Ryokai Mandala in Color on Silk

The Two-Realms Mandala on Silk at Chofuku-ji Temple: A Cosmic Vision Painted in the Northern and Southern Courts Period

Hidden in the quiet mountain village of Magami in Mimasaka City, Okayama Prefecture, the temple of Chofuku-ji preserves an extraordinary pair of paintings that opens a window onto the spiritual cosmos of esoteric Buddhism. The Two-Realms Mandala on Silk (Kenpon Chakushoku Ryokai Mandara-zu) is a set of two hanging scrolls created during the Nanboku-cho period, the turbulent era of the Northern and Southern Courts in the fourteenth century. Designated as a National Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1901, this mandala is one of the temple's sixteen treasures recognized at the national level, and a remarkable witness to the religious art that flourished in the Japanese countryside during the Middle Ages.

For visitors who wish to encounter the visual heart of Shingon Buddhism away from the crowded urban centers of Kyoto and Nara, Chofuku-ji offers a uniquely contemplative setting. The temple's vermilion three-story pagoda — the oldest wooden building in Okayama Prefecture — stands as a beacon among rice fields, and within the temple's quiet halls, the Two-Realms Mandala has been venerated for nearly seven centuries.

What Is a Two-Realms Mandala?

To appreciate this work, it helps to understand what a mandala represents in Japanese esoteric Buddhism. The Sanskrit word "mandala" originally means "circle" or "essence," and it refers to a visual diagram of the sacred cosmos. In the Shingon school, founded by the great priest Kukai (also known as Kobo Daishi) in the early ninth century, two mandalas are considered especially important: the Diamond Realm Mandala (Kongokai Mandara) and the Womb Realm Mandala (Taizokai Mandara). Together, these two are called the Two-Realms Mandala, or Ryokai Mandara.

The Diamond Realm Mandala is based on the Sutra of the Diamond Peak (Kongocho-kyo) and depicts the indestructible wisdom of the Buddha and the path leading to enlightenment. It is typically organized into nine square sections, each centered on a form of the cosmic Buddha Dainichi Nyorai (Mahavairocana), surrounded by an array of bodhisattvas, deities, and symbolic figures.

The Womb Realm Mandala is based on the Mahavairocana Sutra (Dainichi-kyo) and represents the boundless compassion of the Buddha as it unfolds throughout the universe. At its center sits Dainichi Nyorai upon an eight-petaled lotus, surrounded by concentric "courts" or zones populated by hundreds of buddhas, bodhisattvas, and protective deities.

The two mandalas together express the totality of the Buddhist cosmos — wisdom and compassion, principle and practice, the absolute and the phenomenal. In Shingon temples, they are traditionally hung on facing walls, and esoteric rituals are performed in the space between them, allowing the practitioner to enter spiritually into the realm of the Buddhas.

The Significance of the Chofuku-ji Mandala

The Chofuku-ji Two-Realms Mandala consists of two hanging scrolls, each measuring approximately 165 centimeters in height and 125 centimeters in width — a substantial size suitable for ritual display in a temple hall. The figures of the buddhas, bodhisattvas, and attendant deities are rendered in fine line and rich mineral pigment on silk, with details of jewelry, robes, and lotus thrones carefully executed in the elegant style of the late medieval period.

What gives this work its particular value is the convergence of three factors: its age, its provenance, and its setting. As a Nanboku-cho period production, it dates from a time when the iconographic traditions of esoteric Buddhism, transmitted from Tang China by Kukai in the ninth century, had been thoroughly absorbed and reinterpreted within Japan. The painting reflects centuries of devotional practice and represents the mature flowering of Japanese mandala painting.

It is especially noteworthy that this mandala was preserved at a regional temple far from the major centers of Kyoto and Koyasan. Chofuku-ji at the time was a major mountain temple with as many as sixty-five sub-temples, and the survival of so substantial a work — together with the temple's twelve hanging scrolls of the Twelve Devas (Junitenzo), traditionally attributed to the priest Zoun Sojo — speaks to the wealth of esoteric Buddhist culture that once flourished in this corner of the Mimasaka province.

Why Was It Designated an Important Cultural Property?

The Two-Realms Mandala at Chofuku-ji was designated an Important Cultural Property under the Ancient Shrines and Temples Preservation Law on August 2, 1901, a designation that was carried over to the present Cultural Properties Protection Law system in 1950. Several considerations underpin this recognition.

