Virtual Kanesawa 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #25 Shofuku-ji Temple

     Emperor Toyoohodi (683-707) dispatched Someya Tokitada, who was the fourth descendant of Fujiwara Kamatari (614-669), to the Kanto Region to fight against aliens in the area and to maintain order there.  He stayed there till 720’s, when Emperor Toyosakurahiko was reigning.  Tokitada was commanding the Imperial armies in the 8 provinces of Kanto; Kozuke, Shimotsuke, Hitachi, Musashi, Kazusa, Shimosa, Awa, and Sagami.  He was based in Yuhi, Kamakura, Sagami.

Shofuku-ji Temple used to enshrine Tokitada’s personal guardian Buddhist image, the Arya Avalokitesvara statue, which was said to have been carved by Gyoki (668-749).

     One day, Tokitada's 3-year-old daughter was kidnapped for vengeance or power struggles.  She was torn to bits.  He built 7 towers in Kamakura where her bits were found.  Her main part was found at the southern foot of Mt. Rokkokuken-zan (literally means 6 Provinces View Mountain), from which 6 provinces(Musashi, Kazusa, Shimosa, Awa, Sagami, and Izu) could be seen, a very profound and significant place to abandon the little body.  The reported suspects shared some features with medieval tengu.  That might mean they were the ancient ancestors of tengu or mountain people.  The tragedy also reminds me of what broke out around Komatsu-ji Temple, #26 of Old Awa 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, in medieval days.

     At the foot of Mt. Rokkokuken-zan, Tokitada enshrined the statue of Ekadasamukha, who has 11 faces, with her bones in it.  Later, it came to be called Okano-Kannon-do Temple.

     After the Meiji Restoration, because of the movement to abolish Buddhism and destroy Siddhartha images, the temple was abolished and the statue was moved to Tamon-in Temple, #14 of Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, which is located across the spine of hills of the Miura Peninsula. 

     Shofuku-ji Temple was revived by Priest Yuison (?-1740).  Those days, Tokugawa Yoshimune (1684-1751) raised tax rate to improve the Tokugawa Shogunate’s finances, squeezing peasants dry.  Peasant uprisings occurred frequently, economic conditions got worse, and cultural activities got stagnant.  He, however, revived the Tokugawa Shogunate.

     Shofuku-ji Temple was merged to Komyo-ji Temple in 1920’s.

Komyo-ji Temple

Address: 7 Chome-19-19 Hino, Konan Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 234-0051

Phone: 045-842-1313