Virtual Ueno Oji Komagome 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #9 Tenno-ji Temple

 

     When Nichiren (1222-1282) lived in Kamakura, he sometimes visited Awa Province or Kozuke Province for spa treatments.  On his way to and from the hot springs, he stopped over in Yanaka Village, Toshima County, Musashi Province, and stayed with Seki Nagateru.  When he stayed, Nichiren delivered lectures to the locals.  In 1274, Nichiren made up his mind to live in Mt. Minobu, and carved a self-portrait statue for Mr. and Mrs. Seki Nagateru.  After Nichiren's death, Nagateru and other locals founded Kanno-ji Temple.

     Under the Tokugawa Shogunate, all the domain governments were to register their people.  In 1664, the shogunate further ordered to add the information on people's religions.  In 1665, the shogunate ordered the exclusion of the Nichiren Fuju-Fuse School from the registration.  Those who belonged to the school believed that nothing could be received (Fuju) or given (Fuse) to those of other religions.  Kanno-ji Temple was converted to the Tiantai Sect.  The registration system was completed in 1671.

     Believers in Nichiren kept trying to revive Kanno-ji Temple, and finally founded another Kannon-ji as Nichiren Sect temple in 1834.  The original Kanno-ji as a Tiantai Sect temple was renamed Tenno-ji.

     The Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #9 Kofuku-ji Temple was founded by Princess Kagami (?-683) to pray for the recovery of her second husband, Fujiwara Kamatari (614-669).  The organizers of the Ueno Oji Komagome 33 Kannon Pilgrimage seemed to have sensed the similarity on health between the 2 temples' foundation stories.

Address: 7 Chome-14-8 Yanaka, Taito City, Tokyo 110-0001

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