Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage (revised)

 

     The Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in 1754.  It is ultimately a micro-tourism.  All the 33 temples are located within the medium-sized city, Hachioji.  The city is located along the Asa River, one of the tributaries of the Tama River.  That is, I’m virtually walking deep into the Musashino Plateau, which is supposed to be one of the birthplaces of the samurai.

     Most of Musashi Province is plateaus deeply covered with volcanic-ash soil, which was suitable for stock farming, not for rice growing.  In ancient times, many of the naturalized Silla people were sent to Musashi Province, and engaged in stock farming.  That stimulated local people around them, and many stock farms were set up, including 6 imperial stock farms.  The custodians of those farms later formed small-scale samurai families.  By marriage, those samurai families composed 7 corps on the plateaus in the province: the Musashi Seven Corps.  

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #1 Sokan-ji Temple

     Monk Myoko came from Kyoto to Mt. Fukazawa in the Autumn of 913.  He found a cave on the top of the mountain and started practicing Buddhist austerities.  When the night came, all of a sudden, a strong wind raged and thunder rumbled.  8 apparitions appeared, flocked around him, and disappeared.  The next night, when he was reciting a sutra, a big snake came down from the ceiling of the cave, coiled up around him, and went to sleep.  Myoko took out a staff, hit the head of the snake with it, and said, “Wake up!”  The snake vanished instantly.

     The next morning, a god appeared with 8 children, and said, ”We’ve been impressed with your virtue.  Please stay in the mountains.  We will follow your god-blessed teachings.”  As Myoko asked who they were, the god answered that he was Gavagriva with his 7 sons and 1 daughter.

     What Myoko actually did could have been as follows:  He visited the Kanto Region to set up his own Buddhist parish.  He visited the Fukazawa area, and found the local people had mountain worship.  The main peak of Mt. Fukazawa and surrounding 8 minor peaks had their keepers.  When Myoko started practicing Buddhist austerities, 8 minor keepers came up to him first.  They were impressed with his austerities and left.  The next day, the major keeper came up to him and watched his austerities.  The keeper fell asleep and was scolded by Myoko. All the keepers were impressed with Myoko's novel and solemn Buddhist austerities and decided to learn from him.  Myoko, in turn, gave them proper Buddhist names.  Thus, the local mountain worship was incorporated into Buddhism: the local syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism.

     Myoko kept practicing asceticism.  In 916, he enshrined Gavagriva on the top of Mt. Fukazawa, chose 8 peaks around the mountain, and enshrined 7 princes and 1 princess.  Later, he built a temple at the foot of the mountain.  Since then, the area was called Hachioji, namely Eight Princes.

In 939, Emperor Suzaku heard of his story and named the temple Jingo-ji, literally God-Blessed Temple.

     Jingo-ji Temple declined during Kyotoku War (1455-1483).

     Hojo Ujiteru (1542-1590) revived the temple in 1564, and gave it another name, Gozusan-ji.  Gozu is the Japanese name of Gavagriva.

     Ujiteru was defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) and was ordered to kill himself in 1590.  The temple burned down in the battle.  Priest Shun'etsu (1507-1626) built a temple at the site of Gozusan-ji Temple and named it Sokan-ji after Ujiteru’s posthumous Buddhist name.

     The temple has a Kannon-do hall, which enshrines a 21-centimeter-tall Arya Avalokitesvara statue, which was carved by Genshin (942-1017) and which is said to have been the personal Buddhist image of the wife of Ujiteru, Hisa, who was a daughter of Oishi Sadahisa (1491-1549).

     When Hideyoshi laid siege to Odawara Castle, Ujiteru was a jingo and was holding Odawara Castle with his main force.  Ujiteru’s castle, Hachioji Castle, was guarded by a local garrison, with farmers including women and children, about 3,000 in all.  Hideyoshi’s allies from the Hokuriku Region, the armies of the Maeda and Uesugi Clans, flooded to Hachioji Castle with a force 15,000 strong on June 23.  The garrison fought back briefly, gave up, and killed themselves. The women, including Hisa, and children either committed suicide by the sword or threw themselves into the nearby waterfall, Goshuden Fall.  The stream turned red for 3 days.  The Hokuriku armies beheaded the garrison, women, and children to display their heads in front of Odawara Castle, which fell on July 5.

     The temple’s name plate was drawn by Donggao Xinyue (1639-1696), a Chan priest from China, and that of the Kannon-do Hall was drawn by Huangbo Yueshan (1629-1709), another Chan priest from China.

     Donggao Xinyue was born in Pujiang County, Jinhua Prefecture, Zhejiang Province. When he was eight years old, he shaved his hair in Baoen Temple in Suzhou, and traveled around Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces. At the age of 20, he was taught by Juelang Daosheng of the Shouchang Sect of the Caodong Denomination. After Daosheng passed away, he went to Chongguang Temple and learned from Kuotang how to be a good writer. After Kuotang passed away, he stayed in Yongfu Temple, Hangzhou. Although he was a monk, he still participated in the anti-Qing rebellion in Zhejiang and Fujian Provinces in 1674, in response to Wu Sangui only to fail.

     In 1676, he was invited by Chengyi Daoliang, the master priest of Kofuku-ji Temple in Nagasaki  He traveled east from Hangzhou to Japan under the false names of Du Duoquan or Yue Dudu.  Although he did not belong to the Linji Sect of Chengyi Daoliang, he had to pay tribute to Chengyi Daoliang and his followers in order to enter the country. He arrived in Zhoushan in December, and got to Kyushu on the 30th of the same month. Finally, he reached Nagasaki on January 10,1677. Due to Japan’s isolation protocols, he stayed in Nagasaki, a place reserved for foreigners, from January, 1677, to December, 1679. In the summer of 1679, he met Imai Hirosumi (1652-1689), who was the messenger of Tokugawa Mitsukuni (1628-1700) and who was a student of Zhu Shunsui (1600-1682). Mitsukuni intended to invite Xinyue to Mito  Leaving Nagasaki. In May, 1680, he went to Manpuku-ji Temple near Kyoto to celebrate the 70th birthday of Mu'an Xingyao (1611-1684), wrote a book to praise and even flatter Mu'an, and asked Mu'an for help.  But  It was unsuccessful. Later, he went to Edo in the pretext of visiting Zuikei-ji Temple, but was eventually suspected to be a spy, and forced to return to Nagasaki.

     During his years in Nagasaki, Donggao Xinyue was very active in the fields of religion and art. He used Zen and art to make friends with the officers of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Finally, he was helped by Tokugawa Mitsukuni again, and Xinyue moved to Kotai-ji Temple, Nagasaki, in 1682. He left Nagasaki in June of the same year, and then stayed in the villa of Mitsukuni in Mito. During the period, he met celebrities from all walks of life and taught them Guqin. In 1691, he stayed at the Tentoku-ji Temple (now Gion-ji Temple) in Mito, and he officially preached his first sermon in October, 1692. In 1695, he passed away in September and was later regarded as the founder of Gion-ji and Daruma-ji Temples.

     Huangbo Yueshan was born in Quanzhou.  He was invited by Yunqian Jiewan of Fukusai-ji Temple in Nagasaki.

