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Virtual Ueno Oji Komagome 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     The Ueno Oji Komagome 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in 1771.  It is unknown who organized the pilgrimage, and yet it was organized in a very unique way.  Its organizers compared each of their member temples to the same-numbered member temple of the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, the very original 33 Kannon pilgrimage.  As for some member temples, they were particular about the scenery or the sight around the temples.  Some other member temples enshrined the same type of Avalokitesvara statue as the same-numbered temples of the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage did.  The pilgrimage was organized so as that their member temples somewhat resembled their original member temples of Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  In other words, each temple should be an allusion to its original temple.

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Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #33 Josho-ji Temple

 

     Josho-ji Temple was founded by Priest Saikaku In Yanagishima Village, Katsushika County, sometime between 1596 and 1615.

     Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) moved to Edo in 1590.  He finally destroyed the Toyotomi Clan on May 8th, 1615.  During those years, the city of Edo expanded, its population grew, and, accordingly, the number of temples there increased.  Saikaku might have seized an opportunity.

     Saikaku also invited the Inari God and founded Enokido Inari Shrine.  After the Meiji Restoration, Josho-ji Temple was abolished, and Inari Shrine survived.

Enokido Inari Shrine

Address: 5 Chome-2-3 Narihira, Sumida City, Tokyo 130-0002

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Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #32 Joshin-ji Temple

 

     Priest Futsu (?-1628) changed Hoto-an Hermitage into Joshin-ji Temple in 1615.

     Karasumaru Mitsuhiro (1579-1638), a nobleman in Kyoto, was trusted by Emperor Go-Mizunoo (1596-1680), and became a contact person between the Imperial Court in Kyoto and the Tokugawa Shogunate in Edo.  He frequently visited Edo.  In 1603, when he performed falconry, he visited Hoto-an and listened to Futsu.  Mitsuhiro admired and respected the priest so much that he presented a red temple gate and let the temple use his family crest: chrysanthemum flower.

     It is unknown when Hoto-an Hermitage was built.

Address: 4 Chome-17-11 Kameido, Koto City, Tokyo 136-0071

Phone: 03-3681-8460

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Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #31 Shinsei-ji Temple

 

     Shinsei-ji Temple was founded in 1631 by Priest Shingan, who was from Iga Province, at Jumokudai, Yushima, Edo.  It became the family temple of Mitsui Takatoshi (1622-1694), whose descendants later established the Mitsui Financial Conglomerate.

     The precincts were requisitioned by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1683, and the temple moved to Yanaka.  The expansion of Kan'ei-ji Temple forced Shinsei-ji Temple to move to Honjo.  In 1922, it moved to its present place to avoid smoke, soot, and inundation

Address: 1 Chome-1-1 Umezato, Suginami City, Tokyo 166-0011

Phone: 03-3311-2335

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Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #30 Reisho-in Temple

 

     Reisho-in Hermitage was built by Priest Juhaku in 1639 in the precincts of Ryozen-ji Temple.

     Ryozen-ji Temple was founded by Priest Daicho at Surugadai in 1601, a year after the Battle of Sekigahara, in which Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616) defeated the Toyotomi Clan. 

     The 2nd Priest Ryogaku moved the temple to Yushima.  It burned down in the 1657 Great Fire of Meireki, and moved to Asakusa.  Priest Kakuei revived the temple and moved it to its present place.  Every time, Reisho-in moved with the temple.

Address: 1 Chome-3-20 Yokokawa, Sumida City, Tokyo 130-0003

Phone: 03-3622-7829

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Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #29 Choken-ji Temple

 

     Choken-ji Temple was founded by Priest Shuyo (?-1680) at Ushigome, Edo, in 1631.

     In the 17th century, 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 1657 Meireki Great Fire burned 60-70 percent of Edo and killed 30-100 thousand people.  After the fire, Edo was not only rehabilitated.  New city planning was drawn up, and Choken-ji Temple was moved to Honjo.

     In the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, the temple burned down.  In 1925, Priest Tokuyo took over Seiju-in Hermitage, which was located in Choken-ji's present place, and changed it to Choken-ji.

Address: 4 Chome-19-18 Minami-Hanahata, Adachi Ward, Tokyo 121-0062

Phone: 03-3883-8464

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Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #28 Senryu-ji Temple

 

     Senryu-ji Temple was founded by Priest Soken at Bamba Village, Katsushika County, Shimousa Province, in 1472.

     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 in Kyoto sent out another deputy shogun, Ashikaga Masatomo (1435-1491), from Kyoto for 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.  Shigeuji exercised his power in the eastern half of the region; Shimotsuke, Hitachi, Shimousa, Kazusa, and Awa Provinces: while Masatomo was supported by the Uesugi Clan, which hereditarily succeeded to a Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate, in the western half of the region; Kozuke, Musashi, Sagami, and Izu Provinces.  Their main battlefields were in the middle reaches of the Ara, Tone, and Watarase Rivers.

     In 1467, the Onin War broke out in Kyoto, and the central shogunate couldn't support Masatomo, a Horigoshi Kanto Deputy Shogun, any longer.  In March, 1471, seizing opportunity, Shigeuji marched to Horigoshi, only to be defeated.  In May, Nagao Kagenobu (1413-1473), a vassal of the Yamanouchi-Uesugi Family, fought back to Koga.  Shigeuji escaped to Moto-Sakura Castle to be sheltered by Chiba Noritane (1459-1521).  Koga Castle didn't fall, and Shigeuji returned to the castle in 1472, when Senryu-ji Temple was founded in the estuary of the Ara, Tone, and Watarase Rivers, along the front line between the Koga and Horigoshi Kanto Deputy Shoguns.

     In the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, the temple burned down, and was later rebuilt.  In 1928, however, it moved its graveyard to its present place.  In 1945, the temple burned down again in the Bombing of Tokyo, and moved to its present place.

Address: 2 Chome−26−1 Momijigaoka, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-0004

Phone: 042-361-3318

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Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #27 Seiko-ji Temple

     Seiko-ji Temple was founded by Priest Shun'no at Honjo, Katsushika County, Shimousa Province, in 1471.

     In 1454, the Kyotoku War broke out, and lasted for 28 years till 1482.  During the war, Ashikaga Shigeuji (1438-1497), the Kanto Deputy Shogun, relinquished Kamakura and moved to Koga in 1457.  In 1458, the Muromachi Shogunate in Kyoto sent out another Kanto 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 were a Koga Kanto Deputy Shogun and a Horikoshi Kanto Deputy Shogun in the Kanto Region.  In 1467, the Onin War broke out in Kyoto and lasted till 1477.  The central shogunate in Kyoto wasn't able to afford to intervene in the power struggles in the Kanto Region.  It didn't ease the tensions in the region, but rather throw the whole country into the Warring States Period.

