Zenkoji is run by Daihongan and Daikanjin, two temples of completely different religious denominations. Daihongan is an old temple that’s been there since the beginning of Zenkoji’s history, and is served by a female priest. The woman is from a family of the Imperial Court and has followed this tradition for generations. It is extremely rare for a woman to play such an important role in Buddhism, a religion where women are traditionally banned from participation altogether.
There have been 120 successive chief priestesses at Daihongan. Compare that to the current emperor of Japan, who is the 126th emperor, and you can see just how long the temple's history is. Throughout its history, there have been many well-known priestesses, but one, in particular, stands out. She was a priestess from the late 19th century who resisted oppression from the Meiji government. During that time, the government urged the country to separate God and Buddha to strengthen the authority of Shinto, but doing so led to the Buddhist exclusion movement. Buddhist temples and statues were destroyed, monks lost their authority, and Imperial Court members were ordered to return to the imperial family.
But through all this, the chief priestess of Daihongan refused to obey, saying:
“If you shave hair with a razor it will grow back, but if you shave your feelings, will they ever come back? Even if you can take off the clothing you wear, you can’t take off the clothing that is a part of your heart.”
The exclusion movement eventually subsided, but it was a difficult time for Buddhism. But with the priestess and her unwavering belief, Daihongan and Zenkoji persevered.