     In 1689, the 99th anniversary of Ujiteru’s death was commemorated in the temple.  Nakayama Nobuharu (1628-1689), the chief retainer of the Mito Domain, presented a new temple bell.  He was a grandson of Nakayama Ienori (1548-1590), who was killed when Hachioji Castle fell.  The inscription of the bell was written by Donggao Xinyue (1639-1696).

     The second priest was Zuisen (?-1586), who was a son of Oishi Sadahisa (1491-1549) and who was skilled at archery and riding a horse.  One day, the boy was practicing shooting arrows.  Abruptly, he was enlightened and said, “This art is just to make a living.  I should look for the greatest teaching.” He threw away his bow and arrows and made up his mind to become a Buddhist priest.  Sadahisa had taken Hojo Ujiteru into his family.  That is, the Oishi Family had been half taken over by the Later Hojo Clan.  Sadahisa readily accepted his idea.  In 1564, he entered Mt. Fukazawa and built a hermitage at the site of Myoko.  Ujiteru ordered Nakayama Ienori (1548-1590) to build halls and invited Priest Shun'etsu to be the first priest of the temple in 1566.  When Ienori was defeated in a battle in 1590, Shun'etsu covered him with his Buddhist robe to hide him from his enemies.

 The third priest of the temple was Gyosei (?-1590), who was born in Shimotsuke Province.

     The fourth priest of the temple was Tatsuo (?-1638), who was born in Katayama Castle in Musashi Province and who was a descendant of Oe Hiromoto (1148-1225).

     As you can see from these 3 examples, some temples were refuges or shelters for samurai who had nowhere to go.

Address: 3 Chome-2562 Motohachiojimachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 193-0826

Phone: 042-661-2149 

    

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #2 Kansei-ji Temple

     The area where Kansei-ji Temple is located today used to be called Ashigasawa, namely Reed Stream.

     One night, something unusual came flying to the stream.  The locals visited the stream the next morning, wondering what it was, and found a 1000-armed 1000-eyed Avalokitesvara statue and more.  The people enshrined them along the stream, and Monk Hochin took care of them.

     Priest Junko, the second priest of Shingen-in Temple, Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #3, retired and built the Dentsu-an Hermitage where the statues had been enshrined.  The hermitage was recorded in 1468, so everything must have happened before the 15th century.

     Priest Rintatsu, the seventh priest of Singen-in Temple, adored Junko, renewed the hermitage, and renamed it Kansei.

Address: 223 Nishiterakatamachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0153Phone: 042-651-3016 

    

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #3 Shingen-in Temple

     Shingen-in Temple was founded by Oishi Sadahisa (1491-1549), inviting Priest Eigoku (?-1526).

     Matsuhime (1561-1616) was born as the 5th daughter of Takeda Shingen (1521-1573).  

     Shingen allied with Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582), and engaged Matsuhime to Nobutada (1557-1582), Nobunaga’s eldest son, when she was 7 years old and the boy was 11 years old.

     In 1572, Shingen started advancing to Kyoto, and the engagement was cancelled.

     In 1573, Shingen died, and her elder brother, Katsuyori (1546-1582), succeeded as head of the clan.  Matsuhime moved to Takato, Ina County, Shinano Province, to be patronized by another elder brother, Nishina Morinobu (1557-1582).

     In 1579, Matsuhime's sister, Kikuhime (1558-1604), was married to Uesugi Kagekatsu, so that the Takeda and Uesugi Clans could be allied.

     When the Takeda Clan was destroyed by Nobunaga in 1582, Matsuhime flew with 4 young relatives; Tokuhime (Morinobu’s daughter) (?-1608), Sadahime (Katsuyori’s daughter) (?-1659), Kaguhime (a daughter of Oyamada Nobushige (1539-1582)) (?-1673), and Nobumoto (Morinobu’s son) (1574-1623).

     On February 2, 1582, Oda Nobunaga started attacking the Takeda Clan.  Through Kiso, Oda Nobutada intruded into the Takeda Clan’s territory, from Suruga Province Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616),  from Sagami Province Hojo Ujimasa (1538-1590), and through Hida Province Kanamori Nagachika (1524-1608).

     Matsuhime evacuated to Kai Province with Tokuhime, guarded by Ishiguro Hachibe, Shimura Daizen, Baba Gyoubu, Monk Kaami, and some foot soldiers.  In Kai Province, Sadahime, Kaguhime, and Nobumoto joined the party.  On February 5, they arrived at Kaito-ji Temple.  After several days, they moved to Kogaku-ji Temple.  On the 28th in the same month, Takato Castle fell and Morinobu was killed in battle.  On March 11, Katsuyori killed himself with his sword.  Hearing of the rumor the Oda army started “hunting” the remnant of the Takeda Clan, Matsuhime and the children left Kogaku-ji Temple on March 23 to get out of Kai Province almost aimlessly.  The small 3 girls were no more than 4 years old.  They took a mountain byroad so as not to be found, crossed 3 mountain passes, and, on the 27th in the same month, they finally crossed the Ange Pass from Kai Province to Sagami Province and reached Hachioji.

    On April 16, Nobushige and his son (Kaguhime’s elder brother) were executed in Kai Province by Nobutada for betraying Katsuyori.  Nobutada valued loyalty and fidelity.  All the 4 children became fatherless.  As Katsuyori’s second wife was the 6th daughter of Hojo Ujiyasu (1515-1571), they had a slight hope that Ujiteru, who was their uncle and who was the lord of Hachioji Castle, would protect them.

     They were lucky that Ujiteru was a faithful person.  They stayed in Kinsho-an Hermitage (3 Chome-18-28 Daimachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 193-0931) under his protection.

     It was Nobutada who cornered Katsuyori into suicide on April 3, 1582, but he also invited Matsuhime to come to Kyoto to realize the cancelled-engagement. He valued loyalty and fidelity.   However, on June 2, he and his father were killed by Akechi Mitsuhide (1528-1582).

     In the autumn of the year, Matsuhime became a Buddhist nun in Shingen-in Temple under the guidance of Priest Shun'etsu.  She was renamed Shinshoin.  The suffix “in'' showed that she was a nun, the middle “sho” was the other pronunciation for “matsu” and the head “shin” was the other pronunciation for “nobu."

     In 1590, the Later Hojo Clan collapsed and Ujiteru killed himself with his sword.  When Hachioji Castle fell, most of the Hachioji samurai and locals killed themselves by the sword or by throwing themselves into the nearby waterfall, Goshuden Fall.  The stream turned red for 3 days.

     Shinshoin was lucky that the attackers included Uesugi Kagekatsu (1555-1623), her brother-in-law.  They didn't kill her or the 4 children, but how did Shinshoin witness the communal suicide?  Whatever she might have felt, she had to live on with the 4 children left and entrusted to her.

     Losing Ujiteru, their patron, Shinshoin moved to a shabby house in Hachioji.  She taught neighborhood children how to read and write, raised silkworms, and wove silk fabric.  With what little money she got by selling the fabric, she took care of the 4 children.  Although Oyamada Nobushige’s betrayal had been the indirect cause of Katsuyori’s suicide, she kept raising Kaguhime.

