Hōkō-ji Temple — Attraction in Kyoto

呼称 「方広寺」という寺号は創建当時から江戸初期にかけての文献には一切現れず、単に大仏(殿)、もしくは新大仏（殿）、京大仏（殿）、東山大仏（殿）、京東大仏（殿）、洛東大仏（殿）などと呼称されていました。方広寺大仏を発願した豊臣秀吉は、正式な寺号を定めていません。方広寺命名の経緯・時期は不明だが自然発生的なものとされています。秀吉としては方広寺および方広寺大仏のことを単に「大仏（殿）」と公称していました（事実上 寺の名は「大仏（殿）」であった）。 なお「大仏」という呼称は、方広寺界隈一帯を指す地名でもあり、三十三間堂はかつて方広寺の境内に組み込まれており、また現在京都国立博物館の立地する敷地も方広寺の寺領であったが、それら一帯の地名も「大仏」と称されていました。「大仏前交番」や「京都大仏前郵便局」、「（関西電力）大仏変電所」「京阪大仏前駅（現七条駅）」という施設名称はその名残です。 （出典：ウキペディア） Name The temple name "Hōkō-ji" never appears in any documents from the time of its founding to the early Edo period, and it was simply called Daibutsu (Hall), or Shin Daibutsu (Hall), Kyo Daibutsu (Hall), Higashiyama Daibutsu (Hall), Kyoto Daibutsu (Hall), Rakuto Daibutsu (Hall), etc. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who made a wish for the Hokō-ji Great Buddha, did not choose an official name for the temple. The circumstances and time when Hokō-ji was named are unknown, but it is believed to have arisen spontaneously. Hideyoshi publicly referred to Hokō-ji and the Hokō-ji Great Buddha simply as "Daibutsu (Hall)" (the temple was actually named "Daibutsu (Hall)").

The name "Daibutsu" is also the name of the area around Hokō-ji, and Sanjusangendo was once incorporated into the grounds of Hokō-ji, and the site where the Kyoto National Museum is currently located was also Hokō-ji temple property, but the name of the area was also called "Daibutsu." Facility names such as "Daibutsu-mae Police Box," "Kyoto Daibutsu-mae Post Office," "(Kansai Electric Power) Daibutsu Substation," and "Keihan Daibutsu-mae Station (now Shichijo Station)" are remnants of this...

** Hokoji Temple 方広寺

This temple belongs to Tendai Sect of Buddhism. It was originally built to store Daibutsu Statue ( Gigantic Stature of Buddha ) to which Toyotomi Hideyoshi made his wishes. The temple has the 2nd biggest temple bell in Kyoto after the one in Chion-in. If you take a close look at the fine detaiols on the bell it has a lot of letters curved on its surface. ( Trans-word+ TGM...

Huge beautiful bell. Small place not really worth going out of your way for but a definitely visit if you're nearby. We stayed only a block away and visited a few times in our week here. Nice...