(456) 太山寺 本堂

Main hall of Taisan-ji temple
Pic.taisanji hondo1
  Taisan-ji Temple is the 52^nd one of Shikoku Pilgrimage of 88 temples. This is the main hall where the main images are enshrined. Honzon (principal object of worship at this temple) is Eleven-faced Kannon (Goddess of Mercy). The building was rebuilt in 1305 and now designated as a National Treasure. This main hall is one of the biggest wooden building in Japan. The white plaster mound under the building was typical of the Indian style. The plaster protects from dampness and keeps the building cool. It houses seven images of the eleven-faced Kannon which has been designated as an Important Cultural Properties by the Japanese government. All were donated by emperors. The one presented by Emperor Shomu, in the Nara Era, is placed in the center, and can only be seen once every sixty years. The three images placed on either side can be seen on October 17 every year.
Pic. Taisanji hondo2

本堂（国宝）
四国霊場第52番札所、鎌倉時代(嘉元3年、1305年)に建てられたもので桁行七間(16.38メートル)梁間九間(20.91メートル)、屋根入母屋造り、本瓦葺きで、木造建築では県下最大の堂々たる建物である。その構えにふさわしく、木組は大きく柱はすべて円柱、手法は和様であるが、天竺様式や唐様式を取り入れ鎌倉時代の名工の作品で稀にみる傑作である。厨子（ずし）1)のある内陣（ないじん）2)が土壇（どだん）3)であるのは日本でただ一つと言われている。
(1) 厨子（ずし）：神仏の像を安置する二枚とびらの堂の形のはこ
(2) 内陣（ないじん）：寺院の本堂の奥にあって、神体や本尊を安置してある所
(3) 土壇（どだん）：土で築いた壇

（床は内陣のみ床を張らない土間とし、それ以外の部分は床を張るが、これは天台密教の仏堂に多い形式だ。また、仏像を納める厨子は土間に築かれた土壇に乗るが、これは当時の密教寺院としては非常に珍しいものである。）
Pic. Juichimen
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(455) 太山寺鐘楼堂

Bell tower in Taisan-ji temple
Pic. Bell tower

  Rebuilt in 1655 it has wooden ‘skirt’ typical of1) 13^th century temple architecture. The year 1383 is inscribed2) on the temple bell of the bell tower. On the first floor are three paintings depicting3) the Buddhist paradise (heaven) and hell. In the left side paradise scene you can see the Buddha Amida4) coming down to lead those who pray sincerely into paradise.
Pic. heaven

  In Japanese mythology, Enma-O or Enma Dai-O judges souls in Meido, the kingdom of the waiting dead. Those deemed5) too horrible are sent to hell. You can see Enma Dai-O, King of hell, in the center picture. Beside him, there is a special mirror which can project every moment during the lifetime of the dead standing in front of it. Enma Dai-O judges with the mirror if the dead were right-minded or not before its death.
Pic. enma

(1) typical of：～の特色をよく示している
(2) inscribed：〔板・石などに文字を〕刻み込む、彫る
(3) depicting：〔絵・映像などで〕～を描写する［描く・表現する］
(4) Buddha Amida：阿弥陀仏
(5) deem：～だと判断する
pic. Hell1

 

太山寺鐘楼堂に画かれた地獄絵図（愛媛県松山市）
江戸時代、明暦元年(1655)に再建され、袴腰（はかまごし）と呼ばれる曲線の美しい建物で、中に、永徳3年(1383)の銘のある梵鐘がある。壁面いっぱいに、地獄、極楽絵図が描かれている。閻魔王の法廷には浄玻璃鏡（じょうはりのかがみ、じょうはりきょう）という鏡が設置されていて、死者の生前の善悪の行為をのこらず映し出すという。
Pic. Hell2
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(454) Child marriage

Child marriage
 

I belonged to Matsuyama silver chorus last year. When I was singing one of Japanese children’s songs, Akatombo meaning Red Dragonfly I found child marriage in its words of the third verse. It goes like十五で姐やは 嫁に行き お里のたよりも絶えはてたMy baby-sitter got married when she was 15, and even the news of her country home ceased completely. In Japan child marriage once existed.

I learned about child marriage in Kenya two years ago from my Kenyan friend. In Kenya more than 25% of girls get married before they are 18 years. This affect their education and their future.

I looked up child marriage on the internet and I knew it is fuelled by gender inequality, poverty, traditions, and insecurity.  The site says that globally, the rates of child marriage are slowly declining but progress isn't happening fast enough.　In Japan according to the statistics, in 1899
(Meiji 32) 33.9% of girls get married before they were 19 years, and 26.1% in 1921 (Taisho 10).