Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in Kamakura County in the Edo Period. Due to the movement to abolish Buddhism early in the Meiji Period, some member temples were abolished and the old pilgrimage declined during the period. In the Taisho Period, New Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized within Kamakura City.
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #1 Shin-Seisui-ji Temple
Shin-Seisui-ji Temple, or New Seisui-ji Temple, was founded by Hojo Masako (1157-1225), who embraced Kiyomizu-dera Temple, which can also be read as Seisui-ji using Chinese-style pronunciation.
On January 12, 1258, a big fire in Kamakura burned down the temple, and its main deity, the iron Arya Avalokitesvara statue, was missing. Years later, the iron statue was dug out from a well nearby. Probably, a monk or two threw the statue in the well to protect the statue from the fire. They built a shrine for it near the well. Due to the Gods and Buddhas Separation Order in 1868, the shrine was abolished, and the iron statue was moved to O-Kannon-ji Temple in Tokyo.
Address: Yukinoshita, Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture 248-0005
Okannon-ji Temple
Address: 1 Chome-18-9 Nihonbashiningyocho, Chuo City, Tokyo 103-0013
Phone: 03-3667-7989
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #2 Keko-in Temple
Keko-in Temple was presumably abolished due to the Gods and Buddhas Separation Order in 1868 and also because of the movement to abolish Buddhism and to destroy Buddhist images at the beginning of Meiji Period.
It is said that the status as #2 temple of the Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was handed over to Jufuku-ji Temple. However, it is unknown whether Jufuku-ji Temple has inherited the Avalokitesvara statue that Keko-in Temple had.
Jufuku-ji Temple
Address: 1 Chome−17−7 Ogigayatsu, Kamakura, Kanagawa 248-0011
Phone: 0467-22-6607
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #3 Shogan-ji Temple
Nothing is known about Shogan-ji Temple.
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #4 Kaizo-ji Temple
On March 24, 1185, Fujiwara Kagekiyo (?-1196) was fighting in the Battle of Dan-no-ura, on the side of the Taira Clan. In the battle, the Taira Clan was destroyed by the Minamoto Clan.
On March 2nd, 1195, the Buddhist ceremony commemorating the completion of Todai-ji Temple, Nara, was held. Minamoto Yoritomo (1147-1199), the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate, took part in the ceremony from Kamakura. Kagekiyo seized the opportunity and tried to assassinate Yoritomo. Kagekiyo was captured and was confined in a cave near Kewai Cutting, Kamakura. He is said to have starved to death. His daughter, Hitomaru, built Koyo-an Hermitage by the cave and enshrined his guardian deity, the 11-faced Ekadasamukha statue.
At the precincts of the hermitage, a temple was built. The temple declined, and another temple was founded by Fujiwara Nakayoshi in 1253 by the order of Prince Munetaka (1242-1274), the 6th shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate. The temple burned down when Nitta Yoshisada (1301-1338) intruded into Kamakura through Kewai Cutting to overthrow the shogunate. In 1394, Uesugi Ujisada (1374-1416) founded Kaizo-ji Temple in the precincts by the order of Ashikaga Ujimitsu (1359-1398), the second Kanto Deputy Shogun under the Muromachi Shogunate.
Address: 4 Chome-18-8 Ogigayatsu, Kamakura, Kanagawa 248-0011
Phone: 0467-22-3175
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #5 Shokaku-ji Temple
Ryochu (1199-1287) started spreading the practice of “nembutsu”, chanting the name of Buddha, in 1240, based at Nenna-do Cave in Sumiyoshi-dani Valley, where Shokaku-ji Temple is located today. After Hojo Tsunetoki (1224-1246) became the 4th Regent of the Kamakura Shogunate in 1242, he supported Ryochu’s propagation. The temple’s first name used to be Goshin-ji, but it is unknown whether it had been called so before Ryochu’s days, or whether it was named so during his stay there, or after his death to commemorate him. Anyway, he was cremated in the valley.
Later, Yuso (1426-1509) stayed in the cave to train himself. It seems the temple was still called Goshin-ji during his stay.
Miura Yoshiatsu (1451-1516) used to own Sumiyoshi Castle on the hills behind the temple. In 1512, Ise Shinkuro (1456-1519) seized the castle, and the temple was burned down in the battle.
In 1541, Kaiyo rebuilt the temple and renamed it Shokaku-ji.
Address: 5 Chome-12-2 Kotsubo, Zushi, Kanagawa 249-0008
Phone: 0467-22-7204
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #6 Hoshin-in Temple
Hoshin-in Temple was founded in 1473, and burned down in 1907. The fire also burned down Kozo-ji Temple, which had been founded far before the foundation of Hoshin-in Temple. Priest Gyonen merged the two and named the new temple Shohei-ji.
Shohei-ji Temple has the statue of Holding-Fish-Cage Avalokitesvar with a sea bream in his right hand.
Holding-Fish-Cage Avalokitesvar is 10th manifestation of Avalokitesvar among the 33 manifestations that Tosa Hidenobu (?-?) listed.
