Gansenji Stone Shrine (Sekishitsu)

About the Gansenji Stone Shrine (Sekishitsu)

The Gansenji Stone Shrine (岩船寺石室) is a stone niche shrine inscribed with a date of 1312 at Gansenji in Iwafune, Kamo-cho, Kizugawa City, Kyoto Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on November 22, 1952. It stands on the hillside a little away from the thirteen-storey pagoda (Gansenji).

The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a stone niche shrine inscribed "second year of Ocho" and "patron Seigen". It is owned by Gansenji, a Shingon Ritsu temple in Tono on the border of Kyoto and Nara whose three-storey pagoda, thirteen-storey stone pagoda, stone shrine and five-ring pagoda are all Important Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Gansenji).

Why It Was Designated

The Gansenji Stone Shrine was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1952. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a stone niche shrine of 1312, in the late Kamakura period.

What to Look For

The Gansenji Stone Shrine is of granite, with two square posts at the front carrying a hipped roof cut from a single stone, an unusual form (Gansenji).

On the single slab of the back wall is a low-relief figure of Fudo Myoo, flanked by incised inscriptions reading "sixth day of early summer, second year of Ocho" and "patron Seigen". Gansenji notes that the era name had already changed to Showa (1312 to 1317) in the third month of that year, so the inscription was probably cut beforehand.

Visiting the Gansenji Stone Shrine (Sekishitsu)

Gansenji is open 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from March to November and 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. from December to February, every day. The admission offering is 500 yen for adults, 400 yen for junior and senior high school students and 200 yen for primary pupils (Gansenji). There is no parking in the grounds.

Take the Kizugawa City community bus from JR Kamo Station on the Kansai Main (Yamatoji) Line, about 16 minutes to the Gansenji stop. Seasonal buses also run from Nara (Gansenji).