First, the work is a complete pair. Many medieval mandalas have been lost, separated, or survive only in fragmentary condition; the survival of both the Diamond Realm and the Womb Realm scrolls together as a matched set is a rarity. Second, the painting demonstrates a high level of artistic accomplishment, with finely drawn iconography that conveys the doctrinal precision required of a ritual mandala. Third, the historical context is exceptional. The work has remained at Chofuku-ji for centuries, providing scholars with a continuous chain of provenance that links the painting to the religious history of a single mountain temple.

Together with the temple's other designated cultural properties — including its three-story pagoda, the standing image of the Eleven-faced Kannon, and the silk paintings of Fudo Myoo and the Twelve Devas — the Two-Realms Mandala forms part of an unusually rich ensemble of medieval religious art. Few rural temples in Japan retain such a coherent collection.

Highlights and Points of Interest

For those who have the opportunity to view the Chofuku-ji mandala, several details reward careful observation. In the Womb Realm scroll, the central eight-petaled lotus court reveals Dainichi Nyorai in serene meditation, surrounded by four buddhas and four bodhisattvas seated upon the petals. Around this central court, ring upon ring of figures unfolds outward — the universal compassion of the Buddha radiating into all directions of space.

In the Diamond Realm scroll, the nine-block grid composition presents Dainichi Nyorai in nine different aspects, each illustrating a stage of meditative practice and the realization of enlightenment. The geometric clarity of the Diamond Realm contrasts beautifully with the radiating compassion of the Womb Realm, showing how the two mandalas function as complementary halves of a single religious vision.

Visitors should bear in mind that the original mandala scrolls themselves are extremely sensitive to light and humidity, and like most medieval silk paintings of this rank are not on permanent public display. They may be shown on rare ceremonial occasions or during special exhibitions at museums. It is best to inquire with the temple directly or to check with regional museums in Okayama for upcoming opportunities to view the original work.

Even when the mandala scrolls are not on view, a visit to Chofuku-ji itself offers an unforgettable experience of medieval Japanese religious culture. The temple grounds, the three-story pagoda, the main hall, and the surrounding mountain landscape together create the kind of contemplative atmosphere within which such mandalas were originally venerated.

About Chofuku-ji Temple

Chofuku-ji belongs to the Omuro branch of the Shingon school, with its head temple at Ninna-ji in Kyoto. According to temple tradition, it was founded in 757 by the great Chinese monk Ganjin (Jianzhen) at the command of Empress Koken, although the historical accuracy of this account is uncertain. What is clear is that the temple was reestablished in 1285 by the Tendai priest Ensho, who built the surviving three-story pagoda. After alternating between Tendai and Shingon affiliation, the temple settled definitively into the Shingon school during the Meitoku era (1390–1393).

Originally located on the summit of Mount Maki, Chofuku-ji once boasted as many as sixty-five sub-temples and was a major regional center of esoteric Buddhism. After repeated fires, including a devastating blaze in 1876, the main temple was relocated to its present site at the foot of the mountain in 1928, and the three-story pagoda was carefully dismantled and reassembled at the new location in 1951.

The principal image of worship is an Eleven-faced Kannon Bodhisattva. In total, the temple holds sixteen objects designated as Important Cultural Properties at the national level — an extraordinary concentration for a rural temple — including the three-story pagoda, several silk paintings, and a number of sculptural works.

Surrounding Attractions

Mimasaka City and the wider Mimasaka region offer several worthwhile destinations that complement a visit to Chofuku-ji.

• Yunogo Onsen — A historic hot spring town with a thousand-year history, located about a thirty-minute drive from the temple. It is one of the three great hot springs of the Mimasaka region and offers traditional ryokan inns, public baths, and atmospheric streetscapes.
• Musashi-no-Sato — The birthplace of the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, with restored historic buildings, a museum, and walking trails that bring the world of seventeenth-century swordsmanship to life.
• Ohara-juku — A well-preserved post town that once served as a station on the Inaba Highway connecting Himeji and Tottori. The town's historic streetscape, lined with merchant houses and inns, evokes the atmosphere of Edo-period travel.
• Tsuyama Castle — Located in the neighboring city of Tsuyama, this hilltop castle site is famous for its massive stone walls and seasonal cherry blossoms, offering panoramic views across the Tsuyama Basin.

Access

Chofuku-ji is located in the Magami district of Mimasaka City, in the northeastern part of Okayama Prefecture. The temple is reached by car from the Mimasaka Interchange of the Chugoku Expressway in approximately thirty minutes. A free parking area accommodates roughly ten vehicles, and basic restroom facilities are available on the temple grounds. Public transportation to the temple is limited, so visitors traveling without a car may wish to combine a visit with a stop at Yunogo Onsen and arrange a taxi.