Virtual Fushimi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #12 Dairen-ji Temple

     When Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) was ruling Japan, Osaka and Kyoto used to be the center of the country.  Many war lords had their mansions in the 2 cities.  As Fushimi used to be a river port town of Kyoto, some great war lords had branch offices there.  As the center moved to Edo, mansions and branch offices in Kyoto became less important.  At the beginning of the Edo Period, Kato Kiyomasa (1562-1611) gave his branch office to Dairen-ji Temple as its main building, which survived the Battle of Toba-Fushimi in 1868 at the end of the Edo Period.