Tosa Hidenobu published Butsuzo-zui (Illustrated Compendium of Buddhist Images) in 1783. In the compendium, he listed 33 popular subjects of Buddhism Avalokitesvara drawings and paintings: #1 Holding-Willow-Spray Avalokitesvar, #2 Naga Avalokitesvar, #3 Holding-Buddhism-Scripture Avalokitesvar, #4 Halo Avalokitesvar, #5 Sitting-on-Cloud Avalokitesvar, #6 Pandara Vasini Avalokitesvar, #7 Sitting-on-Lotus-Leaf Avalokitesvar, #8 Looking-at-Cascade Avalokitesvar, #9 Listening-to-Stream Avalokitesvar, #10 Holding-Fish-Cage Avalokitesvar, #11 Brahman (Virtuous-Lord) Avalokitesvar, #12 Looking-at-Reflected-Moon Avalokitesvar, #13 Sitting-on-Leaf Avalokitesvar, #14 Blue-Head Avalokitesvar, #15 Great-Commander Avalokitesvar, #16 Life-Prolonging Avalokitesvar, #17 Relief-from-Ruination Avalokitesvar, #18 In-Cave-with-Venom Avalokitesvar, #19 Wave-Reduction Avalokitesvar, #20 Anavatapta Avalokitesvar, #21 One-Knee-Drawn-Up Avalokitesvar, #22 Leaf-Robe Avalokitesvar, #23 Holding-Lapis-Lazuli-Censer Avalokitesvar, #24 Tara Avalokitesvar, #25 Sitting-in-Clam Avalokitesvar, #26 Twenty-Four-Hour Avalokitesvar, #27 Universal-Benevolence Avalokitesvar, #28 Celestial Beauty Avalokitesvar, #29 Brahmani Avalokitesvar, who put palms together, #30 Controlling-Thunderbolt Avalokitesvar, #31 Peaceful-Vajrapani Avalokitesvar, #32 Holding-Lotus-Flower Avalokitesvar, and #33 Sprinkling-Purified-Water Avalokitesvar. Some subjects came directly from Lotus Supra Chapter XXV, some were based on folklore in China, and others were created in Japan. He put stronger emphasis on the number 33, and might have divided a couple of subjects to increase the number to 33. He also might have considered the 33 subjects to be artistically more meaningful manifestations of Avalokitesvara than those from the Lotus Sutra, at least in Japan.
Shohei-ji Temple
Address: 5 Chome-4-15 Kotsubo, Zushi, Kanagawa 249-0008
Phone: 0467-23-1771
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #7 Kozo-ji Templ
It is unknown when Kozo-ji Temple was founded, but it was merged with Hoshin-in Temple, which had been founded in 1473, to make Shohei-ji Temple in 1907. Kozo-ji Temple is supposed to have been founded earlier than Hoshin-in Temple. Kotsubo Branch of Horiuchi Elementary School was opened in the precincts in 1871. The branch became independent as the Kotsubo Elementary School in 1875, and moved out of the precincts in 1898.
Shohei-ji Temple
Address: 5 Chome−4−15 Kotsubo, Zushi, Kanagawa 249-0008
Phone: 0467-23-1771
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #8 Hokke-do Temple
Minamoto Yoritomo (1147-1199), the founder and first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate, enshrined his guardian Buddhist image, the Amitabha statue, in Hokke-do Temple. After his death on January 13, 1199, his body was buried in the temple, presumably under it. The Buddhist ceremony for the first anniversary of his death was held in the temple.
On May 2, 1217, when the Wada Family, led by Wada Yoshimori (1147-1213), attacked the palace of Minamoto Sanetomo (1192-1219), the third shogun, Sanetomo escaped to Hokke-do Temple.
On June 5, 1247, when Miura Yasumura (1184-1247) lost to the Hojo Clan, he and 500 of his family members, relatives, and followers committed suicide in the temple.
In 1872, the temple was abolished due to the Gods and Buddhas Separation Order of 1868. The statue of Cintamanicakra, who usually has 6 arms and holds chintamani (a wish-fulfilling jewel) in one of the six, was moved to Raigo-ji Temple nearby. Whose wishes had the chintamani fulfilled?
Address: 2 Chome-5-7 Nishimikado, Kamakura, Kanagawa 248-0004
Phone: 0467-61-3848
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #9 Kencho-ji Temple
The area where Kencho-ji Temple is located today used to be called Jigoku-dani Valley (namely Hell Valley), where criminals were executed. There used to be a Shinpei-ji Temple (literally Peaceful Mind Temple), but it was moved when Kencho-ji Temple was built.
Kencho-ji Temple was founded by Lanxi Daolong (1213-1278), who had been born in Shu Province (present-day Sichuan), China.
Later, Wuan Puning (1197-1276) also visited the temple from China. Wuan is pronounced “gottan” in Japanese. He made such difficult lectures that they were troublesome for his students. We came to use the Japanese phrase “gotagota” for something troublesome after Wuan’s troublesome lectures.
