Virtual Kanesawa 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #28 Nyoirin-do Temple

     When Mamiya Kotonobu (1777-1841) started compiling the topology of Musashi Province in 1810, Nyoirin-do Temple was still standing next to Toju-in Temple.  When Yokohama City started compiling its history in 1931, the Cintamanicakra staue of Nyoirin-do Temple was enshrined in Toju-in Temple.  Today?  It’s missing.

     After going on a religious tour through provinces, Monk Jungyoku dropped in at Sasage, and founded Toju-in Temple.  The sango and jigo of the temple used to be Sekigu-zan Ondaito-ji.  By the middle of the 16th century, the temple fell into ruin.

     Years passed, and Monk Shijun dropped in at Sasage during his religious tour through provinces, to find it devastated.  He felt very sad.  The devastation of the temple just seemed his own devastation.  He repeatedly appealed to the lord of the Sasage Castle, Mamiya Yasutoshi (1518-1590), who finally gave up about 0.3 are of field to the temple.

However, in 1577 or 1578, the then priest buried the contribution document for some reason or other.  Of course, Yasutoshi confiscated the field.

     In 1590, when the Later Hojo Clan was destroyed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598), Yasutoshi was fighting for Hojo Ujikatsu (1559-1611) in the Yamanaka Castle.  He fought bitterly and even killed Hitotsuyanagi Naosue (1546-1590), who was a member of Kiboroishu (a kind of lifeguard military) of Hideyoshi and who was the lord of Karuminishi Castle in Mino Province.  But he was heavily outnumbered and defeated.  Finally, he dyed his hair black with ink and dashed into the enemy, saying, “It’s a shame to offer my white-haired head to the enemy.”

     The Sasage Castle was abolished, and the surrounding area became part of the domain of Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616).  Hideyoshi ordered all the lords of all the domains to carry out the nationwide registration of fields and farmers after the war.  Mysteriously, Tsuji Kichiji turned in the copy of the buried document, and leniently Ieyasu approved it.  Someone might have maneuvered tactfully.

     In 1663, Mamiya Hikojiro asked the Tokugawa Shogunate to add 3 ares of fields to the temple.  Locally, the Mamiya Family was still influential.

     On October 4, 1671, Toju-in Temple was given new sango and jigo by Priested Prince Joho (?-1678) at Ninna-ji Temple in Kyoto; Daien-zan Jakujo-ji.  Priest Yuen put a piece of paper with the sango and jigo over the old sango and jigo; Sekigu-zan Ondaito-ji.  But the paper partially came off to show the old sango; Sekigu-zan.  Consequently, the temple came to be called Sekigo-zan Jakugo-ji Toju-in Temple.  Believe it, or not.

     Things were going smoothly, anyway, with the temple.  But, in 1694, it was caught by a spreading fire from a farmer’s house, and was burned to ashes.  It was in 1719 that all the buildings were reconstructed.  But again, in 1884, it was burned down again.  

Toju-in Temple

Address: 2 Chome-24-17 Sasage, Konan Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 234-0052

Phone: 045-845-1414