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Onyu ichiku


The paper of Daihannyakyo 600 rolls


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registered location Owner
S44. March 15th. National Cultural Property Onyu, Obama city Onyu ichiku

This is kept in storehouse in the precincts of a Ryuunzan Jintsuji. It used to belong to Wakasaichinomiya shrine, but because of the separation god and Buddhism in the Meiji Restoration, it now belongs to Onyu-ku.

There are quite many interesting tales handed down from generation to generation. The tale of this paper is also interesting.

It is a famous tale that at the beginning of Heian period, during the great priest Kobo stayed in Wakasa province, he engraved the stone statue of Mikata Kannon at only one night or he built Myorakuji. There is an interesting tale; he suddenly copied 600 rolls of Daihannyakyo within 7 days because Onyu-Myojin would come down to this world as a woman and she wants this 600 rolls of Daihannyakyo to protect the country.

One roll is 25.5cm long and 9.65m wide, using 17 papers for one roll, and 27 line in one paper, 17 words in one line. The style of handwriting are 14 or 15 types, such as clam or quickly writing, thus there must have been 14 or 15 students who copied. It is not clear when it was written, but it is considered to be written in early stage of Heian period because of the style of handwriting or quality of paper.

It is known that it had been repaired in Ouei 19(1412).