Jogenin Temple

Overview

Jogenin Temple is a Jodo sect temple located in Azuchi-cho, Omihachiman City, Shiga Prefecture. Known as a temple built by Oda Nobunaga concurrently with Azuchi Castle, it's situated near the Azuchi Castle ruins. Nobunaga, striving to make Azuchi Castle the base for unifying Japan, also focused on developing the castle town. He invited Jogenbo Myokan, a Jodo sect monk, to establish Jogenin Temple here. Nobunaga positioned Jogenin Temple as the guardian temple of Azuchi Castle, granting it temple lands. Within the temple grounds, at Nobunaga's order, the Azuchi Religious Debate, a Buddhist discussion between Jodo and Nichiren sect monks, took place. The Azuchi Religious Debate reveals Nobunaga's strong political will, and the Jodo sect monk's victory is believed to reflect Nobunaga's intentions. Jogenin Temple allows visitors to sense Nobunaga's unwavering determination towards unifying Japan. When visiting the Azuchi Castle ruins, be sure to stop by and feel the legacy of Nobunaga. Jogenin Temple also houses numerous historical materials and artifacts proving its establishment by Nobunaga, making it a fascinating place for history buffs.