Address: 8 Yamanouchi, Kamakura, Kanagawa 247-8525
Phone: 0467-22-0981
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #10 Hatto Hall
Hatto Hall was built in 1275, 12 years after Hojo Tokiyori (1227-1263) died. We often have a Buddhist memorial service for the dead 2 years after their death, sometimes after 6 years, and only rarely after 12 years. Tokiyori must have been very memorable. In fact, he was a very popular statesman who built a welfare-warfare shogunate. His popularity helped inspire the Noh play, Hachinoki:
At dusk with snow falling heavily, a traveling monk appeared at the hermitage on the outskirts of Sano Village and asked for a night’s lodging. The resident samurai refused at first. He was too poor to entertain him. But he let the monk in, who was suffering from the snowy road. He served a small meal. His name was Sano Genzaemon. He said that he formerly owned more than 30 villages, but that he was deprived of everything by the embezzlement of his relatives and fell down to his current condition. As he talked, all the firewood was exhausted and the fire was about to go out, but there was no firewood to add. Genzaemon brought three pots of pine, plum, and cherry, which were his proudest possessions that had been collected in the old days when he had prospered. He found them useless now, and used them as firewood. He broke them and put the pieces on the fire. Although he had lost everything, he still kept his armor, naginata (a Japanese halberd) and an old horse. He said that once he was summoned from Kamakura, he would ride on his horse and rush to Kamakura with his naginata as soon as possible and fight to his life.
In the New Year, spring came, and suddenly Kamakura made an emergency call. Genzaemon put on his old armor, carried a rusty naginata on his back, and rushed on a thin horse. When he arrived in Kamakura, he was summoned before Hojo Tokiyori. While the generals were lined up, Tokiyori said to Genzaemon who prostrated in torn armor, "Do you remember the monk traveling in the snowy night? That was actually me. I'm glad that you've come so early." Tokiyori not only returned Genzaemon his former territories, but also gave him three territories (the territory of Umeda Manor in Kaga Province, Sakurai Manor in Ecchu Province, and Matsuida Manor in Kozuke Province) as new prizes. Genzaemon gratefully withdrew and returned to Sano Village cheerfully.
Address: 8 Yamanouchi, Kamakura, Kanagawa 247-0062
Phone: 0467-22-0981
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #11 Tokei-ji Temple
Tokei-ji Temple was founded in 1285 by Nun Kakusan, the wife of Hojo Tokimune (1251–1284). She was from the Adachi Family. After Tokimune’s death, her son, Sadatoki (1272-1311), destroyed the Adachi Family, but she sheltered the children of the family. She made up her mind to build a shelter for war widows, and founded Tokei-ji Temple.
Nun Yodo (?-1396), the fifth chief nun, was the daughter of Emperor Go-Daigo (1288-1339). The emperor was successful in overthrowing the Kamakura Shogunate and restoring direct rule by the emperor. However, the royal government was soon overthrown by the Muromachi Shogunate. Prince Moriyoshi (1308-1335) was confined in a dungeon in Kamakura. His sister, Yodo, was sheltered in Tokei-ji Temple.
Nun Kyokuzan (?-1557), who was the 17th chief nun, was the second eldest daughter of Ashikaga Yoshiaki (?-1538), who was killed in the battle against Hojo Ujitsuna(1487-1541).
When Yoshiaki was killed, his wife and 3 daughters tried to seek shelter with the Satomi Clan in Awa Province. However, under hard pressure from Ujitsuna, the Satomi Clan extradited them to the domain of Ujitsuna, Sagami Province, where the four were sheltered or taken captive in Tokei-ji Temple. Ujitsuna might have known the value of the girls with the noble bloodline as a young ladies of the Ashikaga Clan, the shogunate clan.
After coming of age, the eldest daughter, however, became a nun and moved to Taihei-ji Temple, where she was made the chief nun later. After coming of age, the second daughter also became a nun and stayed in Tokei-ji Temple, where she was also made the chief nun later. The youngest daughter alone got married to Uesugi Norihiro (?-1551), the Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogun. The elder two had remembered the tragedies of battle too clearly. So believed the people of the Later Hojo Clan, as well as the second daughter.
Like a bolt in the blue, in 1556, the eldest eloped from Kamakura with Satomi Yoshihiro (1530-1578), the then ruler of Awa Province. Hojo Ujiyasu (1515-1571) was ruling Sagami Province, where Kamakura was located. Ujitsuna referred to the elopement as "an incomprehensible attempt.” How did the second daughter assess their attempt? Taihei-ji Temple was abolished by Ujiyasu out of spite. Nun Kyokuzan died almost a year later.
The eldest also “sneaked” the Arya Avalokitesvara statue in Taihei-ji Temple out with her. After her death, the statue was returned to Kamakura to let Ujiyasu save face, and was enshrined in Tokei-ji Temple. That was years after the death of Nun Kyokuzan. What did the second feel in her grave about the statue which had gone back and forth? Or was she already enlightened enough to feel nothing?
Nun Tenshu, the 20th chief nun, was the daughter of Toyotomi Hideyori (1593-1615). Hideyori was killed by Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616), but she was sheltered in Tokei-ji Temple. In 1630’s, she held fast. In the Aizu Domain, the lord, Kato Yoshiaki (1563-1631), came into conflict with the chief retainer, Hori Mondo. Mondo ran away from the domain with 300 of his family members and followers, taking arms against the castle. He escaped into Mt. Koya, but was arrested and executed with his younger brothers. His wife escaped to Tokei-ji Temple. Nun Tensho refused her extradition resolutely.