     When Tokugawa Ieyasu moved to Edo, he organized the Hachioji Corps of the Thousand with the ex-vassals of the Takeda Clan.  In other words, Ieyasu fulfilled the void which had lost its 3,000 inhabitants with them.  Hachioji became something like a colony of the remnants of the Takeda Clan.

     Between 1600 and 1606, Nobumoto became a vassal of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Sadahime was married to Miyahara Yoshihisa (1577-1631), and Kaguhime became a concubine of Naito Tadaoki (1592-1674) and later gave birth to his only 2 sons.  In 1608, Tokuhime died in Horen-ji Temple as Nun Shoni.  Shinshoin died in the hermitage on April 16, 1616, one day before Ieyasu’s death.  The hermitage came to be called Shinsho-in Temple after her.  (Address: 3 Chome-18-28 Daimachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 193-0931  Phone: 042-622-6978)

Address: 1970 Shimoongatamachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0154

Phone: 042-651-3545 

    

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #4 Jofuku-ji Temple

     The Asakura Family used to live in Asakura, Yamato Province.  A family head in the middle of the 13th century didn’t have his heir.  He prayed to the 1000-armed Sahasrabhuja statue for a baby boy day and night and finally got one.  Several years later, the father was charged and banished to Sue County, Kazusa Province, with his family.  The father died soon after, and the mother sent the boy to a temple.  The boy was given a Buddhist name, Kokei.  Kokei deeply meditated on Chan and also believed in Sahasrabhuja due to his fated birth.

     One night, a foreigner appeared in his dream and told him to go on a pilgrimage to find a good Sahasrabhuja statue.  When he visited Ongata Village in Hachioji, he found an extraordinary Sahasrabhuja statue.  He asked a leading elder of the village about the statue.  The old man told him it had been carved by Gyoki (668-749).  Kokei believed it to be the answer to the holy dream, stayed in the village, and prayed to the statue day and night.  The locals heard of the story and came to visit the statue often, especially to be blessed with children.  The temple flourished in the 1270’s.

     More than 2 centuries had passed, Oishi Sadahisa (1491-1549), the lord of Takiyama Castle, was sorry for having no son.  He prayed to the statue and got a baby boy.

     In 1521, Sadahisa, who was a vassal of Uesugi Tomosada (1525-1546), built Takigawa Castle in preparation for the invasion of the Later Hojo Clan, who had unified Sagami Province by 1516.

     In 1524, the Later Hojo Clan advanced on Musashi Province, the domain of the Ogigayatsu-Uesugi Clan.  On their way to Kawagoe Castle, the stronghold of Tomosada, who was practically the last head of the clan, the Later Hojo Clan's army set fire to Takigawa Castle on December 14, and Jofuku-ji Temple burned down.  The battles over Kawagoe Castle repeated till 1546, when both the Ogigayatsu-Uesugi and Yamauchi-Uesugi Clans were defeated by the Later Hojo Clan.

     After 1546, Sadahisa dumped the Uesugi Clans to Hojo Ujiyasu (1515-1571) and adopted Ujiyasu’s third son Ujiteru (1542-1590) as the husband of his daughter, Hisa (?-1590).  The Oishi Family was half taken over by the Later Hojo Clan.  Sadahisa retired to Tokura Castle.

It might have been after Ujiteru moved to Hachioji that Priest Choson (?-1561) revived the temple.

     On June 22, 1590, Maeda Toshiie set fire to Takigawa Castle.  This time, the priest of Shinpuku-ji Temple in Ongata Village used tact, negotiated with Toshiie, and got out of trouble.  Jofuku-ji Temple also narrowly escaped from burning down again.

Address: 3259 Shimoongatamachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0154

Phone: 042-651-3351

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #5 Hosho-ji Temple

     Hosho-ji Temple was founded by Priest Meiban in 1425.  When Enpuku-ji Temple (Address: 2222 Kamikawamachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0151, Phone: 042-654-4253) organized copying the Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra by hand, Meiban joined the project at the age of 58.

     When Hachioji Castle fell and the Later Hojo Clan was destroyed in 1590, the 10th priest, Raisho, and Priest Yukaku of Seiren-ji Temple were lighting a sacred fire to pray for the victory of the clan, and were killed in a fire.

     The Nakajima Aircraft Company made fighter aircrafts in the Musashi Plant.  As the plant was bombed by the U.S. Air Force, they built an underground plant in Hachioji, which was targeted by the air force next.  At 20:55 on August 1, 1945, an air-raid alert was issued in Hachioji City.  After 00:00 the following morning, 169 Boeing B-29 Superfortresses raided the city, dropping 1600 tons of incendiary bombs for about 2 hours.  2.9 out of 3.5 square kilometers of urban area was burned, including Hosho-ji Temple.  Strangely, the Tamachi Red-Light District didn’t burn down.

Address: 998 Nishiterakatamachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0153

Phone: 042-651-3050

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #6 Kenshin-ji Temple

     Kenshin-ji Temple was founded in 1468, and was revived by Priest Rinhai in 1548.

     In 1455, the Kyotoku War broke out.

The Kyotoku War lasted for 28 years from 1454 to 1482.  During the war, Ashikaga Shigeuji (1438-1497), the Kanto Deputy Shogun in Kamakura, relinquished Kamakura and moved to Koga in 1457.  In 1458, the Muromachi Shogunate sent out another deputy shogun, Ashikaga Masatomo (1435-1491), from Kyoto to Kamakura, but he couldn’t enter Kamakura and stayed in Horikoshi, Izu Province.  From then on, there was a Koga Kanto Deputy Shogun and a Horikoshi Kanto Deputy Shogun in the Kanto Region.  On October 14, 1459, the 2 camps had a big battle at Ota Manor, Musashi Province. That was the start of the Warring States Period in the region.

     In 1467, the Onin War broke out in Kyoto.  The war lasted for 11 years, and the whole nation was thrown into the Warring States Period.  Although Shiba Yoshikado (1445-?), the Regent of the Ashikaga Shogunate in Kyoto, sent a letter to Shigeuji in 1468 to make peace, nobody would listen to him, and he was dismissed by Ahikaga Yoshimasa (1436-1490), the 8th shogun.  Kenshin-ji Temple was founded when no samurai listened to the voice of peace.

     In 1546, Hojo Ujiyasu defeated Ashikaga Haruuji (1508-1560), the 8th Kanto Deputy Shogun, Uesugi Norimasa (1523-1579), who was the Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate and was the last head of the Yamauchi-Uesugi Clan, and even killed Uesugi Tomosada (1525-1546), the last head of the Ogigaya-Uesugi Clan in the Siege of Kawagoe.  The victory, however, cost Ujiyasu a lot.  His territory was exhausted, and many farmers abandoned their villages and farms, and ran away.  To get the situation under control, Ujiyasu standardized the taxation system in his territory and reduced taxes in 1550.

     Did Rinhai revive the temple to pray for the comfort of those who had been killed in the battles over Kawagoe Castle?  Or to religiously and psychologically relieve farmers?  Or to dodge taxes for locals, taking advantage of tax exemption for temples?