     Seiko-ji Temple was founded when the feeling of war was creeping to everyone.

     In the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, the temple burned down.  In 1928, it  moved to its present place in Chiba Prefecture.

Address: 488 Matsudo, Chiba 271-0092

Phone: 047-362-5420

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Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #26 Fugen-ji Temple

     Fugenji- Temple was founded as a shrine temple of the Papiyas Shrine in Nakanogo Village near Umaya-bashi Bridge along Sumida River in 1469 by Priest Ryoen.  Papiyas was the devil king of the sixth heaven in the world of desire in Buddhism.

     In 1454, the Kyotoku War broke out, and lasted for 28 years till 1482.  During the war, Ashikaga Shigeuji (1438-1497), the Kanto Deputy Shogun, relinquished Kamakura and moved to Koga in 1457.  In 1458, the Muromachi Shogunate in Kyoto sent out another Kanto 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 were a Koga Kanto Deputy Shogun and a Horikoshi Kanto Deputy Shogun in the Kanto Region.  In 1467, the Onin War broke out in Kyoto and lasted till 1477.  The central shogunate in Kyoto wasn't able to afford to intervene in the power struggles in the Kanto Region.  It didn't ease the tensions in the region, but rather throw the whole country into the Warring States Period.  In 1469, in short, Japan might have been filled with devils.

     In the Edo Period, Densuke, a kabuki player, built a Ksitigarbha statue, and Kaiho Gyoson (1798-1866), who was a descendant of the Satomi Clan in Awa Province, and who was one of the best Confusian scholars in the Edo Period, was buried in its precincts. 

     In the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, the temple was reduced to ashes except its main deity and family death registers.  In 1924, due to a city planning, the temple moved to its present place in the suburb of Tokyo.

Address: 2 Chome−26−4 Momijigaoka, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-0004

Phone: 042-369-2278

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Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #25 Toko-ji Temple

 

     Minamoto Mitsunaka (912-997) embraced Priest Genshin (942-1017) in 958 in Tada County, Settsu Province.  Genshin carved a Bhaisajyaguru statue for Mitsunaka, who founded Ishimine-ji Temple there.  In 1265, the temple burned down in battle.  The statue was concealed in a stone box.  In 1596, Tada Sogen found the box, and moved the statue to Inaba-do Hall in Gojo, Kyoto.  Later, he built another Ishimine-ji Temple in Gojo, and enshrined the statue in it.

     Toko-ji Temple had been founded by Priest Ryukai at Banba-cho, Honjo, Edo, in 1583.  In 1590, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) moved to Edo, and established the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1603.  Many people moved to Edo, and Nun Shogo brought the Bhaisajyaguru statue to the temple.  The temple was destroyed in the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, and was moved to its present place in 1928.

Address: 2 Chome-31-2 Higashikanamachi, Katsushika City, Tokyo 125-0041

Phone: 03-3607-0530

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Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #24 Reiko-ji Temple

 

     Reiko-ji Temple was founded by Mokujiki Reiko as a hermitage.  The title Mokujiki was given to those monks who ate only fruits and nuts.  Moku means a wood and jiki means to eat.  In 1626, it was registered as a temple.

     Its main deity was an Amidabha statue which was brought by Priest Jisho (1544-1620).  Jisho was born in Yugi Village, Tama County, Musashi Province.  He first became a monk of the Ji Sect.  In 1561, he converted to the Pure Land Buddhism.  In 1574, he transferred Choden-ji Temple from the Shingon Sect to the Pure Land Buddhism.  In 1584, he became the head priest of Zojo-ji Temple in Edo.  Fortune smiled on him.  In 1590, Tokugawa Ieyasu Moved to Edo and later changed it to the samurai capital.  Luck was further on his side.  Zojo-ji Temple became the family temple of the Tokugawa Clan, and became the second most important temple of the Pure Land Buddhism after Chion-in Temple in Kyoto.  In his career, he might have visited Chion-in Temple.  On his way back to Edo, he found a nice Amidabha statue in Ise, and brought it back as his personal guardian Buddhist image.  Jisho built a hermitage as his retreat, Kanchi-in, in the precincts of Zojo-ji Temple.  Presumably, after his death, the statue was enshrined in the hermitage founded by Reiko, and it became a temple with the statue as its main deity.   

Address: 1 Chome-9-11 Azumabashi, Sumida City, Tokyo 130-0001

Phone: 03-3623-0951

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Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #23 Saisho-ji Temple

     Ushigozen Shrine was founded in 860, and Saisho-ji Temple was founded by Priest Ryoben in 877 as its shrine temple.

     The temple is known for its Yellow-eyed Acalanatha statue, one of the 5-color-eyed Acalanatha.  The 4 others included Black-eyed, White-eyed, Red-eyed, and Blue-eyed Acalanatha statues.  The Black-eyed, Meguro in Japanese, and the White-eyed, Mejiro in Japanese, were so popular that they became place names.

     The Yellow-eyed Acalanatha statue was originally enshrined in Toei-ji Temple.  According to oral tradition, Priest Roben (689-774) visited eastern provinces and sensed Acalanatha at the bank of the Sumida River.  He carved an Acalanatha statue, built a hermitage to enshrine it.  Later, the hermitage became Toei-ji Temple.  After the Meiji Restoration, Toei-ji Temple was abolished and the Acalanatha statue was moved to Saisho-ji Temple.  Due to the land rezoning caused by building Komagata Bridge, the temple was moved from Omotecho, Honjo, to its present place in 1912.

Address: 1 Chome-25-32 Hirai, Edogawa City, Tokyo 132-0035

Phone: 03-3681-7857

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Rakuyo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage in My Order (2)

 Rakuyo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #21 Hosho-ji Temple

     I stepped out of Keihan Tofukuji Station east and walked south along the Nara Kaido (the Nara Ancient Highway).  I passed under an elevated modern highway.  After several minutes' walk, I found Hosho-ji Temple on my left.  It looked like an ordinary Kyoto old house.  A female pilgrim was waiting for her "goshuin" (a certificate to show her actual visit).  Some pilgrims are keen about collecting "goshuin" with their "goshuin-cho" (a certificate book) ready to be stamped and signed.  When I was taking a photo of its sign which told me the building was the Rakuyo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #21, an extremely old lady came out of the building to hand the certification sheet to the pilgrim.  Some temples have eliminated labor, and they just hand a copy of stamped and signed certification.  The lady also told me not to take any photo.  Not caring for "goshuin", I silently left the temple.

