Kuramadera monastery, (in) Kurama, Kyoto Prefecture, JP

Raw data

“This temple was established in 770 by the monk Gantei from Nara's Tōshōdai-ji. After seeing a vision of the deity Bishamon-ten, guardian of the northern quarter of the Buddhist heaven, Gantei established Kurama-dera just below the peak of Kurama-yama. Originally under the Tendai sect, Kurama has been independent since 1949, describing its own brand of Buddhism as Kurama Kyō.”
Kuramadera is famous for its fire festival.

-“Lonely Planet review for Kurama-dera,” http://www.lonelyplanet.com/japan/kansai/kyoto/sights/other/kurama-dera#ixzz1zzEvlji8

Input by: Lizbeth H. Piel, July 07, 2012

Final data (and their sources)

Last updated: 15 Sep 2013

Lat/Long coordinates' accuracy:
The monastery in question is assumed to be situated actually no farther than 200 m from the point defined by the coordinates below.

Location of Kuramadera monastery, JP.

General location of the Kuramadera monastery, JP.
lat=35.1180 long=135.7707
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2012.


Google Map link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=35.1180+135.7707+(Approx.%20loc.%20of%20the%20Kuramadera%20monastery,%20JP)&ll=35.1180,135.7707&spn=05.0,05.0&t=k&hl=en


Final data - explanatory notes

1. Monastery's name

  • Kuramadera 鞍馬寺. Alternative English spelling: Kurama-dera

2. Monastery's modern country & province

  • Japan: Kyoto Prefecture

3. Monastery's alternative/historical names

  • Matsunoosan - Uryû (2003: 231)

4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates

  • Approx., Lat 35.1180, Long 135.7707 - based on the visual identiofication of the site in maps and setellite imagery published by http://maps.google.com/ - tmciolek, 11 Jul 2012.

5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries

  • [missing data]

6. Modern name of the known nearest city, town, or village

  • Sakyō-ku, Kurama Honmachi

7. The settlement's alternative/historical names

  • [missing data]

8. The settlement's coordinates


9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition

  • Mahayana

10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition


11. Date-early

MBM chrono-tag 0767-99c - tmciolek 15 Sep 2013
0767-99c 0800-32c 0833-66c 0867-99c 0900-32c 0933-66c 0967-99c 1000-32c 1033-66c 1067-99c 1100-32c 1133-66c 1167-99c 1200=> dated-el


12. Date-intermediate


13. Date-late

MBM chrono-tag 1200=> - tmciolek 31 Aug 2013


14. Details of contacts with other monasteries


15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery

  • Documents, architecture

16. Additional notes

  • The monastery was built to protect Kyoto from the north through the agency of the deity Bishamonten - - Uryû (2003: 231)
  • Kuramadera’s founding myth is mentioned in the Konjaku monogatari shû, Fusô ryaku ki and other Heian-period texts.- http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/鞍馬寺

17. Corrections & addenda to this page were kindly provided by

  • [missing data]

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