The Tokugawa Period enjoyed a long peace, and the shelter changed its character. In Japan, men could easily divorce their wives, but wives had great difficulty divorcing their husbands. Tokei-ji Temple allowed women to become officially divorced after staying there for two years. During the Tokugawa period alone, an estimated 2,000 women sought shelter there.
After the Meiji Restoration, the modern government tried to expand its influence, and took away power from the temple. Since then, we have enjoyed modern governance for centuries, but I wonder if women really don’t need these shelters.
Address: 1367 Yamanouchi, Kamakura, Kanagawa 247-0062
Phone: 0467-22-1663
When I virtually visited Old Awa 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #5 Kozen-ji Temple, I introduced the great romance of Nun Shogaku in the Warring States Period in Japan. As I virtually visit Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #11 Tokei-ji Temple, I wonder what her younger sister, Nun Kyokuzan, who died a year after the elopement, had in her mind.
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #12 Butsunichi-an Temple
Engaku-ji Temple was founded in 1282 by Hojo Tokimune (1251-1284), who was the practical ruler of Japan then. He experienced the Mongolian Invasions of Japan in 1274 and 1281 and built the temple to hold memorial services for the war dead of both sides.
Butsunichi-an Temple is a branch temple of Engaku-ji Temple, and, presumably, the body of Tokimune was buried beneath it. The temple enshrines the 11-faced Ekadasamukha statue, which was the guardian Buddhist image of Tokimune.
After the fall of the Hojo Clan, the temple also declined. In the latter half of the 16th century, when numerous warlords were competing with one another for power, multiple alliances formed and dissolved, and Priest Kakuin Shuin from the Later Hojo Clan revived it.
Address: 434 Yamanouchi, Kamakura, Kanagawa 247-0062
Phone: 0467-25-3562
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #13 Kamei-do Temple
In 1735, the Bessho Family invited the god of Iwashimizu-Hachiman Shrine here. At the foot of the stone steps, there used to be Kamei-do Temple, which used to enshrine the Arya Avalokitesvara statue. The history of the temple is totally unknown, save that it had been abolished sometime somehow.
Address: 1929-2 Dai, Kamakura, Kanagawa 247-0061
Phone: 0467-45-4891
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #14 Tamon-in Temple
There used to be Okano-Kannon-do Temple at the foot of Mt. Rokkokuken-zan.
Fujiwara Kamatari (614-669) was the founder of the Fujiwara Clan. Ancient Japan was under their thumb. By the 8th century, the Fujiwara Clan founded Kashima and Katori Shrines in Kanto to accelerate the invasion of the Northeastern part of Honshu Island.
Someya Tokitada was the fourth descendant of Kamatari. The other clan members of the same generation included Fujiwara Uchimaro (756-812), who was in control of the Imperial Court. Tokitada commanded the Imperial armies of the 8 provinces of Kanto; Kozuke, Shimotsuke, Hitachi, Musashi, Kazusa, Shimosa, Awa, and Sagami. He was based in Yuhi, Kamakura County, Sagami Province.
One day, his 3-year-old daughter was kidnapped for vengeance or a power struggle. She was torn to bits. He built 7 towers in Kamakura where her remains were found. Most of her body 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 11-faced Ekadasamukha statue, 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.
Among the 7 stone towers, only one is left at 5-1 Sasamecho, Kamakura. Since then, more than 12 centuries have passed. How long the sorrow of losing a beloved daughter has lingered!
Address: 2035 Ofuna, Kamakura, Kanagawa 247-0056
Phone: 0467-46-3591
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #15 Hoan-ji Temple
Hoan-ji Temple was founded by Priest Ryosen on October 3, 1445, and was revived by Priest Chiso in 1508. This means the temple was once abandoned or became priest-less for some time between 1445 and 1508. Why?
First of all, the Southern and Northern Courts Period in Japan lasted from 1336 to 1392. During the period, the institutional changes in the manorial system that formed the bedrock of the income of nobles and warriors alike decisively altered the status of the various social groups. Even after the period, some undermined groups tried to revive themselves under the name of Southern Court, the loser. On September 23, 1443, a group intruded into the Inner Imperial Palace and stole 2 of the Three Sacred Treasures of the Imperial Regalia of Japan: the sword and the jewel. The unstable society might have had people look to Buddhism.
Without any dramatic tradition or a Buddhist image created by a famous historical figure, the temple might have been forgotten by people.
At the turn of the 16th century, when Hoan-ji Temple was revived, Ise Sozui (1456-1519) came from Kyoto to the Kanto Region to become a Warring-States-Period hero there. He first was stationed in the Izu Province, and then invaded the eastern provinces castle by castle. He captured the Odawara Castle in Sagami Province in 1495, won in the Battle of Tashikawanohara against the Uesugi Clan on September 27, 1504, and captured the Gongenyama Castle in Musashi Province in 1510, the Okazaki Castle in the center of Sagami Province in 1512, and the Misaki Castle at the tip of the Miura Peninsula in 1516. Of course, there were winners and losers. Some losers might have looked to Buddhism for salvation; some winners for justification.