Address: 307 Honmachi, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0981

Phone: 075-541-8767

Rakuyo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #20 Yokihi Kannon-do Hall

     After sightseeing the Tsutenkyo Bridge surrounded with beautiful red maple leaves and packed with sightseers in Tofuku-ji Temple, I kept away from busy approaches and took the Kyoto Trail Higashiyama instead.  I walked out of Tofuku-ji Temple through a small modern gate near Sanmon, an old big temple gate which is permanently closed, and turned left to climb a hill.  After walking for more than 10 minutes, I found a narrow way down to the upper stream of Ninohashi River, which ran under the Tsuten-kyo Bridge.  I crossed the stream, walked up hills, and arrived in front of the reception of Sen'yu-ji Temple.

     I knew I had to pay the admission fee for the temple to visit #20 Avalokitesvara statue of the Rakuyo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  I paid 500 yen and took to a narrow alley on my left.

     Scientifically speaking, the statue of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses, is supposed to have been made under the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), and it was brought to Japan in 1255.  Its beauty generated a rumor that Emperor Xuanzon (685-762) of the Tang Dynasty ordered to make it after Yang Yuhuan (719-756), or more commonly known as Yang Guifei, who was known as one of the Three Beauties in the world.  Paying no attention to the gossip, the Arya Avalokitesvara statue was silently looking down at me.

Sen'yu-ji Temple

Address: 27 Sennyuji Yamanouchicho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0977

Phone: 075-561-1551

Rakuyo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #18 Zenno-ji Temple

     I stepped out of the precincts of Sen'yu-ji Temple north.  Soon, I walked down a slope to find Zenno-ji Temple on my left.  It was apparently unstaffed with a small hall at the far end of the corner.  The temple must have been a pretty one in its days.  Between its temple gate and the hall, I found a garden covered with moss on my left.  At the back of the hall, there was a dry landscape garden.  Or was it a garden with a pond whose water had dried up?  Looking back from the hall to the gate, I saw a vacant lot which was surrounded with beautiful maple trees.  Was there a dwelling house for priests from whose windows a retired priest enjoyed watching red maple leaves?  Time has rolled on, and it is only illusions that still linger.

Address: 34 Sennyuji Yamanouchicho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0977

Rakuyo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #19 Imakumano-Kannon-ji Temple

     I walked out of Zenno-ji Temple and started walking down along an approach between Sen'yu-ji Temple and a bus street.  After a few minutes, I found a red arched bridge with many banners flying.  All the banners and a couple of signs showed that the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #15 Imakumano-Kannon-ji Temple was over the bridge.  Nothing was talking about the Rakuyo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #19 Imakumano-Kannon-ji Temple.  It's no use complaining about unfair treatment between the 2 pilgrimage.  The Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was the first Kannon Pilgrimage organized in Japan.  Most other Kannon Pilgrimages were organized as copies of the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.

     I walked through more banners and arrived at the main hall of the temple, which has enshrined eleven-faced Ekadasamukha statue since the 9th century.  According to legend, the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in the 8th century, and the Rakuyo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized by Emperor Go-Shirakawa (1127-1192) as one of the first copies.

Address: 32 Sennyuji Yamanouchicho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto 605-0977

Phone: 075-561-5511

Rakuyo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #25 Hoon-in Temple

     I walked out of Imakumano-Kannon-ji Temple and continued to walk down along Sen'yu-ji Temple's approach to the bus street.  After 5 minutes, I found Hoon-in Temple on my left.

     Hoon-in Temple belongs to the Shingon Sect, yet it enshrines the statue of Amoghapasa, who usually has 3 eyes and 8 arms, which is usually enshrined in temples which belong to the Tiantai Sect.

     After visiting Hoon-in Temple, I called it a day for my revisiting the Rakuyo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  It was before the COVID -19 pandemic that I first visited its #1 Rokkaku-do and #6 Konkai-Komyo-ji Temples.

Address: 30 Sennyuji Yamanouchicho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto 605-0977

Phone: 075-551-0961

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Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #22 Chomei-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Josen-ji Temple was founded.  Its precincts had a good spring, and Sarasvati was enshrined by the spring.  Josen literally means Eternal Spring.

     One day, when Tokugawa Iemitsu (1604-1651) visited the area to do falconry, he had a slight disorder and dropped in at Josen-ji Temple.  Priest Senkai prayed to Sarasvati and offered the spring water.  Nakane Masamori (1588-1666) presented the water with a medicine, and Iemitsu felt better.  Iemitsu named the spring Longevity Spring and changed the temple name Chomei-ji (Longevity Temple).  Masamori was trusted by Iemitsu and became his Senior Advisor.

     When the Shimabara Rebellion broke out in 1637, Masamori dispatched Koka ninja into Hara Castle, where Christian peasants shut themselves up.  The ninja found the Christians' provisions were left scarce and the information made the seizure easier.  After the suppression of the rebellion, Masamori organized ninja to establish a spy agency of the Tokugawa Shogunate, and not only suppressed Christians but also investigated inside stories of daimyo.

Address: 5 Chome-4-4 Mukojima, Sumida City, Tokyo 131-0033

Phone: 03-3622-7771

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Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #21 Shokan-ji

 

     Shokan-ji Temple was founded by Priest Chuson in 1593, 3 years after the collapse of the Later Hojo Clan.  Monk Jusai (?-1653) succeeded to the priesthood of the temple.

     The name Jusai sounds very gloomy, pessimistic, and ironic.  Jusai's Japanese way of translation was kasanedoki.  The phrase was used as "Hinso no kasanedoki."  It literally means a poor monk tend to be invited to 2 feasts at a time.  That is, those poor or unlucky tend to have chances at a time, and can't realize them all.  Maybe, the monk wasn't able to have everything his way.

     Chuson used to belong to the Itami Family, who had something to do with Kanesawa 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #17 Zenrin-ji Temple, which was founded by Ashikaga Shigeuji (1434-1497) in 1493 to hold a service for his late father, Mochiuji  (1398-1439).  It once declined, but Itami Nagachika (?-1563) revived it.  Nagachika worked and fought for the Later Hojo Clan.  After Nagachika’s death, Masatomi worked and fought for the clan until they were destroyed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598) in 1590.  His son was taken care of by his maternal uncle. They became Buddhist monks; Chugo and Chuson.  Chugo became the head priest of Senso-ji Temple, whose position Chuson succeeded.

     Was Monk Jusai an offspring of the Itami Family who wasn't able to restore the family?

Address: 3 Chome-32-4 Oshiage, Sumida City, Tokyo 131-0045

Phone: 03-3612-4519

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Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #20 Joko-ji Temple

     Fujiwara Masashige was a manager of the Adachi Manor.  He didn't have a child and prayed to Kumano God for one.  One night, he had a holy dream and had a girl, Adachihime.  She was married to Toshima Kiyomoto, who was the ruler of Toshima County.  Kiyomoto had 3 sons, Aritsune, Kiyoyasu, and Kiyoshige (1161-1238), who later called himself Kasai Kiyoshige and who became a samurai manager of Mutsu Province under the Kamakura Shogunate.

