KoyaQuest

Miedō

up close of temple roof ornament at Japan's Mt. Koya

KoyaQuest

Miedō

Miedō 御影堂みえどう

Hall of the Blessed Image

Across from the Kondō and just to the west of the Great Pagoda we find the Miedō, or Hall of the Blessed Image. While closed to the public and dedicated to housing a shrouded image, its elegant proportions, gracefully curved roof and lantern-lined eaves, make the exterior of the Miedō a favorite of photographers throughout the four seasons. The current structure was built in 1848 at a location where Kūkai’s private Buddhist shrine originally stood.

The Blessed Image from which the Miedō takes its name is a portrait of Kūkai painted six days before the he left this world. The portrait is attributed to Prince Shinnyo, the son of an emperor and a devoted follower of Kūkai.

While the original portrait is concealed behind a ceremonial cloth, two- and three-dimensional copies, showing Kūkai sitting cross-legged in a chair with his ritual sceptre (vajra) in hand, can be seen throughout Kōyasan.

The Sacred Image

View of the famous protrait — Copy of the famous portrait.

The image below is from an illustrated picture scroll of the life of Kūkai. It depicts the completion of the portrait by Prince Shinnyo.

In this scene, Kūkai himself paints in his own eyes in a practice that simulates the dedication rites for an image of the Buddha.

Kyū-shōmieku

Once each year in spring, the Miedō is open to the general public as part of an important rite known as the Kyū-shōmieku. While the portait of Kūkai remains out of view, visitors can get a rare glimpse of the surrounding portraits of other holy men.

View of Miedō when open — View of the Miedō when open.

Fire Prevention

Over the centuries, fire caused by lightning strikes, human carelessness and warfare have destroyed most of the buildings of the Danjō Garan.

A careful inspection of the railing at south-east corner of the Miedō shows the scars of the 1926 fire that destroyed the nearby Kondō.

Due to its geological and topographical features, Mt. Kōya has been spared the earthquakes that the rest of Japan is prone to. However, over the centuries, fires caused by lightning and human error have wreaked considerable, often irrecoverable damage. To protect the Miedō from fire, a trough equipped with water nozzles surrounds the building. The video below shows these fire-prevention measures in action. (Recorded during a drill in Spring of 2021).

View of fire damage — Detail of heat damage from the fire of 1926.

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