Ennin ( 圓仁 or 円仁 , 793 CE or 794 CE – 864 CE) , better known in Japan by his posthumous name , Jikaku Daishi ( 慈覺大師 ), was a priest of the Tendai school of Buddhism in Japan, and its third Zasu ( 座主 , "Head of the Tendai Order") . Ennin was instrumental in expanding the Tendai Order's influence, and bringing back crucial training and resources from China, particularly esoteric Buddhist training and Pure Land teachings.
27-642: He was born into the Mibu ( 壬生 ) family in present-day Tochigi Prefecture , Japan and entered the Buddhist priesthood at Enryaku-ji on Mt. Hiei (Hieizan) near Kyoto at the age of 14. In 838, Ennin was in the party which accompanied Fujiwara no Tsunetsugu 's diplomatic mission to the Tang dynasty Imperial court. The trip to China marked the beginning of a set of tribulations and adventures which he documented in his journal . The journal describes an account of
54-598: A unicameral city legislature of 45 members. Utsunomiya, together with the town of Kamikawa collectively contributes 13 members to the Tochigi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between the Tochigi 1st district and Tochigi 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan . Utsunomiya is the commercial and industrial center of Tochigi Prefecture. Utsunomiya
81-530: A population of 888,005 in the 2000 census. The nearby city of Oyama is included in Greater Tokyo, but Greater Utsunomiya is not, despite the two areas amalgamating somewhat. It is the 10th most populated city in the Kantō region . Utsunomiya is located in south-central Tochigi Prefecture in the northern Kantō plains . It is approximately 100 km (60 mi) north of Tokyo . The historic town of Nikkō
108-629: Is 13.8 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1385 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.1 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.4 °C. Per Japanese census data, the population of Mibu has remained relatively steadily over the past 30 years. The remains of many burial mounds from the Kofun period can be found in Mibu. During
135-533: Is a town located in Tochigi Prefecture , Japan . As of 1 August 2020 , the town had an estimated population of 39,158 in 16,149 households, and a population density of 640 persons per km . The total area of the town is 61.06 square kilometres (23.58 sq mi). Mibu is located in south-central Tochigi Prefecture . The town is situated in the northern portion of the Kanto plain and
162-500: Is approximately 25 km (15 mi) northwest of Utsunomiya. The average elevation of the city is 100 metres (330 ft). Tochigi Prefecture Utsunomiya has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfa ) with hot and humid summers and cool winters. The average annual temperature in Utsunomiya is 14.3 °C (57.7 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,524.7 mm (60.03 in) with September as
189-534: Is home to a Canon optical manufacturing plant, a Japan Tobacco plant, Honda design centers, and various other industrial concerns in the Kiyohara Industrial Park. In addition, one of the largest malls in the north Kantō region , Bell Mall is located near central Utsunomiya. Utsunomiya is served by the high-speed Tohoku Shinkansen line from Tokyo, as well as a number of suburban lines operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and
216-513: Is mostly flat terrain with an elevation of 50 to 100 meters above sea level. The Kurokawa River flows through the town. The is about 90 kilometers north of Tokyo metropolis , and is bordered by the prefectural capital of Utsunomiya to the north. Approximately a third of the land area of the town is covered in rice paddy. Tochigi Prefecture Mibu has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa ) characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Mibu
243-465: The Diet of Japan . The economy of Mibu is heavily dependent on agriculture; however, the town is increasingly becoming a commuter town for neighboring Utsunomiya. [REDACTED] Tobu Railway – Tobu Utsunomiya Line Utsunomiya Utsunomiya ( 宇都宮市 , Utsunomiya-shi , [ɯᵝt͡sɯ̃ᵝno̞mija̠] ) is the capital and largest city of Tochigi Prefecture in the northern Kantō region of Japan . As of 1 July 2023 ,
270-743: The Edo period , the Utsunomiya area was ruled by a succession of daimyō clans under Utsunomiya Domain , and prospered from its location at the junction of the Nikkō Kaidō and the Ōshū Kaidō . During the Bakumatsu period Boshin War , the Battle of Utsunomiya Castle was a major conflict in the northern Kantō area. Following the Meiji restoration , Utsunomiya was briefly (1871–1873) part of Utsunomiya Prefecture, which
297-540: The Edo period , the area was controlled by Mibu Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate . The jōkamachi which grew up around Mibu Castle was Mibu-shuku a post station on a branch the Nikkō Kaidō connecting Edo with the shrines at Nikkō . After the Meiji restoration , Mibu town and the villages of Inaba and Minami-Inukai were created within Shimotsuga District on April 1, 1889 with the creation of
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#1732801563769324-560: The Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution of 842–846. As a result of the persecution, he was deported from China, returning to Japan in 847. In 847 he returned to Japan and in 854, he became the third abbot of the Tendai sect at Enryakuji, where he built buildings to store the sutras and religious instruments he brought back from China. His dedication to expanding the monastic complex and its courses of study assured
351-593: The Kofun period are found within its borders. The Utsunomiya Futarasan Shrine ( 宇都宮二荒山神社 ) , which is the Ichinomiya of Shimotsuke Province claims to have been founded in 353 AD. The town of Utsunomiya developed around this shrine, and the area was under the control of the Utsunomiya clan, an offshoot of the Fujiwara clan from the Heian through Sengoku periods , and was destroyed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi . During