After the Warring States Period, there came the Pax Tokugawa. Didn’t people need to look to Buddhism for salvation? I don’t know. Anyway, the Tokugawa Shogunate established the danka system, and every citizen in Japan was supposed to belong to a Buddhist temple. Accordingly, the number of temples increased. The Ekadasamukha statue in Hoan-ji Temple has since been looking at people with its 11 affectionate faces.
Address: 5 Chome-20-16 Kasama, Sakae Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 247-0006
Phone: 045-892-2825
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #16 Eirin-ji Temple
Eirin-ji Temple was founded by Priest Ryoyu, who died on June 13, 1615.
In 1590, Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598) destroyed the Later Hojo Clan, and essentially unified Japan.
Between 1596 and 1615, the Japanese Archipelago had had many big and even great earthquakes: on September 1, 1596, in Iyo Province, on the 4th in the same month in Bungo Province, and on the 5th around Kyoto. On February 3, 1605, a great tsunami hit the large Pacific coast. On September 27, 1611, another great earthquake in Aizu Province. Another great tsunami hit the Pacific coast of the northeastern part of Honshu Island on December 2, 1611. On October 25, 1614, another great earthquake shook many provinces between Aizu in the northeastern part of Honshu Island and Iyo in Shikoku Island.
On May 8, 1615, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616) destroyed the Toyotomi Clan.
Ryoyu might have established Eirin-ji Temple on one of those days, and died about a year before Ieyasu’s death.
Address: 485 Kudencho, Sakae Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 247-0014
Phone: 045-892-3713
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #17 Sakanaka-ji Temple
Sakanaka-ji Temple has been abolished. It is unknown when it was founded and when it was abolished. Its Avalokitesvara statue is supposed to have been moved to Komyo-ji Temple.
Komyo-ji Temple was founded by Hata Kawakatsu, who was one of the aides to Prince Umayado (574-622). According to legend, Xiaowu was a great-grandson of Qin Shi Huang (259 BC-210 BC). Xiaowu’s son, Gongman, came to Japan in 366. His son, Rongtong, also came to Japan 84 years later. Really? Anyway, Kawakatsu was a descendant of Rongtong, whose Japanese name was Yuduki. Anyway, when Kawakatsu was inspecting the area, he noticed something radiating among plum trees, and found the statue of Prince Umayado at the age of 16. By the time he was 16 years old, Prince Umayado had fought against Mononobe Moriya (?-587), and had started politically rivaling against Soga Umako (551-626). Anyway, Kawakatsu built Sempuku-ji Temple to enshrine the statue. It is unknown when and why it was renamed as Komyo-ji.
Komyo-ji Temple
Address: 1054 Kamigocho, Sakae Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 247-0013
Phone: 045-891-7729
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #18 Jonen-ji Temple
Taira Tsunenaga (1024-1108) ruled some part of Kazusa and Shimousa Provinces. His second son, Tsunekane (1045-1126), started calling his family Chiba. His fourth son, Tsuneyasu (?-?), started calling his family Usui.
The Usui Family built the Usui Castle by the middle of the 14th century.
Usui Kagetane (1496-1557) was the last head of the family as the castellan.
Hara Tanesada (1507-1575) married his daughter to the Usui Family. Did he have the intention to trap the family into ruin from the start? I don’t know.
Tanesada took away Usui Castle after he or Hara Chikakimi (?-1589) assassinated his lord, Chiba Chikatane (1541-1557), the then head of the Chiba Clan, on August 7, 1557. Tanesada kept his daughter's eldest son, Hisatane, in the castle. Her second son, Tanetomo, escaped and reached Noba, Kamakura County, on August 15, 1557, with 30 samurai, 300 foot soldiers, and their family members. It was an army! As Hisatane went in exile to Yuki Castle of Yuki Harutomo (1534-1614) in 1561 at the age of 14, Usui Castle fell to Masaki Nobushige (1540-1564), one of the vassals of Satomi Yoshihiro (1530-1578). Tanetomo must have been just 8 or 9 years old at the time.
7 years later, on March 25, 1564, presumably after Tanetomo came of age, Jonen-ji Temple was founded by him to pray for the repose of Chiba Chikatane and Usui Moritane (?-1557). Chikatane was assassinated by Hara Tanesada on August 7. Moritane was also killed on that occasion.
Tanetomo not only led an evacuation army at the age of 8 or 9, he also built a temple as soon as he came of age. Above all, he opened up the wilds in Noba to have his army settle there. How able, competent, efficient, and perhaps commanding he was! Or was he? There must have been someone else who supported him until he could show his own leadership. As that someone’s name wasn’t recorded, that person could have been a woman.
Later, Tanetomo became the subject of the Later Hojo Clan, but the clan was destroyed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) in 1590. After that, Tanetomo became a farmer or a village headman at the age of 40 or so.
Generations later, his descendant runs Cafe Koyagi in Noba, Yokohama City today.
