Virtual Ueno Oji Komagome 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #8 Kogen-ji Temple

     Kogen-ji Temple was founded by Sengoku Hidehisa (1552-1614) at Kanda in 1589.

     Hidehisa's father, Hisamori, worked and fought for the 3 heads of the Saito Family in Mino Province: Dosan (1494-1556), Yoshitasu (1527-1561), and Tatsuoki (1548-1573).  As Hidehisa was the 4th son, he was adopted by Ogiwara Kunimitsu in Echizen Province.  As Saito Yoshitasu and Tatsuoki fought against Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582), Hidehisa's elder brothers were all killed in battle, and Hidehisa was called back to Mino Province.  In 1567, Tatsuoki was defeated by Nobunaga and went down the Kiso River to Nagashima, Ise Province.  Hidehisa was hired by Nobunaga, who assigned Hidehisa to Kinoshita Hideyoshi (1537-1598), who later changed his family name Hashiba and then Toyotomi.  As Hideyoshi rose to the ruler of Japan, Hidehisa was also promoted.  After Hideyoshi's death, Hidehisa curried favor with Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616).  He was particularly liked by Ieyasu's son, Hidetada (1579-1632), who later became the second shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate.  However, it was in 1590 that Ieyasu moved to Edo.  It's a mystery why Hidehisa founded Kogen-ji Temple in Edo in the previous year.  The temple was moved to its present place in 1648.

     Maruya Kichibe was from Osaka and was a wholesaler of katsuobushi, which is simmered, smoked and fermented skipjack tuna.  Today's process of making katsuobushi was established by Kadoya  Jintaro in Kii Province in the 1670's.  Japanese dishes couldn't be what they are without katsuobushi stock and kelp broth.  So, Kichibe made a fortune.  He had the more-than-10-meter-tall eleven-faced Ekadasamukha statue of the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #8 Hase-dera Temple copied, and presented the 5-meter-tall copied statue to Kogen-ji Temple. 

Address: 2 Chome-38-22 Mukogaoka, Bunkyo City, Tokyo 113-0023

Phone: 03-3821-1188