     Kiyoshige was given birth by Chichibu Shigehiro's daughter.   Aritsune and Kiyoyasu's mother was unrecorded.  Shigehiro seemed to be shrewd.  His sons started the Hatakeyama and Oyamada Families, and his daughter was married to Chiba Tsunetane (1118-1201).  The Hatakeyama, Oyamada, and Chiba Families were all important and significant samurai under the Kamakura Shogunate.

     What happened to Adachihime then?  Her relationship with her parents-in-law, Yasuie and his wife, became strained.  It is unknown whether it was the Toshima Family or the Chichibu Family who took the lead, but the Toshima Family dumped a daughter of their subordinate and replaced her with the one of the powerful family.

     Adachihime threw herself into the Ara River on her way back to her parents' home with her 12 maids.

Masashige had no guts to fight against his suppeior, became a monk, and visited sacred places in provinces.  When he visited Kumano, he had a holy dream and found a radiating tree.  He wrote his name on it and floated it in the sea.  When he came back to Adachi, he found the tree washed ashore there.  He followed the holy dream and waited for Gyoki (668-749) to come.  Gyoki came and heard the whole story from Masashige.  Gyoki went on a fast, and carved 6 statues of Amitabha out of the tree.  He built 6 temples, Saifuku-ji, Emyo-ji, Muryo-ji, Yoraku-ji, Joraku-ji, and Joko-ji Temples, at where Adachihime and her maidens had been born, and prayed for their comfort in the other world.  He also carved a Avalokitesvara statue out of the remaining wood and enshrined it in Shoo-ji Temple.

     Wait, wait, wait!  Something is inconsistent.  How can Gyoki and others live in the same period?  Scientifically speaking, the statues are supposed to have been carved at the end of the Heian Period, so Gyoki's part of the story was made up later in the latter half of the Edo Period, when Adachihime's story became popular.

     The tree's part of the story reminds me of the one of Kanesawa 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #29 Senzo-in Temple, which was founded by Priest Chikaku (?-1199) in November, 1192.  That is:

     There used to be 4 Shugendo practice halls in Kamakura: Senzo-in at Yamasaki, Gongen-do in Kamegaya, Aizen-bo and Zoken-do in Nikaido. 

     Minamoto Yoritomo asked Priest Chikaku of Senzo-in to visit Kumano to pray for the gods there to help Yoritomo govern the country and people.  The priest stayed in Kumano for 21 days, and got the Three Buddhist Images of Amitabha, which had Amitabha in the center, Avalokitesvara on the left, and Mahasthamaprapta on the right, one of the most popular styles of main deities in temples in Japan, and 3 other souvenirs: (1) a talisman of Gozu Tenno (literally "Ox-Headed Heavenly King"), who was a syncretic Japanese deity of disease and healing, (2) 2 guidepost stones, and (3) 2 Asian bayberries, a holy plant in the Kumano Sanzan shrine complex in Kii Province, which comprised Kumano Hayatama Taisha, Kumano Hongu Taisha, and Kumano Nachi Taisha.

     Strangely enough, Chikaku put those souvenirs on a boat made of a camphor tree, and floated them out of Kumano.  After 15 days, mysteriously enough, they arrived at the Nakahara Beach in Kuraki County, Musashi Province, which was located on the other side of the Miura Peninsula.

Joko-ji Temple was revived(?) by Priest Shoan (?-1544).

In those days, Uesugi Tomosada (1525-1546) was fighting against the Later Hojo Clan in Musashi Province.  In 1537, he lost Kawagoe Castle to Hojo Ujitsuna (1487-1541). In 1541, he made peace with Uesugi Norimasa (1523-1579), the head of the Yamanouchi-Uesugi Family.  The 2 families had fought against each other for years.  However, Tomosada lost to Hojo Ujiyasu (1515-1571), was killed in battle on April 20th, 1546, and became the last head of the Ogigayatsu-Uesugi Family.

It is unknown which side the precincts belonged to, but the area was in a frontline between the Later Hojo and Uesugi Clans.

Address: 4 Chome−48−3 Kameido, Koto Ward, Tokyo 136-0071

Phone: 03-3681-7023

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Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #19 Saizo-in Temple

     Saizo-in Temple was founded in 1521 as a shrine temple of Shirahige Shrine, which was said to have been founded in 915 by En'nin (794-864).  51 years after his death?  Just impossible!  Anyway, someone in Terashima Village, Shimousa Province, built a branch shrine of Shirahige Shrine of Omi Province.

     Taira Masakado (903-940)was born in Shimousa Province: specifically and presumably either in Toyoda or Sashima County, which were both along the Kinu River.  Later, he left for Kyoto at the age of either 15 or 16 to be hired by Fujiwara Tadahira (880-949), who was the 2nd Prime Minister at the time and who became the Prime Minister in 924, to climb up the social ladder.  After 12 years or so, he returned to the Kanto Region, without achieving anything in the central political circles.

     In 939, Taira Masakado (903-940) tried to be independent from Japan in the Kanto Region.  Tawara Tota (891-958) suppressed Masakado’s revolt, and was promoted to be the governor of Shimotsuke and Musashi Provinces.  Tota was an official of the Shimotsuke Provincial Government.  He was from Tawara Village, Kawachi County, Shimotsuke Province.

       One day, Tota started calling himself Fujiwara Hidesato, picking up a brand name, claiming that he was a descendant of Fujiwara Fusamae (681-737).  In 703, Fusamae was appointed to the inspector over the local governments in the Tokai Region.  In 709, his job included inspection over the local governments in the Tozan Region, which included Mutsu and Dewa Provinces, that is, the Tohoku Region today.  After the inspection, the central government drafted soldiers from the regions to suppress northern foreigners in Mutsu and Echigo Provinces.  He was an expert of dealing the northern foreigners issues.  Some northern foreigners had surrendered themselves to Japan because it offered them a good deal.  They had to swear obedience and offer local special products.  In return, they were exempted from taxes and were given food and clothes.  That must have looked more like a contract or trade to them.  Fusamae’s fame among those subordinate northern foreigners was still lingering among them even in Tota’s days.

     Fusamae’s 5th son was Uona (721-783).  Uona’s 5th son was Fujinari (776-822).  Fujinari’s 1st son was Toyosawa (?-887), who stayed in Shimotsuke Province even after his father went back to Kyoto, and he worked for the provincial government there and married a daughter of a lower-ranking official, the Tottori Family.  Toyosawa’s only son was Murao (?-932).  He worked for the provincial government there and married a daughter of a intermediate-ranking official, the Kashima Family.  Murao’s first son was Tota.  So says Tota’s family tree.  If the family tree were true, Fujinari had been born when Uona was 55 years old.  It was almost impossible in the ancient times.  They needed one more generation between Uona and Fujinari.  Tota (or his father?) miscalculated when he hooked up his family tree to that of the Fujiwara Clan.

