Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #24 Chofuku-ji Temple

 

     Chofuku-ji Temple was founded by Ryoseki (?-1720).  It has been abolished, and its main building is used as a community center named Kinki-kan Hall, namely Golden Turtle (which is known for its longevity) Hall.

     What it was like when the temple was founded?

     In 1695, Ogiwara Shigehide (1658-1713) became an official with responsibility for finance, which is almost equivalent to the Minister of Finance today.  In those days, the Tokugawa Shogunate faced a financial crisis.  To solve the problem, Shigehide took advantage of the fact that the Japanese society at large was going to experience deflation because the production of gold and silver was declining and gold and silver were flowing out of Japan due to the trade deficits.  Shigehide believed that as long as the Tokugawa Shogunate enjoyed popular confidence, the currency supplied by the shogunate would keep in circulation.  That belief in his mind, he started re-minting gold and silver coins and reduced the content of gold and silver.  That caused the shortage of copper, and he made copper coins thinner.  Jin Yoshi reported that Shigehide said, “Currency is what the state provides.  Even debris will circulate.”  He realized the annual inflation rate of 3 percent.  Wealthy merchants and wealthy samurai were afraid that their savings would effectively decrease, and invested the capital.  He stimulated the economy by increasing the money supply.  In other words, he realized reflation In the 17th century.

     The official temple name, Kinki-san Chofuku-ji, literally meant Golden Turtle Long Happiness, which must have sounded very bubbly.

Address: 373 Haraichiba, Hanno, Saitama 357-0124