Address: 1843 Nobacho, Konan Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 234-0056
Phone: 045-842-7288
Cafe Koyagi
Address: 1853 Nobacho, Konan Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 234-0056
Phone: 090-4816-1492
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #19 Chofuku-ji Temple
Chofuku-ji Temple was founded in 1400 by Priest Zokushu (?-1463). How long did he live? The precincts have a small building which enshrines the 11-faced Ekadasamukha statue, which was carved by Gyoki (668-749) and which used to be the personal guardian Buddhist image of Hojo Masako (1157-1225).
Address: 2589 Maiokacho, Totsuka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-0813
Phone: 045-822-3139
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #20 Enpuku-ji Temple
Enpuku-ji Temple was founded by Priest Bunju at the end of the 16th century. The 11-faced Ekadasamukha statue had been carved by Genshin (942-1017). In 1573, the Japanese era name Genki was changed to Tensho. The new era name was suggested by Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582), but not Ashikaga Yoshiaki (1537-1597), the 15th shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate. Enpuku-ji Temple was founded when Nobunaga was replacing the Ashikaga Clan as the head of samurai.
Address: 336 Maiokacho, Totsuka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-0813
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #21 Zoden-ji Temple
From 1552 tol 1569, Uesugi Terutora (1530-1578) and Hojo Ujiyasu (1515-1571) intensely fought against each other. All of a sudden, in June, 1569, the two agreed to an alliance. Some vassals of the both sides were discontented with the alliance and left the camps.
In 1570, Priest Sodo (?-1597) built a hermitage in Kami-Kurata Village and named it Saiko-in.
After the Later Hojo Clan was destroyed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) in 1590, the Horiuchi Family settled in Kami-Kurata Village as farmers. They built a hermitage to enshrine their family guardian Buddhist image, the 1000-armed Sahasrabhuja statue, which had been carved by Gyoki (668-749).
Tokugawa Iemitsu (1604-1651), the third shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, dissolved many clans to strengthen the power of the shogunate. This increased the number of masterless and jobless samurai and destabilized society. To restabilize the society, he strengthened the danka system. Every citizen was supposed to belong to a Buddhist temple. This increased the number of temples and some masterless and jobless samurai became monks or priests.
In one of those years, Priest Denyo (?-1680) merged the two hermitages and founded a new temple, Zoden-ji Temple.
In the late Edo Period, Priest Taiun liked composing tanka poems. Accordingly, many poets and literary men visited the temple. They included Suzuki Hisayoshi (1774-1846), whose library is still kept in the National Institute of Japanese Literature, Kato Chikage (1735-1808), who started the Chikage style of Japanese calligraphy, which Higuchi Ichiyo (1872-1896) studied, and Murata Harumi (1746-1811), whose family business was fish fertilizer wholesale which was ruined by his extravagant life.
Address: 318 Kamikuratacho, Totsuka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-0816
Phone: 045-881-0852
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #22 Seigen-in Temple
A Nagabayashi, a relative of Adachi Morinaga (1135-1200), founded Rincho-ji Temple, which was abolished sometime in the Warring States Period.
Man (1577-1653) was one of the daughters of Masaki Yoritada (1551-1622). After his death, her mother remarried Kageyama Ujihiro, the 6th descendant of Ashikaga Mochiuji (1398-1439). He was a vassal of the Later Hojo Clan, which was destroyed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) in 1590. Ujihiro confined himself to Izu Province. Somehow or another, Man was adopted by Egawa Hidenaga (1561-1632), when he was working for the Later Hojo Clan. He killed his coworker, Kasahara Hayato, and ran off to Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616). When Ieyasu’s second daughter, Fu, was married to Hojo Ujinao (1562-1591), he accompanied her. When Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) attacked the Later Hojo Clan together with Ieyasu and other warlords, Hidenaga ran off to Ieyasu again. His father, Hideyoshi (1546-1625), was holding Nirayama Castle for the Later Hojo Clan. The father and son had a secret communication and had the castle surrendered. Hidenaga succeeded Hideyoshi’s territory. On the other hand, the Egawa Family had inherited sake brewing. One day, Hidenaga and Hideyoshi presented their sake to Ieyasu, who highly appreciated the sake. The sake might have worked as a go-between, Man was made another concubine of Ieyasu’s.
Man gave birth to Yorinobu (1602-1671), who started the Kishu-Tokugawa Family, and Yorifusa (1603-1661), who started the Mito-Tokugawa Family. She retired in her 40’s. In 1616, Ieyasu got sick, and Man paid him a visit. He was overjoyed and gave her his Amitabha Tathagata statue, which Emperor Go-Shirakawa (1127-1192) had Kaikei (?-?) carve. After the death of Ieyasu, she searched for a holy place and enshrined the statue at the site of Rincho-ji Temple, and renamed it Chorin-ji. She was made a nun, with the name Seigen-in.
The temple also has the 1000-armed Sahasrabhuja statue, which is said to have been carved by Gyoki (668-749).
