Kinpō Chakushoku Rokudō-e (Scrolls of the Six Realms, Painted on Silk)

Basic Information

Catalog ID: 201
Item ID: 145
Category: Paintings
Country: Japan
Period: Kamakura Period
Date designated: July 1, 1963
Prefecture: Shiga
Location: Hiei-tsuji 2-14-9, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture
Owner: Shōju Raikō-ji Temple

Source: Excerpted from the National Designated Cultural Properties Database (https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/index)

Overview

The Kinpō Chakushoku Rokudō-e is a major Buddhist painting associated with Shōju Raikō-ji Temple in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture. It dates back to the Kamakura Period and illustrates the core concept of samsara, or reincarnation. Based on Buddhist teachings regarding the cycle of life and death, the scroll depicts the Six Realms (Rokudō)—the six worlds through which sentient beings repeat their existence based on their actions (karma) in this life. Comprising 15 large panels, it is considered a masterpiece of Japanese rokudō-e (Six Realms painting). Its detailed and often harrowing depictions deeply moved viewers with both awe and fear, profoundly influencing the development of later hell and heaven cycle paintings (Jigoku Gokuraku Zu).

Historical Context

The Kamakura Period when this work was created was a time marked by continuous warfare and famine. During this era, concepts such as Mappō (the Latter Day of the Law) and Pure Land Buddhism spread rapidly among the populace. This specific scroll was heavily influenced by Ōjō Yōshū, written by Minamoto no Norinobu (Keishin Sōto), who lived near Mt. Hiei. The Ōjō Yōshū detailed the suffering of the Six Realms—especially Hell—as a means to persuade people to abandon attachment to the corrupted world (Enri Edo) and seek salvation elsewhere. Since Shōju Raikō-ji Temple was connected to Minamoto no Norinobu, this painting was commissioned as a didactic tool; it visually materialized these teachings, encouraging devotees to seek the Buddha’s salvation.

Features and Appeal

The greatest appeal of the Kinpō Chakushoku Rokudō-e lies in its overwhelming scale and its severe descriptive power across every detail.

Grand Composition: The scroll is composed of 15 panels, meticulously detailing each realm: Hell (4), Hungry Ghost (2), Animal (1), Asura (1), Human (4), Heavenly Being (2), and the Enma King’s Court (1).
Horrifying Depiction of Hell: The depiction of the Hell Realm is particularly intense. Various forms of torment inflicted upon sinners are rendered with a powerful, realistic line drawing style and vivid colors characteristic of Kamakura painting.
The Teaching Against Attachment: In the panels depicting the Human Realm, there is a visualization of impurity called Kusō-zu (Nine Stages Diagram). This sequence illustrates the process from death to decay by wild dogs and eventual return to the earth. It conveys a powerful message intended to sever human attachment to the physical world.
Depiction of Salvation and Artistic Value: The composition of each scene is highly calculated. Most notable is the contrast between scenes of extreme suffering and the presence of Jizō Bosatsu (a Bodhisattva who protects humanity) attempting to offer salvation. This juxtaposition gives the work a profound religious depth that goes beyond mere fear-mongering, combining terror with artistic compassion.

Due to these characteristics, the scroll is recognized as an extremely valuable cultural asset that preserves the spiritual beliefs and views on life and death of the Japanese people at the time, earning it National Treasure status.