Address: 1491 Miyamacho, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0152

Phone: 042-651-3542

     

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #7 Myofuku-ji Temple

     It is unrecorded when Myofuku-ji Temple was abolished.  Its main deity was moved to Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #5 Hosho-ji Temple, and its Arya Avalokitesvara statue was moved to Daiko-ji Temple nearby.  The Arya Avalokitesvara statue was stolen in February, 1961.  Devoted locals presented another Arya Avalokitesvara statue to Daiko-ji Temple in 1973.

Address: 2167 Miyamacho, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0152

Daiko-ji Temple

Address: 625 Miyamacho, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0152

Phone: 042-651-3516 

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #8 Tozawa-Kannon-do Temple

     When the Takeda Clan collapsed in 1582, Mizushima Shogen fled to Hachioji.  There, he was employed in the castle.  When the castle fell in 1590, he became a farmer.  After his death, his son, Gorobe, built a shed to enshrine the horse-headed Hayagriva statue, which Shogen had brought from Kai Province.  The province was known for its horse breeding.  The statue is the only Hayagriva in the Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  The rarity attracted many people, not only the Hachioji Corps of the Thousand but also horse breeders around Hachioji.

     In 1710, the statue was moved to Sanko-in Temple.

Address: Kamikawamachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0151

Sanko-in Temple

Address: 3100 Kamikawamachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0151

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #9 Chofuku-ji Temple

     Chofuku-ji Temple was founded by Priest Shokei (?-1625) and was revived by Priest Raiei (?-1679).  Did it decline within only half a century?

     It seems that Shokei built a hermitage for himself as the caretaker of Tosu-Kannon-do Hall on the hill at the back of Chofuku-ji Temple today.  The hall enshrined the 1,000-armed Sahasrabhuja statue.  Raiei might have changed the hermitage to a temple.

     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 society, he strengthened the danka system.  Every citizen was supposed to belong to a Buddhist temple.  That was a business opportunity for would-be priests.  Raiei took full advantage of the opportunity.

     The temple also has an Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses.  The statue was one of the three that were carved by Date Tsunamune (1640-1711), who was the third lord of the Sendai Domain.  He was removed from office and placed under house arrest in Edo under the charges of public drunkenness and debauchery in 1660.  He devoted his time to the arts for half a century till his death in 1711.  He studied painting under Kano Tan’yu (1602-1674).  He also mastered calligraphy, tanka poetry, and Maki-e lacquerware.  He also learned to  forge Japanese swords.  A number of his works are on display at The Miyagi Museum of Art today.  He was a dilettante.  His replacement, however, didn’t solve anything, and the domain was to experience the Date Disturbance for a decade. 

     Chofuku-ji Temple is famous for its bush clovers.  It has about 3,000 of them in its 429 acres of garden.

Address: 2722 Kawaguchimachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 193-0801

Phone: 042-654-4418     

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #10 Anyo-ji Temple

     Anyo-ji Temple was founded in the 1370’s by Priest Raichin (?-1377), and was revived by Priest Kakugen in the middle of the 17th century.

     In the 1370’s, the Kanto Deputy Shogun and the Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate were still working together.  Uesugi Noriharu (?-1379), the then regent, worked and fought for Ashikaga Motouji (1340-1367), the first Kanto Deputy Shogun, and for Ujimitsu (1359-1398), the second Kanto Deputy Shogun.

     However, in 1379, infighting within the central shogunate broke out.  Ujimitsu had ambitions to become a central shogun and tried to advance to Kyoto.  Noriharu tried to persuade him not to, and finally killed himself to stop him on March 7th.  Ujimitsu still appointed Noriharu's brother, Norimasa (1335-1394), as the general of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate Army on March 21st.  Norimasa left Kamakura but stopped in Izu Province.  Ujimitsu finally gave up his ambition for the time being.  Norimasa became the next regent on April 15th, and returned to Kamakura on the 28th of the same month.  The relationship between the shogun and the regent became delicate.  Anyo-ji Temple was founded on one of those delicate days.

     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 society, he strengthened the danka system.  Every citizen was supposed to belong to a Buddhist temple.  That was a business opportunity for would-be priests.  Kakugen took full advantage of the opportunity as Raiei did in Chofuku-ji Temple.

Address: 1084 Inumemachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 193-0802

Phone: 042-654-4226

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #11 Kifuku-ji Temple

     Kifuku-ji Temple is an independent temple, belonging to no Buddhist sect or school.  The temple advises following the “fujumon” convention.  The convention is performed during a Buddhist ritual to commemorate the dead.  The dead’s relatives are supposed to write a short essay about the dead’s personality and contributions.  A priest recites it in the ritual.  The convention is widely performed along the Pacific coast in Chiba Prefecture.

http://www.kifukuji.com/index.html

Address: 2 Chome-11-11 Nakanosanno, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0042

Phone: 042-622-6712

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #12 Tofuku-ji Temple

     Long time ago, an 11-faced Ekadasamukha statue was enshrined in Awanosu Village.  The statue is called Fuetsugi Kannon, literally Mending Flute Avalokitesvara.

     Hojo Ujiteru (1542-1590) had one of the 2 celebrated flutes.  One of his vassals, an Asano, was also good at playing the flute, so Ujiteru trusted the flute to him.  One day, Asano snapped the flute off by accident.  Hardly able to find its replacement, he prayed to the Ekadasamukha statue day and night to make his body as a substitute for the broken flute.  One night, he had a holy dream.  Next morning, he found the flute mended.  The story reached Ujiteru, and he checked the flute.  He was amazed and told Asano to change his name to Fuehikobe, namely Flute-hikobe.  When Hachioji Castle was seized, Fuehikobe was in the castle to guard the flute.  He was killed in the battle, and the flute was reduced to ashes.  The Ekadasamukha statue survived and came to be called Fuetsugi Kannon.

     It is unknown when and by whom Tofuku-ji Temple was founded.  The temple was damaged by fire when the Takeda Clan invaded the Kanto Region in 1567, and when Hachioji Castle was seized in 1590.  The temple was revived by Priest Eigen (?-1705), and the Ekadasamukha statue came to belong to the temple. 

     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 society, he strengthened the danka system.  Every citizen was supposed to belong to a Buddhist temple.  That was a business opportunity for would-be priests.  Eigen took full advantage of the opportunity as Raiei and Kakugen did in Chofuku-ji and Kifuku-ji Temples.

Address: 1122 Komiyamachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0031

Phone: 042-642-2666     

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #13 Ryusen-ji Temple

     Ryusen-ji Temple was founded by Priest Raikyu, who was the heir of Priest Gyushu (1524-1605).

Hojo Ujiteru (1540-1590) composed 8 tanka poems for the Eight Views of Hachioji, which included Ryusen-ji Temple. Choosing the 8 most beautiful scenes in a certain area originated from the Eight Views of Xiaoxiang during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127).  Xiaoxiang was in Hunan Province, China.  That is to say, Ujiteru was highly cultured, or well-educated in Chinese classics.  The Eight Views of Hachioji were as follows:

The Autumn Moon in Hachioji Castle

The Spring Storm in Hachioji Village

The Mist in Mt. Takao

The Landing Wild Geese in Koon-ji Temple

The Night Rain in Ryusen-ji Temple

The Returning Fishers in Asa River

The Twilight Snow in Todori Village

The Night Bell in Oto Kannon-do Temple

     After Ujiteru was forced to kill himself in 1590, Gyushu performed the “fujumon” convention for 10 days every year.  12 years after the foundation, the temple burned down, and was revived by Priest Kakushu in 1742.

