was drawn to the quiet surroundings of Mount Futagamiyama, where he practiced zazen in a small thatched hut. There he met Koho Kakumyo (Sanko Kokushi), who encouraged him to study under Mumon Kakushin (Hotto Kokushi) at Saihoji Temple in Kii Province (present-day Kokokuji Temple). Under Hotto Kokushi’s guidance, Jiun Myoi attained great enlightenment. However, soon after, his teacher passed away, and Jiun returned to his hermitage on Mount Futagamiyama to continue his practice after realization. As his style of Zen drew disciples, a community of monks gathered around him. In 1304, he founded Toshoji Temple. In 1327, he was invited to the Imperial Court, where he preached the Dharma to Emperor Go-Daigo and was granted the title “Seisen Zenji.” The following year, he received an imperial decree naming the temple “Gokoku Macho Kyozan Kokutai Ninnō Mannen Zenji,” giving it the same status as Nanzenji, one of the most prestigious imperial temples in Kyoto. In 1342, Emperor Go-Murakami of the Southern Court sent a portrait of Emperor Go-Daigo to Kokutaiji, along with a handwritten imperial message declaring it to be “in place of an imperial visit.” This is why the temple still preserves the “Imperial Hall.”
Later, Kokutaiji prospered under the patronage of the Jinbo family, military governors of the region. However, the wars following the Onin period led to its decline. The 27th abbot, Zen Master Settei, restored the temple under imperial order from Emperor Go-
Nara, but in 1585 Toyotomi retainer Maeda Toshiie confiscated the temple’s abbot’s quarters, converting them into a study hall for Moriyama Castle. The temple was subsequently relocated to its present site.
In the Edo period, the present large abbot’s quarters were built in 1686. Under the patronage of the fifth shogun, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, Kokutaiji was recognized as the head temple of the Hoto lineage. During the Kyoho era (1716–1736), Zen Master Mangaku and others carried out a large-scale reconstruction of the monastery, giving it essentially the form it has today.
During the Meiji Restoration, Kokutaiji suffered from the anti-Buddhist movement (haibutsu kishaku). Nevertheless, Abbots Essō and Setsumon, with the support of Yamaoka Tesshū, rebuilt the Imperial Hall and restored many of the temple buildings. Notably, philosophers such as Nishida Kitarō and Suzuki Daisetsu (D.T. Suzuki), at the encouragement of Hojo Tokiyuki, studied under Abbot Semon in their youth.
In 1892, the Myoonkai (“Association of Sacred Sound”) was established at Kokutaiji by Komuso shakuhachi monks. Since then, during memorial services, sutra chanting has been accompanied by the bamboo flute, creating a distinctive tradition. Especially on the anniversary of the founder (June 2–3), about twenty Komuso monks from across Japan gather, and their haunting shakuhachi sounds resonate through the ancient temple grounds, becoming a seasonal tradition.
In modern times, Abbot Shinden worked to establish the Risho-to (“Tower of Blessings”), arranged the Getsusen Garden and Ryuen Pond (a pond for releasing life), and opened the Zen hall to the public for group and individual zazen instruction. Upholding the founder’s words—“Seek only the realization of one’s true self”—the temple continues to serve as a Zen training ground open to all.
In 1905, Kokutaiji became independent from the Shokokuji branch and established the Kokutaiji branch of the Rinzai school. As of 2020, there are 33 affiliated temples: 24 in Toyama Prefecture (including the head temple), 2 in Tokyo, 6 in Ishikawa, and just 1 in Kyoto—Fumonken.