     Yet, it is also clear that Tota and his father climbed up the social ladder step by step.  Tota's 3rd son, Chiharu, got a promotion in Kyoto thanks to the influence of Tota.  It means that Tota successfully sent out his son to the central political circles.

     All in all, in 915, samurai in the Kanto Region were trying to be recognized by the central political circles, that might have been why the local samurai joined the religion network of Shirahige Shrine, whose god has been "horcruxed" to more than 300 shrines in Japan.

     Saizo-in Temple was abolished after the Meiji Restoration.

Shirahige Shrine

Address: 3 Chome-5-2 Higashimukojima Sumida Ward, Tokyo 131-0032

Phone: 03-3611-2750

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Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #18 Mokubo-ji Temple

 

     When Prince Oama (?-686) fought against Prince Otomo (648-672) in Mino Province, Oama pitched a camp in the residence of the wealthy family of Nogami, and Otomo pitched a camp on the opposite bank of the Sekinofuji River.

     After generations, a woman called Hanagozenn was married to Yoshida Korefusa at Kitashirakawa, Kyoto.  She gave birth to Umewakamaru.

     When Umewakamaru was 5 years old, his father, Korefusa, passed away.  At the age of 7, he was left at Geturin-ji Temple, Enryaku-ji, Mt. Hiei.  He was praised and admired as the best partner of male homosexuality.  He was envied by monks in Tomon-in Temple, which had a popular partner, Matsuwakamaru, and was attacked by them.  He wandered around in the mountain and arrived at Biwa Lake, where he was kidnapped by Shinobu Tota, a slave trader.  Tota was going to sell him in Mutsu Province.  On their way to the province, Umewakamaru fell ill and died on March 15th, 976, at the bank of the Sumida River.  He was no more than 12 years old.

     Chuen, a pilgrim monk, and locals buried him and planted a willow tree on the grave.

     After Umewakamaru became missing in Mt. Hiei, his mother, Hanagozen, had started searching for him.  Just after 1 year after his death, coincidentally on March 15th, she arrived at the Sumida River and knew Umewakamaru's death.  Monk Chuen built a hermitage for her, and she lived there for a while.  One day, however, she threw herself into Kagami-ga-ike Pond across the river.

     In 1189, Minamoto Yoritomo(1147-1199) called at the grave.  In 1485, Ota Dokan (1432-1486) founded Baijaku-ji Temple by the grave in the year.  Baijaku is Chinese-style pronunciation of Umewaka.  In 1485, Banri Shuku (1428-?) visited the grave and composed a Chinese poem.  In 1486, Priest Doko visited the temple.  In 1590, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) visited the temple and gave it a sango, Bairyuzan.  In 1607, Konoe Nobutada 1565-1614), an ex-Regent of the Imperial Court, visited the temple and renamed it Mokubo-ji.  The Chinese character Bai is composed with the left-hand radical "moku" and the right-hand radical "bo".

Address: 2 Chome-16-1 Tsutsumidori, Sumida City, Tokyo (631-686)131-0034

Phone: 03-3612-5880

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Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #17 Renge-ji Temple

     Hojo Yorimori (1244-1296) was said to have brought a self-portrait of Kukai (774-835) to Terashima Village, Katsushika County, Shimousa Province, and founded Renge-ji Temple there.

     When the 4th Regent of the Kamakura Shogunate, Hojo Tsunetoki (1224-1246), died at the age of 23, his sons, Takamasa (1241-1263) and Yorimori were no more than infants, so Tsunetoki's brother, Tokiyori (1227-1263) became the 5th Regent.  Both Takamasa and Yorimori became monks.  Tokiyori founded Renge-ji Temple in 1246 to pray for the comfort of Tsunetoki in the other world.  As Renge-ji was renamed Komyo-ji in 1256, Yorimori, who was called Raijo at the time, founded another Renge-ji Temple in Terashima Village in the 1250's.

     In 1281, Raijo returned to Kamakura.  In 1283, he became the 10th Buddhist Manager of Tsurugaoka-Hachiman-gu Shrine.  In 1292, he became the manager priest of Todai-ji Temple.

Address: 3 Chome-23-17 Higashimukojima, Sumida City, Tokyo 131-0032

Phone: 03-3612-1658

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Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #16 Tamon-ji Temple

     In the estuary of Ara, Iruma, and Tone Rivers, small islands ("su" in Japanese) were formed.  In the islands, rice fields ("ta" in Japanese) were developed, and the area was called Suda or later Sumida.  In the 950's, a temple was founded in Sumida, and was named Guden-ji with its main deity, Acalanatha.  Guden is a Chinese-style pronunciation of Sumida.

     When Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) moved to Edo in 1590, there was a big flood in the estuary.  Ieyasu ordered to build and rebuild levees, and the temple was moved to its present place.  The temple lost its main deity in the flood, replaced it with Vaisravana, and named itself Tamon-ji.  Tamon is a Japanese translation of Vaisravana, whose transliteration is Bishamon.

Address: 5 Chome-31-13 Sumida, Sumida City, Tokyo 131-0031

Phone: 03-3616-6002

Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #15 Zenpuku-in Temple

 

     Wakamiya-Hachiman-gu Shrine was founded in Katsushika County, Shimousa Province, in 1189 by Minamoto Yoritomo (1147-1199) before he started invading the territories of  the Fujiwara Clan in Mutsu Province.  The clan had built a half-independent kingdom there.

     Yoritomo destroyed his rival, the Taira Clan, in 1185, and was going to establish a samurai government.  He instinctively knew a samurai government is the process of permanently organizing samurai.  He needed new territories for samurai to newly possess and rule.  He set his eyes on Mutsu Province.

     In April, 1186, Yoritomo jabbed Fujiwara Hidehira (1122-1187).  Yoritomo had been authorized by the Imperial Court to rule the Tokai and Tozan Regions, through which Hidehira had to send their taxes to the Central Government.  Yoritomo requested that he should pass the taxes forward.  Hidehira couldn't refuse the request.

     In October, 1187, Hidehira died, and Yoritomo put further pressure on Hidehira's son, Yasuhira (1155-1189).  On April 30th, 1189, Yoritomo forced Yasuhira to kill Yoritomo's rival brother, Yoshitsune (1159-1189).  On June 25th, Yoritomo requested the Imperial Court to issue the order to hunt down Yasuhira.  Although the request was turned down, Yoritomo left Kamakura for Mutsu Province with 1000 cavalry.

     It was on this occasion that Yoritomo prayed for his victory to Wakamiya-Hachiman in Katsushika County.

