Tobe Kinji - Fudo Myoo “Kanman” - vintage Japanese Buddhist calligraphy on shikishi
Vintage Japanese Buddhist calligraphy on shikishi by Tobe Kinji, presenting “Kanman,” a sacred Siddham seed syllable associated with Fudo Myoo in the Shingon tradition.
The large central Siddham form occupies most of the shikishi surface. The inscription at left reads “Kannonji Kinji.” A seal of Kannonji Temple appears at the upper right, while the lower-left seal bears the name Tobe Kinji. A handwritten note attached to the reverse identifies the image as bonji, gives the reading “kanman,” and associates it with Fudo Myoo.
Tobe Kinji is a Japanese Buddhist priest of the Shingon-shu Buzan-ha school and the head priest of Kannonji Temple in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture. He holds the senior clerical ranks of Daisojo and Dai-ajari and is known for his work in Shingon ritual practice, Siddham script, and Buddhist liturgical chanting known as shomyo.
From the 1980s onward, Tobe Kinji participated in shomyo performances recorded in the archive of the National Theatre of Japan. His work also includes research into Shingon ritual practice and temple ceremonies, as well as the transmission of the Denboin-ryu tradition to Buddhist clergy.
A documented example from 2009 confirms that Tobe Kinji produced shikishi featuring the “Kanman” bonji for temple-related events. Such works formed part of his religious, calligraphic, and ritual practice.
The work dates from the late Showa to Heisei period, approximately the late 20th to early 21st century. It represents sacred calligraphy closely connected with the Shingon tradition, Fudo Myoo, and the author’s religious and scholarly activity.
The large central Siddham form occupies most of the shikishi surface. The inscription at left reads “Kannonji Kinji.” A seal of Kannonji Temple appears at the upper right, while the lower-left seal bears the name Tobe Kinji. A handwritten note attached to the reverse identifies the image as bonji, gives the reading “kanman,” and associates it with Fudo Myoo.
Tobe Kinji is a Japanese Buddhist priest of the Shingon-shu Buzan-ha school and the head priest of Kannonji Temple in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture. He holds the senior clerical ranks of Daisojo and Dai-ajari and is known for his work in Shingon ritual practice, Siddham script, and Buddhist liturgical chanting known as shomyo.
From the 1980s onward, Tobe Kinji participated in shomyo performances recorded in the archive of the National Theatre of Japan. His work also includes research into Shingon ritual practice and temple ceremonies, as well as the transmission of the Denboin-ryu tradition to Buddhist clergy.
A documented example from 2009 confirms that Tobe Kinji produced shikishi featuring the “Kanman” bonji for temple-related events. Such works formed part of his religious, calligraphic, and ritual practice.
The work dates from the late Showa to Heisei period, approximately the late 20th to early 21st century. It represents sacred calligraphy closely connected with the Shingon tradition, Fudo Myoo, and the author’s religious and scholarly activity.