Sonshō-ji (尊勝寺, Sonshō-ji) is a Tendai[1] Buddhist temple in northeastern Kyoto, Japan, established by Emperor Horikawa in fulfillment of a sacred vow.[2] It is known as one of the "Six Victorious Temples" (六勝寺, Rokushō-ji),[3] which encompass monasteries enjoying extravagant Imperial patronage from their inception. They are sometimes identified as the "Superlative Temples" or the『Shō Temples』because of the middle syllable of the temple name.[4]
Sonshō-ji was founded in the early Heian period.[5] Saishō-ji and the other Rokushō-ji establishments had a particular function within the Imperial "cloister government" (院政, insei). The Rokushō-ji were "sacred vow temples" (gogan-ji) built by imperial command following a precedent established by Emperor Shirakawa's Hosshō-ji.[6] Although these temple complexes were ostensibly established for a presumptively pious purpose,
The Rokushō-ji were also called the six "Superiority Temples;" and each were uniquely dedicated to an aspect of esoteric Buddhist ontology, as in
Construction of the main Amitabha Hall at Sonshō-ji in Kyoto took two years.[9]
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