On August 8th, fights in Mutsu Province started.  In those fights, Yoritomo gave chances to those who had surrendered to him in previous battles and wars.  On the 16th, Yasuhira offered peace to Yoritomo, but Yoritomo ignored the proposal .  On the 22nd, he occupied Hiraizumi, the Fujiwara Clan's capital.  On September 2nd, he started advancing to  Kuriyagawa Fortress, where Minamoto Yoriyoshi (988-1075), 5 generations before Yoritomo, beat Abe Sadato (1019-1062), who was the leader of the captive foreigners.  Yoritomo followed a good precedent to show off that he was the legitimate successor of the legendary hero.

     On September 3rd, Yoasuhira was killed by his vassal, Kawata Jiro (?-1189).  On the 9th, the order to hunt down Yasuhira arrived, which was dated July 19th.

     It was Kasai Kiyoshige(1161-1238), the lord of the Western half of Katsushika County, who was appointed as the samurai governor of Mutsu Province on the 22nd.  Shirahige Shrine answered to Yoritomo's prayer.  On October 24th, Yoritomo returned to Kamakura.

     Toshima Kiyomoto was the lord of Toshima County, Musashi Province and also owned Kasai Manor in Katsushika County, Shimousa Province.  His third son, Kiyoshige succeeded the Kasai Manor and started calling his family Kasai.

     When Minamoto Yoritomo raised his army against the Taira Clan, he was defeated at first and fled to Awa Province.  When he was going cross the Sumida River to strike back, Kiyoshige joined the army.  He kept working and fighting for the first 3 generations of the Kamakura Shoguns. 

Address: 3 Chome-4-29 Yotsugi, Katsushika City, Tokyo 124-0011

Phone: 03-3691-4241

Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #14 Kansho-ji Temple

 

     Kansho-ji Temple was founded in 1491 as a shrine temple of Shirahige Shrine, but was abolished in 1869, one year after the Gods and Buddhas Separation Order was issued by the Meiji Restoration Government in 1868.

     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 Central Shogunate in Muromachi, Kyoto, sent out another deputy shogun, Ashikaga Masatomo (1435-1491), from Kyoto to Kamakura, but he couldn’t enter Kamakura, obstructed by some powerful Kanto samurai, and stayed in Horikoshi, Izu Province.  From then on, there were a Koga Kanto Deputy Shogun and a Horikoshi Kanto Deputy Shogun in the Kanto Region.  Masatomo was struck down by disease in January, 1491, and died on April 3rd.  His first son, Chachamaru was confined to a basement by his stepmother.  On July 1st, however, he escaped and killed the stepmother and her second son, Jundoji.  He became a self-proclaimed Horikoshi Kanto Depury Shogun.  Luckily, the stepmother's first son, Yoshizumi (1481-1511), had moved to Kyoto in June, 1487, and became a monk.  Unluckily for Chachamaru, in April, 1493, the Meio Incident broke out in Kyoto, and the 10th Central Shogun was dethroned by Hosokawa Masamoto (1466-1507), who put Yoshizumi forward as shogun.  Yoshizumi was treated as an adopted son of the 8th shogun, Yoshimasa (1436-1490), who was an elder brother of Masatomo, and became the 11th shogun in 1494.  Chachamaru became a murder of the shogun's mother.  In 1493, he was attacked by Ise Shinkuro (?-1519), who wanted to become a warring-states-period hero, was caught in Fukane Castle, Izu Province, in August, 1498, and killed himself before he got an adult name.  As you may guess, both Chachamaru and Jundoji were childhood names.  It wasn't recorded how old they were, but Yoshizumi was 10 years old in 1491.  If Chachamaru had been 3 years older than him, he killed his stepmother and his brother-in-law at the age of 13, in the middle of his puberty.  If Jundoji had been 3 years younger than Yoshizumi, he was killed at the age of 7 by his brother-in-law, who had lived in the same house with him for 7 years.

     Shirahige Shrine is said to secretly enshrines a penis-like natural stone.  Natural stones which looked like genitals of either sex were holy objects in Japan since its primitive age.  The precincts must have been a holy place since prehistoric times.  However, in such days when rebellious stages were caught in political fights, the locals of the shrine might have wanted a more elaborate religion and founded Kansho-ji Temple.

Shirahige Shrine (Marodo Gongen)

Address: 4 Chome-36 Higashiyotsugi, Katsushika City, Tokyo 124-0014

Phone: 03-3692-0753

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Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #13 Saiko-ji Temple

     Kasai Kiyoshige (1161-1238) changed his residence to Saiko-ji Temple.

     Toshima Kiyomoto was the lord of Toshima County, Musashi Province, and also owned Kasai Manor in Katsushika County, Shimousa Province.  His third son, Kiyoshige succeeded the Kasai Manor and started calling his family Kasai.

     When Minamoto Yoritomo (1147-1199) raised his army against the Taira Clan, he was defeated at first and fled to Awa Province.  When he was going to cross the Sumida River to strike back, Kiyoshige joined the army.  He kept working and fighting for the first 3 Kamakura Shoguns.  After the Battle of Wada in 1213, he was impacted by Shinran (1173-1263) and became a monk.

     Shinran performed missionary work in the Kanto Region from 1214 to 1234.  One day, he took shelter from the rain in Kiyomoto's residence.  The rain didn't stop for 53 days.  As Kiyomoto listened to Shinran everyday, he was enlightened by Shinran, became a monk, changed his name to Joren, and changed his residence to Saiko-ji Temple.  Shinran carved an Amitabha statue and gave it to Kiyomoto, who concealed the statue in the statue of Prince Shotoku (574-622).

     Saiko-ji Temple is also the #31 of Aduma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

Address: 1 Chome-25-8 Yotsugi, Katsushika City, Tokyo 124-0011

Phone: 03-3691-0300

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Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #12 Hoke-ji Temple

     Hoke-ji Temple used to be located in Kinegawa village, but it is unknown when and by whom the temple was founded.  It is also unknown when it was abolished.  The #12 membership of the Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was succeeded to by the New Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #12 Hozo-ji Temple, which was founded by Priest Choo in 1614, when would-be priests enjoyed opportunities to found new temples under the danka system of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Address: 6 Chome-9-17 Yahiro, Sumida City, Tokyo 131-0041

Phone: 03-3612-1676

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Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #11 Joko-ji Temple

     Priest Kochi from Shimotsuke Province built a hermitage in 849 at Kikegawa Village, Katsushika County, Shimousa Province.  In 860, Priest Keikan changed the hermitage to a temple and named it Joko-ji.

