Virtual Edo Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #14 Shoho-in Temple

 

     In legendary times, Okinagatarashi, a legendary empress, was said to have made a military expedition to Silla in the Korean Peninsula.  A historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea (Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla) recorded 14 organized piracies by Wa, the Japanese kingdom, by the end of the 4th century.  Okinagatarashi’s expedition to Silla might have been one of those piracies.  When she returned in triumph from her piracy, she buried her standards and arms, and conducted a ritual at Fujimori, Fukakusa, Yamashiro Province.  That was the start of Fujinomori Shrine, whose precincts still have Hatazuka Mound (namely Standard Mound).

     The god of Fujinomori Shrine informed Gyoki (668-749), "If you visit provinces to spread Buddhism, you can certainly find destined places.  There, you should enshrine my image.  I will praise the true joy of Buddhism, guard the nation, guarantee rich harvests, and relieve people's difficulty."  The god changed into Chintamani, a wish-fulfilling jewel, and flew east.  Later, when Gyoki visited eastern provinces, he felt a good omen in Shinobugaoka, and realized the place should be the destined one.  He enshrined the image of the god and the statue of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses, which he carved by himself.

     The temple part of the precincts was called Shoho-in.  The temple and shrine was moved to Sannodai in 1627 due to the construction of Kan'ei-ji Temple.

     On February 1st, 1668, a big fire broke out in Edo, and it burned over 2,400 samurai residences, over 130 temples, and more than 130 blocks of houses in the town.  On 4th, another big fire burned many temples.  Shoho-in Temple, however, escaped damage from those fires, and its Arya Avalokitesvara statue became famous as an anti-fire Avalokitesvara. The temple and shrine were moved to Byobuzaka in 1698, and to Kurumazaka in 1737.  Due to the Gods and Buddhas Separation Order in 1868 by the Meiji Restoration Government, Shoho-in Temple was separated from the shrine, and was moved to its present place.   The shrine?  It is called Shitaya Shrine now.

Address: 4 Chome-8-1 Nishisugamo, Toshima City, Tokyo 170-0001

Phone: 03-3917-2360