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Colonial Korea – Korean Buddhism from 1876 – 1910
Introduction The modern relationship found between Japanese and Korean Buddhism can be divided into two distinct time periods. The two time periods are from 1876-1910 and 1910-1945. For the purposes of this post, we’ll primarily be focusing on the first of these two time periods in this relationship. This time period, from 1876-1910, was first established when a Japanese Buddhist branch temple was built in Busan in 1877, which was one year after Japan forcibly opened Korea through the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1876. This pre-colonial period ended some three and a half decades later in 1910 when Japan annexed Korea and promulgated the Temple Ordinance (jisatsu rei) in 1911. Rather…
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Colonial Korea – Mt. Namsan in Gyeongju
Introduction At the very heart of Japan’s Colonial interest in Korean Buddhism was where the religious and secular met, where Koreans and Japanese interacted and came into conflict, where preservation met exploitation, and Mt. Namsan in Gyeongju was at the very heart of this debate that took place during Japanese Colonial Rule (1910-45). There are numerous reasons as to why the Japanese Colonial authorities took an interest in Korean Buddhism. The first of these four reasons is Japan believed that Buddhism was a legitimate and natural counterpoint to help check future encroachment by Western Christianity. And because Korea’s history was so rooted in Buddhism, it would help function as a…
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Colonial Korea – Ssanggyesa Temple
Temple History Ssanggyesa Temple is located in Jirisan National Park in Hadong, Gyeongsangnam-do. The temple was first constructed in 722 A.D., and it was called Okcheonsa Temple. The temple was built after the monks Daebi and Sambeop were instructed by the Jirisan Sanshin (Mountain Spirit) in the form of a tiger to find a valley where arrowroot blossomed throughout the year even during wintertime. Both monks were the disciples of the famed temple building monk, Uisang-daesa (625-702). Finding such a location, they built Okcheonsa Temple. And after returning from China, they buried the skull of the Sixth Seon Patriarch, Huineng (638-713 A.D.), under the main hall. It was later dug…
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Colonial Korea – Gyeongju
Introduction In general, there were numerous reasons as to why the Japanese were so focused on archaeology throughout the Korean Peninsula. One of the reasons was to portray the Korean colony as inferior to Japan and in need of civilizing. Another reason was to justify the annexation of Korea through tourism and conservation that had previously been overlooked by the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). And the subsequent revenue would help the Japanese war effort in China. Finally, the other link that the Japanese attempted to form through these archaeological endeavors was to form a bond that united the two people through a form of pan-Asian Buddhism to help combat Western and…