Virtual Quasi-Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #6 Yugen-ji Temple

     Yugen-ji Temple was founded by Nakagawa Shigeoki (1645-1724), who was later buried in the precincts.  His posthumous Buddhist name was Yugenji, so the temple must have been founded around 1724.  What did that mean?

     Shigeoki was a martial artist.  He was born in Shinano Province, and was adopted by Nakagawa Shigetatsu (?-1664), who was his mother’s brother, and who was a teacher of Japanese archery.  Shigetatsu belonged to Heki-ryu School of Japanese archery.  Compared to another school, Ogasawara-ryu, Heki-ryu put emphasis on practical use; to hit and penetrate targets well enough.  They had infantry in their mind when Ogasawara-ryu rather put higher priority on cavalry.  However, Shigeoki learned from Sakakibara Tadasato (?-1704), who was the master of Ogasarara-ryu too.

     Shigeoki’s grandfather, Nakagawa Shigeyoshi (?-1653), who temporarily worked as a shogunate bodyguard, was a master of test cutting and seems to have taught or at least shown Shigeoki part of it.

     Shigeoki continued to learn test cutting from Yamano Kaemon (?-1667), who was an apprentice of Shigeyoshi and who was the master of Tani-ryu School of test cutting.

     Tani Moriyoshi (1529-1579) had started tameshigiri (literally means test cut) which tested the quality of Japanese swords.  His son, Moritomo (1563-1628) had refined it into arts.

     Test cutting was the arts to measure the performance of swords not the aesthetic value of them. To test the performance, they cut a bundle of straw, a bamboo, an armor, or even a dead or alive body.

     After learning various practical skills of Japanese martial arts, Shigeoki finally established Nakagawa-ryu Battojutsu (battojutsu literally means the art of drawing a sword), which has been handed down even today. Establishing a new school meant leaving the school he had belonged.

     Shigeoki had been adopted, and yet started a new school for himself.  Then, he had to start a new temple by himself.  An entrepreneur had to be an entrepreneur even in the next world.

Address: 1-1 Shinjonakacho, Nakahara Ward, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 211-0043

Phone: 044-777-3712