Keiryūji (慶龍寺)

Keiryuji (慶龍寺) is a Buddhist temple (Shingon-shu Buzan-ha) in the Izumi District of Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture.

The honzon of this temple is a hibutsu called Kosodate Shusse Shokanzeon Bosatsu (子育出世正観世音菩薩).  It is said this Kanzeon (commonly referred to as Kannon in Japanese) statue was carved by Kobo Daishi himself, at Toji in Kyoto in 807, praying for safe growth of children.  The term 子育 (kosodate) in Japanese refers to child raising.  When Zuitei of Ninnaji founded the temple of Kannonji in Odawara in 1472, the statue was enshrined as the honzon of this temple.  Revered by many for its blessings and that it is said Tokugawa Ieyasu came to power because of his deep faith toward the honzon, the Japanese term for success "出世" was added to its name and came to be worshipped as Kosodate Shusse Kannon (子育出世観音).

When Keiryu (慶龍) was the chief priest of Kannonji in 1615, it is said the Kannon appeared in his dream for seven nights and said, "I shall head east to save children from diseases and illnesses, employing a broad range of knowledge, immediately."  Keiryu put the Kannon statue in a bamboo basket and headed east.  When he reached the foothills of Mount Tsukuba, heavy rain had flooded the Sakura River, blocking his path.  However, a young boy appeared on a small boat, allowing Keiryu to cross the river.  Then he vanished like smoke and the Kannon appeared above the river.

After expressing gratitude through sutra chanting, Keiryu attempted to continue his journey but found the bamboo basket too heavy to lift.  He informed local villagers that this place must be the sacred ground desired by Kannon.  After building a small cottage, an illness prevalent among children in the village settled.  The news spread attracting more people to the cottage.

Main hall of Keiryuji (慶龍寺)

In 1618, a temple building was built and named Keiryuji after him.

Main gate

In 1687, Tsuchiya Masanao, the daimyo of the Tsuchiura Domain, donated the main gate which differs in style from the north gate.

North gate

During the Meiji period, Furuhata Jozen (古幡乘善), the chief priest of Manganji in Azunimo, Nagano Prefecture, was ordered the rebuilding of Keiryuji after it had lost everything.  Previously, the locals were engaging in gambling at the temple, but having nothing to bet, they betted on the temple's fields, forests, furnishings, futons, and kitchen utensils and eventually ended up losing.  The temple's chief priest at the time also participated in the gambling and contracted syphilis.

Among the notable structures at Keiryuji is the shoro, formerly from the Buddhist temple of Chuzenji on Mount Tsukuba, relocated during the haibutsu kishaku during the Meiji Restoration.

Shoro

Next to the shoro is a temizu-ya.

Temizu-ya

The temple also has a small Japanese garden.