     In 1742, a super-typhoon made landfall at Osaka and hit Edo.  It started raining on August 26th, and the storm hit the provinces between Osaka and Edo, causing many rivers to flood.  Along the Chikuma River alone, more than 200 tons of water was estimated to have flooded.  On the 30th, the typhoon hit Edo.  After the eye of the typhoon passed through Edo, a strong south wind raged after 22:00 and brought a storm surge 2.5 meters deep to Edo Bay including the estuary of the Tama River at 6 the next morning, when the tide was high.  After 8, the tide started receding, and people felt relieved.  The real disaster, however, struck the estuaries including that of the Tama River later.  The rain in the upper reaches at night rushed down, and not only downtown but even samurai mansions on the heights were flooded.  On September 1st, the Tone, Ara, and Tama Rivers flooded.  On the 6th, another typhoon hit the Kanto Region, and it kept flooding till the 8th.  The watermark reached 3 meters.  The shogunate government distributed cooked rice to 6,000 victims on August 29th, 10,000 on September 1st, and 7,000 on the 9th.

     Kakushu might have revived the temple to commemorate those who died in the natural disaster.

Address: 16 Nagabusamachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 193-0824

Phone: 042-664-0865

    

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #14 Tosho-ji Temple

     Tosho-ji Temple was founded by Priest Zenchu (?-1520) at the same place Musashi Imperial Graveyard is located today.  The temple was moved to Shimo-Nagafusa Village in 1927.

Address: 1267 Nagabusamachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 193-0824

Phone: 042-661-7804  

  

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #15 Seiren-ji Temple

     Seiren-ji Temple was founded by Priest Yushin (?-1461) in Narahara Village in 1429.  The temple was moved to Dairakuji Village sometime.  The temple burned down in 1892, was merged with Kinkoku-ji Temple, which had burned down except for the Bhaisajyaguru Hall in 1876.  Sairen-ji Temple was rebuilt in the present place, on the site of Kinkoku-ji Temple, in 1895.

     When Uesugi Kagekatsu (1555-1623) attacked Hachioji Castle in 1590, he stayed in the Bhaisajyaguru Hall, leaving a burnt part.  It was said that they cooked in the hall.  Kagekatsu’s important vassal, Naoe Kanetsugu (1560-1619) stayed in Narahara Village and advanced to the castle from there.

Address: 566 Dairakujimachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 193-0816

Phone: 042-622-4952

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #16 Enjo-in Temple

     Enjo-in Temple was abolished at the beginning of the Meiji Period.  A community center, Suwa-shimomachi Hall, was built at the site of the temple, and the temple’s Arya Avalokitesvara is enshrined in the center.  The statue is called Hakuba Kannon, namely White Horse Avalokitesvara.  Why it was named so hasn’t been passed down.

Suwa-shimomachi Hall

Address: 106 Suwamachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 193-0812

Phone: 042-651-3078

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #17 Muryo-in Temple

     Muryo-in Temple has been abolished.  Only a stone monument tells us there used to be a Muryo-in Temple.  The Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #17 deity, the statue of Cintamanicakra, who usually has 6 arms and holds chintamani (a wish-fulfilling jewel) in one of the six, is still enshrined in a shed near the stone monument along with the statue of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of other 6 metamorphoses, the Acalanatha statue, and one more Buddhist image, which might have been brought from somewhere else.

     The membership of the Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #17 was given to Hosen-ji Temple.

Hosen-ji Temple

Address: 84 Dairakujimachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 193-0816

Phone: 042-651-5022

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #18 Hoon-ji Temple

     Hoon-ji Temple has been abolished.  Some say its Arya Avalokiteshvara statue has been moved to Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #5 Hosho-ji Temple.  Others say the Arya Avalokitesvara statue mentioned in  Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #17 Muryo-in Temple could be the same one Hoon-ji Temple used to have.  All visible things could be vain.

Hosho-ji Temple

Address: 998 Nishiterakatamachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0153

Phone: 042-651-3050

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #19 Kojo-ji Temple

     Kojo-ji Temple has kept its documents and oral tradition quite well.

      The precincts of Kojo-ji Temple used to be the site of the fort of the Kunugida Family, which Yokoyama Tokishige’s 4th son, Shigekane, had started.  Tokishige’s sister was the wife of Kajiwara Kagetoki (1140-1200), and his daughter was married to Wada Yoshimori (1147-1213).  Who were the Yokoyama Family?

     Most of Musashi Province is plateaus deeply covered with volcanic-ash soil, which was suitable for stock farming, not for rice growing.  In ancient times, many of the naturalized Silla people then were sent to Musashi Province, and engaged in the stock farming.  That stimulated people there, and many stock farms were set up, including 6 imperial stock farms.  The custodians of those farms later formed small-scale samurai families.  By marriage, those samurai families composed 7 corps on the plateaus in the province: the Musashi Seven Corps. The Yokoyama Family, or the Yokoyama Corps, was one of the seven.

     Kojo-ji Temple was founded by Priest Reizan in 1394 and was financially supported by Nagai Takanori (?-1402), the lord of Katakura Castle.  In 1505, the temple was transferred from the Linji Chan Sect to the Soto Chan Sect by Priest Kotatsu (?-1518).

     In 1559, the temple burned down.  Komiyayama Minbu presented the main hall in 1575.  Minbu’s son, Kiyoshiro, also called himself Minbu.  Kiyoshiro's daughter was married to Kono Michiharu (1586-1655).  Michiharu was one of the leaders of the Hachioji Corps of the Thousand, which was organized with the ex-vassals of the Takeda Clan by Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) when he moved to Edo after the collapse of the Later Hojo Clan in 1590.  The corps were led by 10 families, and the Kono Family was one of the 10.  The family claimed themselves to be the descendants of the Kono Clan in Iyo Province.

     Centuries later, Imawano Kiyohiro (1951-2009), a rock musician, was buried in Kojo-ji Temple.

     The main deity of Kojo-ji Temple is the PandaraVasini Avalokitesvara statue, which had been the personal guardian Buddhist image of Fuse Daini, and which was presented to the temple in the 1560’s.