Address: 4907 Totsukacho, Totsuka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-0003
Phone: 045-862-9336
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #23 Kannon-ji Temple
Kannon-ji Temple was founded by Priest Kojun (?-1639) and financially supported by Ando Masayoshi (1604-1666), the third head of the Akuwa-Ando Family. They were a branch family of the Ando Clan from Mikawa Province and moved to Akuwa Village, Kamakura County, Sagami Province, in 1591, following Tokugawa Ieyasu’s move to the Kanto Region.
On July 11, 1630, Kawai Matagoro (1615-1634) killed Watanabe Gendayu in Okayama. Matagoro ran away and asked Masayoshi to shelter him. The Tokugawa Shogunate was following the rule: when two fight, both are to blame. The lord of the Okayama Domain was moved to Tottori, and Masayoshi was placed on a 100-day suspension in Kanei-ji Temple. However, Gendayu’s elder brother, Kazuma, kept trying to take revenge. Finally, on November 7, 1634, Kazuma killed Matagoro at the Kagiya-no-tsuji crossroads in what is now Iga City, Mie Prefecture today. It became one of the 3 greatest revenge incidents in Japan. I can hardly understand why it was so great though.
Kannon-ji Temple used to be the family temple of the Akuwa-Ando Family, with Masayoshi’s grave at O-Haka-yama (1 Chome−７ Akuwaminami, Seya Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 246-0026), along with those of his grandfather, Sadatsugu (1540-1600), who was killed in the Siege of Fushimi. Fushimi Castle was located between Osaka and Kyoto, and was the westernmost military base for Ieyasu when the Toyotomi and Tokugawa Clans fought a decisive war in 1600. The castle garrison dared to hold the castle suicidally. Ultimately, the castle fell after 10 days, but the 10 days served a crucial role in allowing for greater strategic victories by Ieyasu.
Masayoshi's father was Masatsugu (1565-1615), who killed himself during the Siege of Osaka. On August 7, the father attacked the enemy line and was lethally wounded. Although he was praised by Tokugawa Hidetada (1579-1632), he killed himself in Gansho-ji Temple in Hirano Village near Osaka on the 19th, realizing he had been injured beyond recovery.
It might have exerted great pressure on Masayoshi to have such a heroic grandfather and father. He showed unnecessary chivalry.
Address: 1157 Shinbashicho, Izumi Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 245-0009
Phone: 045-811-1405
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #24 Oishi-ji Temple
Oishi-ji Temple used to be here since early times. It had enshrined the 11-faced Ekadasamukha statue, carved by Gyoki 668-749). The temple was abolished due to the movement to abolish Buddhism and destroy Buddhist images at the beginning of the Meiji Period. The deity was moved to #23 Kannon-ji Temple. After the abolishment, the village was prone to bad luck. The villagers got the statue back in 1952, and enshrined it in the site of Oishi-ji Temple, where Yanamyo Shrine is located today.
Address: 4579 Kamiiidacho, Izumi Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 245-0018
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #25 Shoho-ji Temple
Shoho-ji Temple is regarded as a sub-temple of Hoshin-ji Temple, or a building outside the precincts of Hoshin-ji Temple. Nothing is known about Shoho-ji Temple, but it has its own graveyard and a shed to keep dippers and buckets for the grave visitors. That is, it has its own supporting member families.
Address: 5219 Izumicho, Izumi Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 245-0016
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #26 Chuden-ji Temple
Chuden-ji Temple was founded by Priest Ryokaku (?-1617) and financially supported by Ishimaki Yasumasa (1534-1613).
Ishimaki Iesada was succeeded by his eldest son, Yasumori (?-1579), in 1568. However, Yasumori died young and was succeeded by the third son of Iesada, Yasumasa. Both the brothers were such important vassals that they were given the name-suffix “yasu” from their lord, Hojo Ujiyasu (1515-1571). In 1582, when the Later Hojo Clan was fighting against the Tokugawa Clan, Yasumasa defended Tatebayashi Castle in Kozuke Province.
In 1587, Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598), the then biggest gun in Japan, forbade other clans from fighting each other. However, in November, 1589, the Later Hojo Clan occupied Nagurumi Castle in Shimotsuke Province using a trick. Yasumasa was dispatched to Hideyoshi to make excuses, which were not accepted by Hideyoshi. On his way back to the Later Hojo Clan’s territory, Yasumasa was made captive in the Sanmaibashi Castle in Suruga Province. After the collapse of the clan in 1590, he was taken into custody by Tokugawa Ieyasu. He was later hired by Ieyasu, and became the lord of Nakata Village.
Address: 2 Chome-11-41 Nakatakita, Izumi Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 245-0012
Phone: 045-802-1415
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #27 Hoju-in Temple
There used to be Renge-ji Temple. The main deity, the 11-faced Ekadasamukha statue, was said to have been carved by Unkei (?-?). It is totally unknown when Renge-ji Temple was founded and why and when it was abolished. The deity was moved to Hoju-in Temple.
Hoju-in Temple
Address: 4 Chome-32-6 Gumizawa, Totsuka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 245-0061
Phone: 045-881-3900
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #28 Sengen Shrine
Daiun-ji Temple was founded by Priest Senyo in 1596.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) invaded Korea in 1592 and 1597. In 1593, he got a son, ordered his nephew, Hidetsugu (1568-1595), to commit suicide, and killed Hidetsugu’s wives and children in 1595; 29 of them! It was during those days the temple was founded.
