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Fudōdō

Fudōdō 不動堂ふどうどう

Hall of the Immovable One

The original Fudōdō, or Hall of the Immovable One, was built by the holy man Gyōshō (1130–1217) at the behest of Princess Hachijo, a daughter of Emperor Toba. The current building, which is one of the oldest at Kōyasan, is from the second half of the 14th century.

Among its unique features are the different styles with which its four corners were designed, a consequence of having been constructed by four different builders. Also, unlike most temples, Fudōdō has more of a residential appearance. While believed to have originally housed the Buddha Amida Nyorai (Amitābha), it was later dedicated to and named for Acala, the Immovable Wisdom King.

Fudō Myō'ō, as he is known in Japanese, is a fierce, warrior-like deity highly revered in Shingon as a manifestation of Dainichi Nyorai. Despite his rather frightening appearance, he is popular among the faithful for his determination to protect Buddhism from its enemies. Statues of Fudō Myō'ō as well as his eight attendants, which were once housed in this hall, are national treasures and are prominently displayed in a special room at the nearby Reihōkan Museum. The figures of the eight attendants are the work of the master sculptor Unkei (d. 1223).

With one exception, all the buildings of the Danjō Garan face south, in accordance with the traditional Buddhist arrangement for such buildings. The only one that does not is the Fudōdō. This is because the original temple was situated in a small valley beyond the hill behind the garan. It was moved to its present location in 1908.

The Fudōdō is currently undergoing important repairs (including a re-thatching of the roof). These are scheduled for completion in October, 2024.

Amida Hall?

There reason why the Fudōdō is believed to have originally been build to house and worship Amitābha stems from the lack of evidence for the performance of the Goma Fire ritual, which most certainly would have been performed before Acala. Also, the available interior space is not large enough to accompany the Statues of Acala and his eight attendants.

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