Virtual Ueno Oji Komagome 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #3 Muryo-ji Temple

 

    It is unknown when Chofuku-ji Temple was founded in Nishigahara Village, Toshima County, Musashi Province.  Its precincts have many itabi dated the 14th century.

    Nitta Yoshisada (1301-1338) raised his army in Kozuke Province with 150 strong cavalry on May 8th, 1333.  He was to meet 100,000 strong cavalry of the Kamakura Shogunate somewhere between Kozuke and Sagami Provinces.  The shogunate had been established by the Minamoto Clan, beating down the Taira Clan, but had been controlled by the Hojo Clan, who were the branch clan of the Taira Clan, after the 4th shogun.  The Nitta Family was one of the powerful branch families of the Minamoto Clan.

     Yoshisada had pride in his bloodline and content against the Hojo Clan.  When he arrived at Tone River, the number of his cavalry increased to 7,000 strong.  After crossing the river, the number jumped to 207,000.  He defeated the garrisons of the Kamakura Shogunate along Iruma River on May 11th.  The Iruma River was one of the upper streams of the Ara River, along whose midstream, Nishigahara Village was located on the Kamakura side of the river.  It is unknown which side the local samurai in the village blonged to.  Yoshisada finally seized and captured Kamakura on the 22nd.

     The local samurai supported the foundation of Chofuku-ji Temple when the samurai society was going through transformation.

     It is unknown who ruled Nishigahara Village before Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) moved to Edo in 1590, but the village was issued to a vasal of the Tokugawa Shogunate. 

    Chofuku-maru was born on January 28th, 1716.  His father, Tokugawa Yoshimune (1684-1751), made the 8th shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1716.  Everybody and everything were supposed to shun using the heir’s name.  Chofuku-ji Temple changed its name into Muryo-ji.  Later, Chofuku-maru became the 9th shogun, Ieshige (1712-1761).

     The precincts have a stone statue which tells Muryoj-ji Temple, which enshrines an Arya Avalokitesvara statue, is the copy temple of the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #3 Kokawa-ji Temple, which enshrines a thousand-armed Sahasrabhuja statue. A guide book claims Muryo-ji Temple's goeika tanka poem, which hasn't been handed down, resembled to that of Kokawa-ji Temple:

Kokawa-ji's blessings are as great as those of parents

For those who rely on Buddha

Who made an oath to save us all

Address: 1 Chome-34-8 Nishigahara, Kita City, Tokyo 114-0024

Phone: 03-3910-2840