378-528: The private railway operator Tobu Railway . [REDACTED] JR East – Tohoku Shinkansen [REDACTED] JR East – Tohoku Main Line ( Utsunomiya Line / Shōnan-Shinjuku Line / Ueno-Tokyo Line ) [REDACTED] JR East – Nikkō Line [REDACTED] JR East – Karasuyama Line [REDACTED] Tobu Railway - Tobu Utsunomiya Line Construction of a light rail transit system, Utsunomiya Light Rail , connecting Utsunomiya railway station with
405-550: The Kantō area, after Tokyo and Yokohama . Utsunomiya was raised to city status on April 1, 1896. On July 12, 1945, much of Utsunomiya and the surrounding areas were destroyed in the American Bombing of Utsunomiya during World War II . The city limits were expanded from 1951 to 1955 by annexing neighboring Suzumenomiya town and Hiraishi, Yokokawa, Mizuhono, Kunimoto, Shiroyama, Tomiya, Toyosato, and Sugatagawa villages and
432-653: The Tendai school a unique prominence in Japan. While his chief contribution was to strengthen the Tendai tantric Buddhist tradition, the Pure Land recitation practices ( nenbutsu ) that he introduced also helped to lay a foundation for the independent Pure Land movements of the subsequent Kamakura period (1185–1333). Ennin also founded the temple of Ryushakuji at Yamadera . He wrote more than one hundred books. His diary of travels in China, Nittō Guhō Junrei Kōki ( 入唐求法巡礼行記 ) ,
459-639: The capital of China, where he was ordained into both mandala rituals: the Mahāvairocana-sūtra and the Vajraśekhara-sūtra , along with initiation and training in the Susiddhikara Sūtra tantra. He also wrote of his travels by ship while sailing along the Grand Canal of China . Ennin was in China when the anti-Buddhist Emperor Wuzong of Tang took the throne in 840, and he lived through
486-404: The city had an estimated population of 513,584, and a population density of 1,232 persons per square kilometre (3,190/sq mi). The total area of the city is 416.85 km (160.95 sq mi). Utsunomiya is famous for its gyoza (pan fried dumplings). There are more than two hundred gyoza restaurants in Utsunomiya. Greater Utsunomiya ( ja:宇都宮都市圏 , Utsunomiya Toshi-ken ) had
513-563: The city. The city has 30 restaurants that specialize in serving gyoza. Utsunomiya is allegedly the highest consumer city of gyoza in Japan. There is also a 1.5-metre (5 ft) statue in the shape of the gyoza outside of Utsunomiya's JR station. Utsunomiya's annual Gyoza Dumplings Festival occurs at the Castle Ruins Park. Visitors are able to taste different types of gyozas served by various gyoza-making restaurants. Festival attendees can also watch various bands and comedians near
540-408: The modern municipalities system. Inaba merged with Mibu on November 3, 1954 followed by Minami-Inukai on July 28, 1955. Mibu has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 16 members. Mibu contributes one member to the Tochigi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Tochigi 4th district of the lower house of
567-488: The neighbouring town of Haga was approved in 2016, with completion scheduled for December 2019. The network started operation on August 26, 2023 and Utsunomiya became the first city in Japan to have a new tram system in 75 years after Takaoka, Toyama . Following the Second World War, Japanese soldiers who returned from Manchuria brought home to Utsunomiya gyoza recipes that originated from China. Soon after,
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#1732801563769594-423: The part of Shinoi village from Kawachi District and Kiyohara village from Haga District . In 1996, Utsunomiya was designated a core city with increased autonomy. On March 31, 2007, Utsunomiya absorbed the towns of Kamikawachi and Kawachi (both from Kawachi District), pushing the population of Utsunomiya City over 500,000. Utsunomiya has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and
621-500: The soldiers began to open dumpling (gyoza) restaurants around Utsunomiya. After the Utsunomiya city officials started to realize the popularity of gyoza in 1990, the Utsunomiya Gyoza Association was created. The creation of this association only made gyoza's popularity grow in the city. Utsunomiya gyoza is famous country-wide, so it attracts many tourists, as well as brings in a significant amount of revenue into
648-536: The wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.0 °C (78.8 °F), and lowest in January, at around 2.8 °C (37.0 °F). Per Japanese census data, the population of Utsunomiya has recently plateaued after decades of strong growth. Archaeologists have uncovered evidence that the area of Utsunomiya has been continuously settled since the Japanese Paleolithic period onwards, and numerous burial mounds from
675-786: The workings of the government of China, which saw strong and able administrative control of the state and its provinces, even at a time of a supposed decline of the Tang dynasty. His writings also expanded on religious matters and commerce. He stayed in Xi'an for five years. Initially, he studied under two masters and then spent some time at Wutaishan ( 五臺山 ; Japanese: Godaisan ), a mountain range famous for its numerous Buddhist temples in Shanxi Province in China. Here, he learned go-e nembutsu ( 五会念仏 , "Five tone nembutsu ") among other practices. Later he went to Chang'an (Japanese: Chōan), then
702-477: Was then merged into the new Tochigi Prefecture, and became the capital of the prefecture in 1884. Utsunomiya became an important garrison for the Imperial Japanese Army . With the establishment of the municipalities system on April 1, 1889, the town of Utsunomiya was officially established. At the end of 1889, Utsunomiya had a population of 30,698 making it the third most populous municipality in
729-625: Was translated into English by Professor Edwin O. Reischauer under the title Ennin's Diary: The Record of a Pilgrimage to China in Search of the Law . Sometimes ranked among the best travelogues in world literature, it is a key source of information on life in Tang China and Silla Korea and offers a rare glimpse of the Silla personality Jang Bogo . Mibu Mibu ( 壬生町 , Mibu-machi )
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