Honganji

Honganji is the name given to several major Buddhist temples of the Jōdo Shinshū (True Pure Land) school in Japan. The term 本願寺 (Hongan-ji) translates roughly as the Temple of the Original Vow. The most prominent Hongan-ji today are two head temples located in Kyoto: Nishi Hongan-ji (Western Hongan-ji) and Higashi Hongan-ji (Eastern Hongan-ji). Both serve as important centers of Jōdo Shinshū, a school of Shin Buddhism founded by Shinran in the 13th century.

Historically, the Hongan-ji lineage played a central role in Japanese Buddhist and political life. In the early Edo period, pressures within the sect and political maneuvering led to a split that produced two rival branches, each maintaining its own temple complex in Kyoto. The two institutions continue to operate as independent head temples of the Jōdo Shinshū tradition, sharing doctrinal roots but developing separate administrative structures and religious communities.

A separate historic site associated with the name is Ishiyama Hongan-ji, the fortress-temple founded by the Hongan-ji lineage near present-day Osaka. It became famous as a large, fortified temple complex but was besieged and largely destroyed by the warlord Oda Nobunaga in the late 16th century. After the destruction, the sect re-centered its leadership in Kyoto, contributing to the rise of the two Kyoto head temples.

Today, Nishi Hongan-ji and Higashi Hongan-ji remain active religious centers with extensive temple complexes, libraries, and ceremonial life. They are recognized for their historical and cultural significance within Kyoto and for their enduring role in the Jōdo Shinshū tradition.