     Ashikaga Mochiuji (1398-1439) became the 4th Kanto Deputy Shogun in 1409 at the age of 11.  Uesugi Ujinori (?-1417) became the Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate in 1411 in his 40’s.  As Mochiuji entered the rebellious stage, he preferred Uesugi Norimoto (1392-1418).  Mochiuji replaced Ujinori by Norimoto in 1415.   Ujinori rebelled against Mochiuji in 1416.  He gained control of Kamakura, from where Mochiuji fled to Suruga Province.  However, the central shogunate supported Mochiuji and ordered the samurai in the Kanto Region to fight against Ujinori.  Ujinori was cornered to commit suicide on January 10th, 1417.  Ujinori's wife tried to flee to Kai Province, where her brother, Takeda Nobumitsu (?-1417), was the Provincial Guardian Samurai.  Nobumitsu, who had fought for Ujinori, was also cornered to kill himself near Mt. Tokusa, Tsuru County, Kai Province.  Having heard the news, Ujinori's wife killed herself on a certain riverside between Kamakura and Kai Province.  Joko-ji Temple went to ruin in those fightings.

     Priest Shoen worried for its abolishment, and asked the lord of Katsushika County, Okutsu Iesada, for help.  Iesada introduced Shoen to Uesugi Norizane (1410-1466), the Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate.  Norizane supported the temple.

     The Eikyo War broke out in 1438, the Yuki Battle in 1440, and then the Kyotoku War in 1455, which lasted till 1483.  The Kanto Region plunged into the Warring States Period. The temple barely survived.  In 1590, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) moved to Edo, and the temple was officially registered under the religion policy of the Tokugawa Clan.

     In 1840, the temple buildings were reduced to ashes in fire, but its deities escaped from fire.

     In 1919, a drainage canal was built for the Edo River, and the temple was moved 0.6 kilometer southeast.

Address: 1 Chome-5-9 Higashiyotsugi, Katsushika City, Tokyo 124-0014

Phone: 03-3691-0210

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Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #10 Kofuku-ji Temple

     Kofuku-ji Temple was founded by Monk Kaisei at Komatsugawa Village in 1532.

     In the 1520's,  Hojo Ujitsuna (1487-1541) occupied most of Musashi Provinces castle by castle.  In January, 1524, he occupied Edo Castle, and on February 2nd he seized Iwatsuki Castle along the border between Musashi and Shimousa Provinces.  However, the castle was recaptured in 1530 by Uesugi Tomooki (1488-1537).  Tomooki had been adopted by the head of the Ogigayatsu-Uesugi Family, Tomoyoshi (1473-1518), and was supposed to be a stopgap between Tomoyoshi and his son, Fujiomaru (1518-1532).  Tomooki, however, killed Fujiomaru and had his son, Tomosada (1525-1546), succeed to the head of the family.

     It is totally unknown, why Kaisei became a monk, why, he built a temple, and which side Komatsugawa Village belonged to at the time.

     The temple was revived by Priest Yusho (?-1654), who had the temple belong to the Shingon Sect.

Address: 1 Chome-9-24 Matsushima, Edogawa City, Tokyo 132-0031

Phone: 03-3652-4260

Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #9 Manpuku-ji Temple

     Manpuku-ji Temple was founded by Monk Tofuku at Shimo-Kinegawa Village in 1527.  The appearance of Kinegawa Village in a document dates back to 1398.

     In Kyoto in 1527, those in the center of the Ashikaga Shogunate escaped to Omi Province, and thus the shogunate substantially collapsed.  Another Ashikaga Shogunate was born in Sakai, Izumi Province.

     In the Kanto Region, the Kanto Deputy Shogunate had been splitted into Koga, Horikoshi, and Oyumi Kanto Deputy Shoguns.  The Later Hojo Clan had occupied most of Musashi Provincee, and Katsushika County in Shimousa Province was their front line against the Oyumi Kanto Deputy Shogun.  By the time they fought the Battles of Konodai in 1538 and 1563, they had occupied Kasai Castle in the county, and it was their forefront.  Yet, it is unknown which side Kinegawa Village belonged to in 1527.

     On August 5th, 1910, it started raining for days.  On 11th, a typhoon passed by the Boso Peninsula.  On 14th, another typhoon passed through Yamanashi and Gunma Prefectures.  They caused the 1910 Great Kanto Floods, which killed 769 people, made 78 people missing, destroyed 2121 houses, and washed away 2796 houses in the Kanto Region alone.  Manpuku-ji Temple suffered serious damage, and when a new drainage canal was built for the Ara River from 1913 to 1930, it was moved to its present place.  In 1965, the canal officially became the Ara River.

Address: 3 Chome-12-19 Higashisumida, Sumida City, Tokyo 131-0042

Phone: 03-3611-0049

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Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #8 Tozen-ji Temple

     Tozen-ji Temple was founded by Priest Shuson in 1444.

     Ashikaga Mochiuji (1398-1439), the Kanto Deputy Shogun in Kamakura, was forced to commit suicide by Ashikaga Yoshinori (1394-1441), the central shogun.  His eldest son, Yoshihisa (1423-1439) also killed himself.  Yuki Ujitomo (1402-1441) sheltered 2 of Mochiuji’s younger sons, Shun'o-maru (1430-1441) and Yasuo-maru (1431-1441), in his castle, and rebelled against Yoshinori in 1440. On April 16, 1441, his castle fell and he and his son were killed in the fighting.  Shun'o-maru and Yasuo-maru were arrested and were to be transferred to Kyoto, but, on their way, at Tarui, Mino Province, they were killed, with their death poems left:

“Summer weeds,

Their flowers blooming in Aono Field

Who knows their future?” (Shun'o-maru)

“Who knows the future?

Our lives are to be limited today

Here away from home.” (Yasuo-maru)

     The  youngest brother, Eijuo-maru (1438-1497), survived.  His wet nurse escaped to An-yo-ji Temple in Iwamurada, Saku County, Shinano Province.  Her brother was a priest in the temple.  Oi Mochimitsu, the lord of Oi Castle near Iwamurada, protected Eijuo-maru.  As Shinano Province was a remote area compared to Yuki Castle, which was just 20 kilometers northeast of Koga, Michitsuna as well as Eijuo-maru was not involved in the Kanto politics.  In 1449, Eijuo-maru changed his name to Shigeuji and became the 5th Kanto Deputy Shogun.

     Tozen-ji Temple was founded when the Kanto Deputy Shogunate was vacant.

     Tozen-ji Temple was revived by Priest Chukaku (?-1630), and was revived again by Priest Enkyo in the 1700's.  There were 2 big fires which started from Nihonbashi in 1627 and in 1697.  The temple might have burned down in them.

     Itazaka Bokusai (1578-1655) learned medicine from Yoshida Sokei (1512-1572) and his son, Sojun (1558-1610).  Sokei was a famous doctor not only in Japan but also in China, and prescribed medicine to the 12th Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Jiajing (1507-1567).  Bokusai worked for Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616), the first Shogun, Hidetada (1579-1632), the second Shogun, and Yorinobu (1602-1671), who was the 10th son of Ieyasu and who later became the first lord of the Wakayama Domain.  After his retirement, he lived in Asakusa and made his  private library open to the public.  After his death in 1655, he was buried in Io-in Temple, and his memorial was built there in 1680.  He was loved by people.  However, his grave and memorial led a checkered fate.  First, Io-in Temple was abolished and its graveyard was moved to Tosho-ji Temple.  Then, Tosho-ji Temple was merged by Tozen-ji Temple, to which Bokusai's grave and memorial belong today.