     Tosa Hidenobu (?-?) published Butsuzo-zui (Illustrated Compendium of Buddhist Images) in 1783.  In the compendium, he listed 33 popular subjects of Buddhism Avalokiteshvara drawings and paintings: #1 Holding-Willow-Spray Avalokitesvara, #2 Naga Avalokitesvara, #3 Holding-Buddhism-Scripture Avalokitesvara, #4 Halo Avalokitesvara, #5 Sitting-on-Cloud Avalokitesvara, #6 Pandara Vasini Avalokitesvara, #7 Sitting-on-Lotus-Leaf Avalokitesvara, #8 Looking-at-Cascade Avalokitesvara, #9 Listening-to-Stream Avalokitesvara, #10 Holding-Fish-Cage Avalokitesvara, #11 Brahman (Virtuous-Lord) Avalokitesvara, #12 Looking-at-Reflected-Moon Avalokiteshvara, #13 Sitting-on-Leaf Avalokitesvara, #14 Blue-Headed Avalokitesvara, #15 Great Commander Avalokitesvara, #16 Life-Prolonging Avalokitesvara, #17 Relief-from-Ruination Avalokitesvara, #18 In-Cave-with-Venom Avalokitesvara, #19 Wave Reduction Avalokitesvara, #20 Anavatapta Avalokitesvara, #21 One-Knee-Drawn-Up Avalokitesvara, #22 Leaf-Robe Avalokitesvara, #23 Holding-Lapis-Lazuli-Censer Avalokitesvar, #24 Tara Avalokitesvara, #25 Sit-in-in-Clam Avalokitesvara, #26 Twenty-Four-Hour Avalokitesvara, #27 Universal-Benevolence Avalokitesvar, #28 Celestial Beauty Avalokitesvara, #29 Brahmani Avalokitesvara, who put palms together, #30 Controlling-Thunderbolt Avalokitesvar, #31 Peaceful-Vajrapani Avalokiteshvara, #32 Holding-Lotus-Flower Avalokitesvara, and #33 Sprinkling-Purified-Water Avalokitesvara.  Some subjects came directly from Lotus Sutra 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 embellished 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 Lotus Sutra, at least in Japan.

     In 1574, Hojo Ujinao (1562-1591) presented a Buddhist string of crystal beads to Kojo-ji Temple.

     When Maeda Toshiie (1538-1599) seized Hachioji Castle in 1590, he stayed at Kojo-ji Temple.  It was recorded that he paid 93,000 coins (=4348 grams of silver) to the temple.

     Kubota Tadakado (?-1613), one of the leaders of the Hachioji Corps of the Thousand, invited Sarasvati to the temple.

     Okubo Nagayasu (1545-1613) purchased 19 logs from the temple in October, 1602.

     Satake Yoshinaga (1655-1741) had 2 daughters and 2 sons.  Kon was the elder sister.  Yoshinaga adopted Yoshimichi (1701-1765) as Kon’s husband.  Kon gave birth to Yoshiharu (1723-1758) and donated to Kojo-ji Temple in 1749, when her first grandson turned 1 year old.

     The temple enshrines 33 statues of Avalokitesvara, which aren’t shown to the public usually except every April in the Year of the Rabbit.  The next chance will be the year 2023.

Address: 1425 Hatsuzawamachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 193-0845

Phone: 042-661-6852

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #20 Oto-Kannon-do Temple

     When Hojo Ujiteru (1542-1590) constructed Hachioji Castle in 1571, he built the first gate at the upper side of Aihara Village.  Since then, the place came to be called Oto, namely Big Gate.  Beside the guardhouse there, there was a hermitage, called Ryoshin-an.  

     When Ujiteru selected the Eight Views of Hachioji, he picked Oto.   Choosing the 8 most beautiful scenes in a certain area originated from the Eight Views of Xiaoxiang during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) in China.  Xiaoxiang was in Hunan Province.  That is to say, Ujiteru was highly cultured, or well-educated in Chinese classics.  The Eight Views of Hachioji were as follows:

The Autumn Moon in Hachioji Castle

The Spring Storm in Hachioji Village

The Mist in Mt. Takao

The Landing Wild Geese in Koon-ji Temple

The Night Rain in Ryusen-ji Temple

The Returning Fishers in Asa River

The Twilight Snow in Todori Village

The Night Bell in Oto Kannon-do Temple

     Ujiteru composed a tanka poem for each of the eight views, and the one for Oto Kannon-do is as follows:

The Big Gate stands in the dusk

In the sound waves of the temple bell

Villagers go home with firewood on their backs.

     The hermitage later came to be called Yusho-an, and a hall for the Arya Avalokitesvara statue was rebuilt in the precincts in 1596, 6 years after the collapse of the Later Hojo Clan and the death of Ujiteru.

Address: 4643 Aiharamachi, Machida, Tokyo 194-0211

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #21 Hatara-Kannon-do Temple

     Hatara-Kannon-do Temple was first built by Matsudaira Hirotsuna sometime in the Northern and Southern Courts period (1336-1392).  He had left Mikawa Province with the Arya Avalokitesvara statue on his back and settled in Aihara Village.  He might have sought refuge from the local struggles caused by the conflict between the two courts.

     In the case of the Virtual Kanesawa 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #22 Kinzan-ji Temple, a man from Awa Province was wandering around with the Arya Avalokitesvara statue on his back.  He got to Yabeno and settled, built a hermitage, and enshrined the statue.  That was the start of Kinzan-ji Temple.

     In the case of the Virtual Kanesawa 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #24 Manzo-ji Temple, Monk Jinsei came to Miyashita Village, Kuraki County, Sagami Province from Ninna-ji Temple in Kyoto, with the Ksitigarbha statue on his back, in 1099, when the Fujiwara Clan’s regency was declining and cloistered rule or monastery administration was about to start.  In Ninna-ji Temple, Priest Shoshin became the head priest, which had been hereditary for the descendants of Emperor Uda (867-931).  Some change might have caused Jinsei to leave the temple to the east.  The Kanesawa area was supplying another good shelter for a fugitive, other than Yabeno Village, where #22 Kinzan-ji Temple used to be located.

     Anyway, "going east" was often rephrased as “laying low” in Japanese.  People tended to seek refuge in the eastern provinces.

     When the Tokugawa Shogunate started, the family changed their name to Matsuhira, contraindicating the same family name the Tokugawa Clan used.

     The temple was damaged when Hachioji Castle was seized in 1590, and was renewed in 1596.  It burned down in 1848, and was rebuilt shortly.  It was destroyed in a typhoon in 1880, and was reconstructed in 1915.

Address: 4394 Aiharamachi, Machida, Tokyo 194-0211

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #22 Shinkaku-ji Temple

     Shinkaku-ji Temple was founded in 1234.

     In 1230 and 1231, the Great Kanki Famine hit Japan.  On June 7th, 1230, it snowed in Musashi Province.  On July 16, there was frost.  By the spring, 1231, people had eaten all their food, and one third of the population had died.  It was on one of those days that Jogyo died.  Did he kill himself, in despair?  In 1232, Hojo Yasutoki (1183-1242), the third regent of the Kamakura Shogunate, promulgated the Formulary of Adjudications, the legal code of the Kamakura shogunate, to stabilize the samurai society.

     Shinkaku-ji Temple might have been founded to mourn for those who died in the famine.

     The precincts have Takasai Shrine, namely the Prime Minister Shrine.  Sometime in the Northern and Southern Courts Period (1336-1392), a nobleman who escaped from Kyoto and settled down in Goshomizu, Hachioji.  Goshomizu literally means Palace Water.

     Some say the refugee was Madenokoji Nobufusa (1258-?1348), who became a kind of a Supreme Court Judge under the Kenmu Restoration (1333-1336) after the collapse of the Kamakura Shogunate. However, he carried the whole discontent with the restoration on his shoulder, and resigned.  After the collapse of the Kenmu Regime, he didn’t go to Mt. Yoshino with Emperor Go-Daigo (1288-1339) and his grandchildren stayed in Kyoto.  His whereabouts became unknown.  His great grandson held a 99th anniversary ceremony on October 18, 1447.  So, Nobufusa might have died in 1348.

