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Somon (top) - the Main Gate with the Main Hall (Butsuden) in the background
Meichodo (middle) - the Main Mausoleum
Sodan (bottom) - the tombs of Shinran Shonin and the former Abbots of the Honganji (Monshu)
Otani Honbyo, popularly known as Nishi Otanji, is the Mausoleum dedicated to the Shinran Shonin, the founder of the Shin Buddhist
Tradition (Jodo Shinshu), as well as the tombs of all the former patriachs (Monshu) of the Hongwanji-ha Tradition.
Otani Honbyo is situated at the the foot of the Higashiyama mountains and the intersection of Gojo and Higashiji-dori.
Buildings in Otani Honbyo include the large Main Gate (Somon) with a plague written by the 20th Patriach Konyo
Shonin, the Main Hall dedicated to Amida Buddha (Butsuden), the Meichodo, where the ashes of Shinran Shonin and the former
Abbots (Monshu) are interned, as well as the Chapels of Infinite Life 1 & 2 (Muryoju-do), where the ashes of of Jodo Shinshu
Buddhists from around the world are interned. There is also memorial plagues commemorating Kakushin-ni, the daughter of Shinran
Shonin and whose descendants are the Custodians (Monshu) of the Honganji, and one commemorating those who died during World
War II, as well as one commemorating the Martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the Teaching of the Nenbutsu.
Behind
Otani Honbyo is a large cemetery area where the remains of Jodo Shinshu Buddhists are interned, as well as a Memorial Site
of where Shinran Shonin was cremated (Gotabi-sho).
The above pictures are taken with permission from Rev Jerome Ducor and are copyright of Nishi Honganji.
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