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