Daiun-ji was officially authorized as a Buddhist temple in 1649.
Tokugawa Iemitsu (1604-1651), the third shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, dissolved many clans to strengthen the power of the shogunate. This increased the number of masterless and jobless samurai and destabilized the society. To restabilize the society, he strengthened the danka system. Every citizen was supposed to belong to a Buddhist temple. This increased the number of temples, and some masterless and jobless samurai became monks or priests.
It was in one of those years that Daiun-ji Temple was authorized as a Buddhist temple.
Daiun-ji Temple was quite new and organized artificially. The precincts still have Koshin-do Shrine, which was based on the Koshin folk faith in Japan. The faith is a mixture of Taoism, Buddhism, and Shinto. It used to have an Avalokitesvara shrine, which was called Sengen-do, which might have had something to do with Sengen Shrine nearby. The precincts also have a Ksitigarbha stone statue, which is believed to have been engraved by Kukai (774-835).
The precincts of the temple and Sengen Shrine must have been a holy place for people living around them since earlier times.
Daiun-ji Temple
Address: 3 Chome−9−2 Harajuku, Totsuka, Yokohama, Kanagawa 245-0063
Phone: 045-851-6570
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #29 Gyokusen-ji Temple
Gyokusen-ji Temple was founded by Tachibana Tsunekiyo in 1321. His elder brother, Tsunemitsu, was working in Hyuga Province. Tunemitsu believed in Avalokitesvara and Bhaisajyaguru so devotedly that they sent Tsunekiyo a message that Tsunemitsu had died. Tsunekiyo built the temple to thank them.
Priest Shogi transferred it to the Chan Sect, and renamed it Gyokusen-ji in the 1330’s.
Address: 1595 Kanaicho, Sakae Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-0845
Phone: 045-851-1130
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #30 Tomyo-ji Temple
Sugiura Katsuhisa (?-1776) built Sugi-Shorei Shrine in 1773 to enshrine the soul of his ancestor, Katsuyoshi. In 1788, the shrine was moved to the precincts of Tomyo-ji Temple.
Sugiura Katsuyoshi (?-1612) first fought for Matsudaira Hirotada (1526-1549), the father of Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616). In 1560, when Tokugawa Ieyasu sent military provisions to Otaka Castle, which was surrounded by the army of Oda Nobunaga, Katsuyoshi went scouting and successfully led the operation. In 1563, he participated in suppressing the Ikko-ikki, a rebellion of monks, samurai, and peasants who were strongly against samurai rule and who were bonded through True Pure Land Buddhism. He fought well in the Battle of Mikatagahara in 1573, the Battle of Nagashino in 1575, and the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute in 1584. He was given Kosuzume Village, Kamakura County, Sagami Province in 1591.
Address: 1160 Kosuzumecho, Totsuka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-0004
Phone: 045-851-6668
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #31 Shofuku-ji Temple
It is unknown when and why Shofuku-ji Temple was founded. It has had no priest for years and, and at the foot of the temple lives the Tsubaki Family, who have taken care of the temple for generations.
Address: 1529 Iijimacho, Sakae Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 244-0842
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #32 Niden-ji Temple
Niden-ji Temple was founded by Priest Shoku and financially supported by Hojo Ujitoki (?-1531), the younger brother of Ujitsuna (1487-1541), the second head of the Later Hojo Clan. Ujitoki was the lord of Tamanawa Castle. After the collapse of the Later Hojo Clan, the temple started todecline. It was revived by Matsudaira Masatsugu, who adopted Okochi Masatsugu (1576-1648), who became the lord of the Tamanawa Domain under the Tokugawa Shogunate.
Address: 3 Chome-13-1 Watauchi, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 251-0011
Phone: 0466-23-8258
Virtual Old Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #33 Jigan-ji Temple
Jigan-ji Temple was founded by Hojo Tsunashige (1515-1587) in the middle of the 16th century. The main deity was the 11-faced Ekadasamukha statue, which had been carved around the 13th century.
Imagawa Yoshitada (1436-1476) was killed in a battle when he invaded Totomi Province in 1476. His son, Ryuomaru, was just 4 years old then, and his cousin, Oshika Norimitsu (?-1487), was also contending for succession. The Ashikaga Shogunate dispatched Ise Moritoki (1456-1519) to mediate the infighting. It was Ryuomaru who succeeded Yoshitada and changed his name to Ujichika (1471-1526). When Ujichika died, as he had no son, his younger brothers, Nagasane (1517-1536), a child of a concubine, and Yoshimoto (1519-1560), a child of a lawful wife, struggled for the succession. As the concubine was from the Kushima Family, Kushima Masashige (1492-1536) supported Nagasane and was defeated. His family asked Hojo Ujitsuna (1487-1541) for protection. Masashige's son, Tsunashige (1515-1587), became a favorite of Ujitsuna, who married his daughter to Tsunashige.
Address: 5-1-13, Watauchi, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 251-0011
Phone: 0466-23-7413
