Virtual Yokohama City 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #5 Renge-in Temple

     On May 6, 1522, the head of the village powerful family dreamed Bhaisajyaguru in his dream.  He invited the statue of Bhaisajyaguru from Kamakura as the main deity to found Renge-in Temple.  The Onin War (1467-1478) had thrown Japan into the Warring States Period, and the society went wild.  In Sagami Province, Hojo Soun (1432-1519) overpowered the superiors.  Sakurai Shigemasa moved in Miharu-dai Heights and built a fortress there as a the vassal of the Later Hojo Clan.  His descendants were Shigenobu, Munenobu, and Muneshige, who returned to farming after the Later Hojo Clan surrendered to Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) in 1590.  It might have been either Shigemasa or Shigenobu who invited Bhaisajyaguru.

     Hojo Ujitsuna (1487-1541) succeeded Soun in 1518.  After Soun's death in 1519, Ujitsuna built many temples and shrines in 1520’s.  The Sakurai Family might have modeled themselves on the Later Hojo Clan.

     Did Muneshige simply return to farming?  Miharu-dai Heights has Shiokumi-zaka Hill, namely Sea-water Drawing Hill.  At the foot of the hill, they used to manufacture salt by drawing sea water.  If the Sakurai Family moved in the area to manage and rule saltworks, Muneshige rather preferred  being the manager to being a warrior.

     At the turn of the 18th century, Priest Shuchu revived the temple.  He, instead, brought his statue of Ekadasamukha, who has 11 faces, and put it as the main deity.  After 1740’s, few priests lived in the templet.  In 1888, Priest Esho in Fumon-in Temple repaired the buildings and doubled the priest in Renge-in Temple.  In 1909, Priest Eshin rebuilt the main hall, and built a new hall for Bhaisajyaguru.  The Great Kanto Earthquake burned down the whole temple in 1923.  They managed to build a new main hall in 1925.  The Bombing of Yokohama reduced all the efforts to ashes in 1945.  They rebuilt the temple after World War II.

     Super Typhoon Kit was born near Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia on June 20, 1966, and reached typhoon status late on June 23.  Its peak intensity was 315 km/h.  On June 26, it recorded a pressure of 912 mbar, the lowest observed in relation to the typhoon.  On June 28, it hit Yokohama, and destroyed all the buildings of Renge-in Temple.  More than 128,000 homes were affected by flooding, of which 433 collapsed.  Throughout the country, 64 people lost their lives, excluding 25 who were killed in the restoration work, while a further 19 were listed missing.  It lost its identity on July 3 near the International Dateline.

     What had Bhaisajyaguru told Shigemasa or Shigenobu in the dream?  Future disasters?  Or the salvation?

Address: 19 Miharudai, Minami Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 232-0002
Phone: 045-231-0290