register pending·Rakutō / Yamashina

Rennyo's Vanished Bronze Statue

In 1934 a bronze standing statue of Rennyo Shonin, shown in a pilgrim's traveling garb and standing about ten meters tall including its pedestal, was raised near the midpoint between the eastern and western branch temples (the Yamashina betsuin of Higashi- and Nishi-Hongan-ji) and Rennyo's mausoleum — said to be a symbol of harmony between the two branches (the patron is said to be Unosaburo, a descendant of Yui Shosetsu; sculpted by Kuroiwa Tansai, with Takamura Koun as adviser). In 1944, wartime metal requisition removed the statue and its inscription; today only the pedestal and a stone bridge in the garden remain.

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These notes come from desk research. Local traditions vary.