Virtual Shimousa 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #15 Jogyo-in Temple

  

     Jogyo-in Temple was founded in 1502 by Priest Gutei of Tozen-ji Temple as a retreat.  Since then, the temple has been used as a retreat on and off.  When no retired priest lived in it, neighborhood villagers took care of the building.

     Tozen-ji Temple was founded in Negiuchi in 1481 by Priest Gutei.  At the time, Takagi Tanesada (?-1546) was the lord of Negiuchi Castle.

     Gutei was born a samurai's son in Seba Village, Chikuma County, Shinano Province.  5 generations before, his family fought for Minamoto Yoshinaka (1154-1184).  When Yoshinaka was defeated, their family temple, Saiko-ji, burned down.  Gutei revived the temple and renamed it Tozen-ji, which is still in Seba, Shiojiri City, Nagano Prefecture.

     At the beginning of the 1460's, Gutei suddenly moved to Washinoya in Shimousa Village.  It is unknown why he moved.  Washinoya had a hermitage with a Bhaisajyaguru statue at the foot of Washinoya Castle.  He revived the hermitage and named it Io-ji (Address: 510 Washinoya, Kashiwa, Chiba 270-1443).  The castle commanded the northern half of Lake Tega-numa, and was owned by the Someya Family, who were subject to the Takagi Family.  Presumably, the Someya Family recommended Gutei to the Takagi Family.

     Tanesada's son, Taneyoshi (1501-1565), moved his base from Negiuchi Castle to Kogane Castle to control the inland waterway between Edo Bay and the northern part of the Kanto Region.  When he moved his base, he also moved Tozen-ji Temple to the new castle town.  So, it must have been before the relocation that Gutei retired.

     Jogyo-ji Temple merged Mukogami and Shimoyado Kannon-do Halls in 1915, which had been believed in by the fishers in Tega-numa Lake.  As a result, the temple enshrines the statues of Cintamanicakra, who usually has 6 arms and holds chintamani (a wish-fulfilling jewel) in one of the six.

Address: 128 Futatsugi, Matsudo, Chiba 270-0027

Phone: 047-340-2491