総そう本ほん山ざん

そ

う

ほ

ん

ざ

ん

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

head temple of a Buddhist sect

Specifically the main temple that oversees a Buddhist sect. Used in religious contexts.

本ほん

山ざん

です

。

Chion-in in Kyoto is the head temple of the Jodo sect.

2

headquarters; nerve center

Figurative extension: the central base or command center of an organization, often used in business or political contexts.

〈場ば所しょ〉を総そう本ほん山ざんとするto have a certain place as one's head temple/headquarters
高こう野や山さんを総そう本ほん山ざんとする真しん言ごん宗しゅう。
Shingon Buddhism, which has Mt. Koya as its head temple.
〈事こと〉の総そう本ほん山ざんthe nerve center or headquarters of a certain field or activity
シリコンバレーはIT産さん業ぎょうの総そう本ほん山ざんだ。
Silicon Valley is the nerve center of the IT industry.

本ほん山ざん sense 1
本山 names any head temple that oversees affiliated temples, while 総本山 specifically means the single supreme head temple of an entire Buddhist sect.
本ほん部ぶN2sense 2
本部 is the neutral, everyday word for an organization's headquarters, whereas 総本山 (used figuratively) adds a sense of being the ultimate origin or authority.
本ほん拠きょ地ち sense 2
本拠地 is a general term for a base of operations, while 総本山 figuratively casts that base as the revered, central source of authority in a field.

大だい本ほん山ざん sense 1
大本山 is a major head temple ranking just below the single 総本山 at the top of a sect's hierarchy, so the two are easily confused despite denoting different ranks.

Compound of 総 (そう, 'overall') + 本山 (ほんざん, 'head temple'). The figurative organizational sense developed from the Buddhist meaning.