Koyosan Buddhist Temples
Officially known as "Koyasan
Beikoku Betsuin" of Los Angeles, the
Koyasan Buddhist Temple is located
in the Little Tokyo district near
the Civic Center. The Temple is
owned by the Koyasan Shingon Mission
which was founded by Kobo Daishi. It
is associated with one of the
Mahayana Buddhist Schools. The
Temple was established as the
Koyasan Shingon Mission’s
headquarters for the U.S. mainland.
Formerly known as “Daishi Kyokai”,
the Koyasan Buddhist Temple was
established by Reverend Shutai
Aoyama in the autumn of 1912.
Originally, it was located by the
Elysian Park in Los Angeles. The
Koyasan Daishi Kyokai was moved to
Commercial Street In 1914. In 1920,
it was moved again downtown Los
Angeles in Central Avenue near the
present site of the Japanese
American National Museum. It was in
1934 that it was raised to the
status of “Koyasan Beikoku Betsuin.”
Just two years before the outbreak
of World War II in 1940, the current
Temple building was built in a
district called “Little Tokyo” on
East First Street” under the
leadership of Bishop Seytsu
Takahashi. The Betsuin has
functioned as the headquarters of
Koyasan Shingon Mission in the
United States since 1948,. In the
courtyard of the temple was held an
unveiling ceremony of a brass bust
sculpture of Reverend Shutai Aoyama
in the Fall of 2006. |
