The Auspicious Dragon Temple: Kyoto’s “Forgotten” Imperial Buddhist Convent, Zuiryūji

Abstract

Zuiryūji has been notably absent from research related to Japan’s imperial convents, despite being founded by Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s sister. One of the reasons the convent has been overlooked is its relocation from Kyoto to Ōmi Hachiman in the 1960s, physically removing it from the public eye. In addition, a male was appointed head following the death of the last abbess, so officially it was no longer functioning as a convent. However, for more than two hundred and fifty years, it was one of the highest ranking and wealthiest (by landholdings) bikuni gosho in Kyoto, headed by a succession of abbesses heralding from aristocratic families. The founder, Nisshū, was also an important patron for two major Hokke (Nichiren) sect temples, Honkokuji in Kyoto and Kuonji on Mt. Minobu. Historical documents have purportedly not survived at the convent itself, but I discovered many important objects (including portraits) and documents at Zenshōji, where all of the Zuiryūji abbesses are buried. Bringing together what I have uncovered to date, this article comprises an overview of Zuiryūji’s history, highlighting the founder as well as the tenth-generation abbess who vastly expanded the convent’s network by establishing a women’s association with branches throughout Japan. As the only Hokke sect imperial convent in Kyoto, Zuiryūji has always had a unique status. But faced with unprecedented challenges to survive in the modern era, its abbesses broke through the glass walls traditionally defining “convent culture.”.