Address: Chome-17-4 Tachibana, Sumida City, Tokyo 131-0043

Phone: 03-3611-5325

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Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #7 Tosho-ji Temple

     Tosho-ji Temple was founded in 1450, one year after Kanto Deputy Shogunate was revived in Kamakura by Ahikaga Shigeuji (1434-1497).

     Ashikaga Mochiuji (1398-1439), the Kanto Deputy Shogun in Kamakura, was forced to commit suicide by Ashikaga Yoshinori (1394-1441), the central shogun.  His eldest son, Yoshihisa (1423-1439) also killed himself.  Yuki Ujitomo (1402-1441) sheltered 2 of Mochiuji’s younger sons, Shun'o-maru (1430-1441) and Yasuo-maru (1431-1441), in his castle, and rebelled against Yoshinori in 1440. On April 16, 1441, his castle fell and he and his son were killed in the fighting.  Shun'o-maru and Yasuo-maru were arrested and were to be transferred to Kyoto, but, on their way, at Tarui, Mino Province, they were killed, with their death poems left:

“Summer weeds,

Their flowers blooming in Aono Field

Who knows their future?” (Shun'o-maru)

“Who knows the future?

Our lives are to be limited today

Here away from home.” (Yasuo-maru)

     The  youngest brother, Eijuo-maru (1438-1497), survived.  His wet nurse escaped to An'yo-ji Temple in Iwamurada, Saku County, Shinano Province.  Her brother was a priest in the temple.  Oi Mochimitsu, the lord of Oi Castle near Iwamurada, protected Eijuo-maru.  As Shinano Province was a remote area compared to Yuki Castle, which was along the Kinu River, one of the major inland waterways in the Kanto Region, Michitsuna as well as Eijuo-maru was not involved in the Kanto politics.

     In 1449, Eijuo-maru changed his name to Shigeuji and became the 5th Kanto Deputy Shogun. 

However, In April, 1450, Nagao Kagenaka (1388-1463) and Ota Sukekiyo (1411-1488) attacked Shigeuji in Kamakura.  Shigeuji narrowly escaped to the Enoshima Island neraby.  The central shogunate supported Shigeuji, and he returned to Kamakura in August, although Kagenaka and Sukekiyo were overlooked.  The Kanto Deputy Shogunate was shaken, and the Warring States Period was approaching.

     Tosho-ji Temple was merged by the Old Kasai 33 Kannon pilgrimage #8 Myoryo-in Temple after World War II.

Myoryo-in Temple

Address: 6 Chome-17-4 Tachibana, Sumida City, Tokyo 131-0043

Phone: 03-3611-5325

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Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #6 Hossho-ji Temple

     Hossho-ji Temple was founded in 1492 by Monk Nichizui in the area where Ariwara Narihira (825-880) lived for a while.

     The Chokyo War was fought in the Kanto Region from 1487 to 1505 between the Yamanouchi-Uesugi and Ogigayatsu-Uesugi Families.  The war caused the Uesugi Clan to decline and left the region further in confusion.  In 1491. Ashikaga Masatomo (1435-1491), Horikoshi Kanto Deputy Shogun, died of a disease in Izu Province.  The dispute over the succession of the Horikoshi Kanto Deputy Shogun attracted Ise Shinkuro (1432-1519), who wanted to become a warring-states-period hero, to the province.

     Nichizui founded the temple in the midst of the confusion.

Address: 5 Chome−7−7 Narihira, Sumida Ward, Tokyo 130-0002

Phone: 03-3625-3838

Trees In the Town

Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #5 Eisen-ji Temple

 

     Eisen-ji Temple used to be located in Oshiage Village, which had 113 households and 461 villagers at the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate.  It is unknown when it was founded and abolished.

Oshiage Village, Katsushika County, Shimousa Province

Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #4 Nanzo-in Temple

 

     Nanzo-in Temple was founded by Priest Rinno (?-1348) where Ariwara Narihira (825-880) had lived.  As the priest was recorded to have died in the 4th Year of Teiwa, the founder must have belonged to the Northern Court.

     Narihira was supposed to have been a protagonist of the Tales of Ise, a love story.  Rinno might have been an avid reader of the tales.  Emperor Go-Daigo (1288-1339), the leader of the Southern Court, had passed away, and the Northern Court, or the Ashikaga Shogunate, was establishing a firm footing.  The battles caused by the Southern Court seemed to be just guerrilla fighting.  Rinno could have been able to indulge in fantasy.

     Nanzo-in Temple  moved to Nakanogo-Hakkencho in 1698.  After the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, it moved its present place.

Address: 2 Chome-28-25 Higashimizumoto, Katsushika City, Tokyo 125-0033

Phone: 03-3607-1758

Trees In the Town

Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #3 Enmei-ji Temple

     Priest Genkei (?-1352), who was from Omi Province, built Shinju-an Hermitage as a shrine temple of Mimeguri Shrine, literally Thrice Revolving Shrine, in the 1350's, in the middle of the Kanno Disturbance, which lasted from October 26, 1350, to February 26, 1352.  Genkei dug out a statue of an old man riding on a white fox, and saw a real white fox appeared and walked around the statue thrice.

     On August 4, 1351, Ashikaga Naoyoshi (1307-1352) escaped from Kyoto to Kamakura.  On November 4, Ashikaga Takauji (1305-1358) left Kyoto and got to Suruga Province on December 3 to fight against his brother, Naoyoshi, as a part of the Kanno Disturbance.  It is unknown whether Genkei followed Naoyoshi or Takauji.  Or did he moved to an easter province independently?

     Later, Shinju-an was renamed Enmei-ji.

     Under the ruling of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the original precincts was requisitioned by the Mito Domain, whose lord was one of the 3 major branches of the Tokugawa Clan, and the temple moved to Koume Village in 1693.  After the 1293 Great Kanto Earthquake, it moved to its present place in 1927.

Address: 4 Chome-18-1 Shiratori, Katsushika City, Tokyo 125-0063

Phone: 03-3601-0352

Virtual Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #2 Nyoirin-ji Temple

     Nyoirin-ji Temple was founded by Ennin (794-864) in 849, one year after the foundation of Old Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #1 Joju-ji Temple.

     In 1827, the temple was caught in fire and lost its documents.

Address: 1 Chome−22−14 Azumabashi, Sumida Ward, Tokyo 130-0001

Phone: 03-3623-4849