Old Edo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #21 Zojo-ji Temple

 

     Shuei (809-884) founded Komyo-ji Temple at Kaizuka, Musashi Province.  Priest Shoso (1366-1440), whose father was Chiba Ujitane (1337-1365), the governor of Kazusa Province, changed the temple name to Zojo-ji.  Sogei, one of Shoso’s apprentices, founded Shin-Komyo-ji Temple in Okazaki, Mikawa Province.  The temple was built by Matsudaira Nobumitsu (1404-1488).  After 6 generations, the Matsudaira Clan had Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616), who established the Tokugawa Shogunate.

     In 1590, when Ieyasu entered the Edo Castle, he passed by the temple gate, and met Priest Son’o.  That was the trigger of the temple’s becoming the family temple of the Tokugawa Clan.

     Ieyasu moved the temple to Hibiya.  Later, as the Edo Castle was extended, it was removed to the present place.

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