Matsuura City Archaeological Center (Former Takashima History and Folklore Museum)
Main Image Seated Wooden Shaka Nyorai (Formerly at Ryumen-an) Category Nyorai (Tathagata)
Impression TagsRefinementDepthMystery
DescriptionThis seated wooden Shakyamuni Buddha once stood in the small Ryumen-an chapel on Takashima Island. Local tradition says it was found when a field was cleared during the Edo period and suggests that it may have served as a protective image carried by a commander of the Mongol invasion forces. No firm documentation establishes this origin, so it remains a legend. Ryumen-an occupies a site where Sho-ni Kagesuke is said to have established a military camp during the 1281 invasion; memorial stones to those who died in battle stand nearby. The Buddha is now displayed in the guidance building of the Matsuura City Archaeological Center, successor to the former Takashima History and Folklore Museum. A recent visitor account also documents the wooden seated Buddha on display. It offers a tangible way to consider the intersection of the Mongol invasions and Buddhist devotion on the island.
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