Gozu Tenno was originally a
Buddhist-style
Onmyōdō deity, and is generally considered to be the guardian deity of
Jetavana, the monastery where
the Buddha studied. According to legend, from the 6th to 7th centuries CE,
Hōdō traveled from India through China and the
Korean kingdom of
Baekje and eventually arrived in
Japan. He is recognized as the founder of temples in the mountains of
Harima Province and is associated with several , Buddhist temples built at the request of the reigning emperor. Tradition holds that when Hōdō came to Japan, he was accompanied by the deity
Gozu Tennō (牛頭天王;
Sanskrit: ), who was later enshrined at
Hiromine Shrine and
Yasaka Shrine and is venerated in the
Gion faith. The description in is prominent. In China, he was influenced by
Taoism, and in Japan, he further merged with Susanoo, the
Kami of
Shinto. This is because both Gozu Tenno and Susanoo were considered to be plague gods. He was considered to be the Buddha
Bhaisajyaguru. By the Middle Ages, the Gion faith had spread throughout the country, and Gion shrines or Gyototenno shrines were created to enshrine Gyotenno, and the Goryokai (or Tenno Festival) was held as a ritual procession. In the Meiji era (1868–1912), the
Separation of Buddhism and Shinto banned Buddhist rituals at shrines and prohibited the use of Buddhist words such as "Gozu Tenno" and "Gion" in the names of deities and company names, so Gion Shrine and Gozu Tenno Shrine became shrines dedicated to Susanoo and changed their names. == Hiromine Gion Cult ==