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