     Nagayama Tadayoshi, who was the lord of Tsukui Castle from 1394 to 1428, revived the temple in 1411 and invited Priest Ryugen from Daigo-ji Temple in Kyoto. 

Address: 5 Chome-36-10 Sandamachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 193-0832

Phone: 042-661-5921    

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #23 Kofuku-ji Temple

     Kofuku-ji Temple was founded by Amamiya Hidenori in 1580.  In 1579, the alliance between the Later Hojo Clan and the Takeda Clan broke up.  Hojo Ujiteru (1542-1590), the lord of Hachioji Castle, sent Amamiya Tsunanobu (1536-1609) to Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582) to ally with him.  The people in the Kanto Region were getting involved in the national situation.

     The temple was revived by Priest Juson in 1597, when Japan invaded Korea again.

     In 1619, the then head of the family was given a Buddhist posthumous name Senko-in, and his wife Jurin-in.  The temple was renamed Jurin-san Senko-in Temple after them.

Address: 754 Higashiasakawamachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 193-0834

Phone: 050-3542-5115     

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #24 Rensho-in Temple

     There used to be a Rensho-in Temple, which burned down in the Hachioji Air Raid.  After midnight on August 2nd, 169 Boeing B-29 Superfortresses raided Hachioji City, dropping 1600 tons of incendiary bombs for about 2 hours.  2.9 out of the 3.5 square kilometers of urban area was burned, including Rensho-in Temple.  The temple's 1000-armed Sahasrabhuja statue was saved and moved to Kisei-ji Temple at Yokoyama-cho, Hachioji.

     Due to land readjustment in the area in 1949 after World War II, Kisei-ji Temple was merged with Jikinyu-in Temple, the 25th temple of the Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.

Address: 20 Okadomachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0054

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #25 Jikinyu-in Temple

     Jikinyu-in Temple is an independent temple, which enshrines the Arya Avalokitesvara statue.  What about the 1000-armed Sahasrabhuja statue, which is supposed to have been moved to Jikinyu-in Temple?

Address: 223 Midoricho, Hachioji, Tokyo 193-0932

Phone: 042-622-2726

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #26 Daizen-ji Temple

     Daizen-ji Temple was founded by Hojo Ujiteru (1542-1590) in the 1570’s at the foot of Takiyama Castle.  In 1587, Ujiteru moved to Hachioji Castle, and the temple also moved to the foot of the castle.  In 1590, Hachioji Castle fell, and the temple moved to Oyokomachi.  In 1961, it moved to its present location.

     The temple’s graveyard has the graves of Matsumoto Seicho (1909-1992), who created a new tradition of Japanese crime fiction by incorporating elements of human psychology and ordinary life, and Akatsuka Fujio (1935-2008), who was a pioneer Japanese artist of comedy manga and who was known as the Gag Manga King.

     Many people believe Daizen-ji Temple and its graveyard will never move again, don’t they?

Address: 1019-1 Oyamachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0034

Phone: 042-642-0716

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #27 Fukuzen-in Temple

     A man whose posthumous name was Tsuen (?-1460) built a hermitage.  Reiko (?-1532) changed it into a temple in 1521.  It is unknown whether it was Tsuen or Reiko who named the hermitage or temple Fukuzen-in first.  Reishun revived it in 1599.

     A general drought happened across Japan, starting from March, 1459.  It ended in September, 1459. The drought continued on a smaller scale until May, 1460.  It is unknown whether Tsuen built the hermitage before the drought or in the middle of it.

     Ise Shinkuro (1432-1519) came from Kyoto to Suruga Province in 1469 to become a Warring-States-Period hero, and actually carried out his plan.  He occupied Izu Province first and then Sagami Province.  After Shinkuro's death in 1519, Shinkuro's son, Ujitsuna (1487-1541) continued the realization of the plan.  He first invaded Musashi Province through its southwestern corner.  In 1523, Ujitsuna changed his family name from Ise to Hojo, employing the brand name in the Kanto Region.  As a part of his branding strategy, he also built big temples and shrines.  People followed what the top did, and they built small temples and shrines.  Reiko might have been one of them.

     In 1590, the Later Hojo Clan collapsed.  When Hachioji Castle fell, most of Hachioji samurai and locals killed themselves by the sword or by throwing themselves into the nearby waterfall, Goshuden Fall.  It was said that the death toll rose to 3,000, and that the stream turned red for 3 days.  When Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) moved to Edo next year, he organized the Hachioji Corps of the Thousand with the ex-vassals of the Takeda Clan, which had been destroyed in 1582.  In other words, Ieyasu fulfilled the void of 3,000 with them.  Hachioji became something like a colony of the remnants of the Takeda Clan.  It is unknown whether Reishun was  a survivor of the 3,000 or a newcomer from Kai Province.

Address: 9-3 oyokocho, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0062

Phone: 042-626-3425

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #28 Zento-in Temple

     Oe Hiromoto (1148-1225) was a lower-ranking official in Kyoto, moved to Kamakura to support Minamoto Yoritomo (1147-1199), and succeeded as a samurai.  Hiromoto’s 2nd son, Tokihiro (?-1241), started the Nagai Family in the Nagai Manor in Dewa Province.  He did well in Kamakura and Kyoto, and became a Guardian Samurai of Bingo Province.

     The Yokoyama Family was one of the Musashi Seven Corps, and was based in the Hachioji area.  Most of Musashi Province was plateaus deeply covered with volcanic-ash soil, which was suitable for stock farming, not for rice growing.  In ancient times, many of the naturalized Silla people then were sent to Musashi Province, and engaged in the stock farming.  That stimulated people there, and many stock farms were set up, including 6 imperial stock farms.  The custodians of those farms later formed small-scale samurai families.  By marriage, those samurai families composed 7 corps on the plateaus in the province.

     After the Yokoyama Family was destroyed in 1213, a member of the Nagai Family moved to the area and built Katayama Castle.  In 1400, Priest Kaigen, a member of the family, built a hermitage and named it Zenko-an.  At the turn of the 17th century, Priest Rintetsu (?-1617) changed it into a temple and renamed it Zento-in.

     The precincts have 2 itabi, and one of them was built by Tsuchibashi Yoshisada in 1400.

     Tradition says that the temple’s 11-faced Ekadasamukha statue was presented by Mori Daizen Dayu, who is supposed to be one of the descendants of Oe Hiromoto (1148-1225).  Hiromoto’s 4th son, Suemitsu (1202-1247), was based in the Mori Manor, Aiko County, Sagami Province, and started the Mori Family.  11 generations later, the family produced Motonari (1497-1571), who became one of the most powerful warlords in Western Japan.  After Motonari's son, Takamoto (1523-1563), the heads of the clan called themselves Daizen Dayu according to the occasion.  The Mori Clan lasted for 14 generations in the Edo Period, and it was unrecorded which Daizen Dayu presented the statue.

Address: 17-19 Honcho, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0066

Phone: 042-622-1394  

   

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #29 Daigi-ji Temple

     Grandpa Toku (?-1337)founded Daigen-ji Temple.  The 10th priest, Seiman (?-1547), renamed it Daigi-ji.  Why did Seiman replace “gen” with “gi”?  Because Seiman was a member of the Ashikaga Clan.  Why again did he use “gi”?

     East Asia, especially China, Vietnam, and Korea, had the custom of giving a generation name.  The generation name is one of the 2 Chinese characters in a traditional Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean given name.  The custom is called "generation name" because members of one generation share that character.  Japan didn't import that custom as it was but in a crooked way.  In Japan, an aristocratic stock or a samurai stock used to share one Chinese Character for generations.  Let me call the custom a hereditary or descended name.

     For example, the Ashikaga Clan, the shogunate clan, inherited the “yoshi” character for generations and the other pronunciation of “yoshi” is “gi”.   Seiman wanted to show off that he was a relative of the then shogun, Ashikaga Yoshitane (1466-1523), the 10th shogun of the Ashikaga Shogunate.

     At the turn of the 18th century, Priest Shinsho (?-1703) revived the temple.

     Daigi-ji Temple burned down in the Hachioji Air Raid.  After midnight on August 2nd, 169 Boeing B-29 Superfortresses raided Hachioji City, dropping 1600 tons of incendiary bombs for about 2 hours.  2.9 out of the 3.5 square kilometers of urban area was burned.

     The precincts have the grave of the 4th priest, Seiben (?-1395), Matsubaraan Seifu (?-1814), a female tanka poet, and Okutsu Ganko (1842-1918), who established a private school, Shibun Gakuin, in Hachioji City.  They also have a monument in honor of Shindo Sosuke, who drowned in 1878 on his way to Hokkaido to join the anti-Meiji-Restoration-government movement at the age of 28.  When he died, his wife, Koto, was 23 years old and 8 months pregnant. 

Address: 2 Chome-8-4 Motoyokoyamacho, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0063

Phone: 042-642-1940     

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #30 Fukuden-ji Temple

     Fukuden-ji Temple was founded as a shrine temple of Koyasu Shrine by 1533.

     During World War II, the Nakajima Aircraft Company made fighter aircrafts in the Musashi Plant.  As the plant was bombed by the U.S. Air Force, they built an underground plant in Hachioji, which was targeted by the air force next.

     At 20:55 on August 1st, 1945, an air-raid alert was issued in Hachioji City.  After midnight the following morning, 169 Boeing B-29 Superfortresses raided the city, dropping 1600 tons of incendiary bombs for about 2 hours.  2.9 out of the 3.5 square kilometers of urban area was burned.  Fukuden-ji Temple was reduced to ashes.

     Koyasu Shrine was founded in 759 by Tachibana Ukyoshoyu to pray for the safe delivery of the Empress.  Ukyoshoyu was a job title, so it is difficult to tell who Tachibana Ukyoshoyu was right away.

     As Emperor Oi (733-765) had succeeded to the throne in 758, the Empress must have been Awata Morone.  Her last record was in 758, so she might have died from a difficult delivery in 759.

     Awata Morone was first married to Fujiwara Mayori, who was alive till 749.  After his death, she kept living in the residence of Fujiwara Nakamaro (706-764), Mayori’s father.  Before long, Oi, who was still one of the princes, started visiting her.  Oi became the Crown Prince on April 4th, 756.  Inscrutable are the ways of Heaven.

     Let’s get back to Tachibana Ukyoshoyu.  Tachibana Yasumaro (739-821), who was the third head of the Tachibana Clan.  Ukyoshoyu was a member of the Tachibana Clan, could have been a contemporary of Yasumaro, and was working temporarily or permanently in Musashi Province at the time.  

Address: 4 Chome-10-6 Myojincho, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0046

Phone: 042-642-4262

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #31 Kongo-in Temple

     Hojo Ujiteru (1542-1590) started building Hachioji Castle in 1571, and moved from Takigawa Castle in 1587.  As its castle town developed, Priest Shinsei founded Myoo-in Temple in Uenohara in 1576, and enshrined an Acalanatha statue.  Meanwhile, someone else enshrined the statue of Kukai nearby.

     After the collapse of the Later Hojo Clan in 1590, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616) moved to Edo in 1591, and ordered Okubo Nagayasu (1545-1613) to rule Hachioji.

     Following the land re-zoning by Nagayasu, Priest Kakujo merged the 2 temples, enshrined the Acalanatha and Kukai statues, and founded Kongo-in Temple in 1631.

     All the buildings were reduced to ashes in World War II.

     The Nakajima Aircraft Company made fighter aircraft in the Musashi Plant.  As the plant was bombed by the U.S. Air Force, they built an underground plant in Hachioji, which was targeted by the air force next.  At 20:55 on August 1st, 1945, an air-raid alert was issued in Hachioji City.  After midnight the following morning, 169 Boeing B-29 Superfortresses raided the city, dropping 1600 tons of incendiary bombs for about 2 hours.  2.9 out of the 3.5 square kilometers of urban area was burned including Kongo-in Temple.  

Address: 3 9-2 Uenomachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0902

Phone: 042-622-9540

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #32 Manpuku-ji Temple

     Manpuku-ji Temple was founded either in 1233 or 1234 by Priest Seikai.

     In 1230 and 1231, the Great Kanki Famine hit Japan.  On June 7th, 1230, it snowed in Musashi Province.  On July 16th, there was frost.  By the spring, 1231, people had eaten all their food, and one third of the population had died.  In 1232, Hojo Yasutoki (1183-1242), the third Regent of the Kamakura Shogunate, promulgated the Formulary of Adjudications, the legal code of the Kamakura shogunate, to stabilize the samurai society.  Within a couple of years, Manpuku-ji Temple was founded presumably to mourn for those who died in the famine.

Address: 235 Midoricho, Hachioji, Tokyo 193-0932

Phone: 042-622-4750

Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #33 Kogon-ji Temple

     It is unknown when and by whom Kogon-ji Temple was founded.  It is also unknown when it was abolished.  The membership of the Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #33 was transferred to Baido-ji Temple, but it is unknown whether the 11-faced Ekadasamukha statue was also moved to Baido-ji Temple or not.

     According to the New Chorography on Musashi Province, which was compiled by Mamiya Kotonobu (1777-1841) at the beginning of the 19th century, Baido-ji Temple didn’t have an Avalokitesvara hall.  The precincts, however, have one today.  At the beginning of modern times, the 2 temples shared the same block number.  Kogon-ji Temple might have been merged to Baido-ji Temple with its .Ekadasamukha statue enshrined in the Avalokitesvara Hall.

Baido-ji Temple

Address: 1368 Uchikoshimachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0911

Phone: 042-635-0072

I have virtually walked the Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  Contrary to my expectation, I haven’t encountered traditions or legends on the birth of samurai in the Musashino Plateau.  Almost all of their information could have been extinguished in the communal suicide at the end of the Warring States Period or in the air raid at the end of World War II.  I will move on to another Kannon pilgrimage deeper in the plateau, into Saitama Prefecture, to search for older information.