Virtual Edo Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #2 Shinjo-in Temple

 

     Shinjo-in Temple is also known as Yushimashoden.

     Yushima Shrine was established in 458 to enshrine Amanotajikarao, who pulled open the cave where the sun goddess hid herself in it.

     The inhabitants around the shrine might have come to prefer intellectual powers rather than physical strength.  They invited the late Sugawara Michizane (845-903) as their god in 1355.  As Michizane’s deified name was Tenmantenjin, the shrine has been known as Yushima Tenjin since then.

     Kiken-in started as the shrine temple of Yushima Tenjin Shrine.  The precincts also had the Sarasvati Hall.  In 1694, Priest Yukai invited the Sarasvati statue from Enryaku-ji Temple, Mt. Hiei.  Ennin (794-864) was said to have carved the statue.  Vinayaka, whose Japanese name is Shoden, was also invited to the hall in the same year, and the shrine also came to be known as Yushimashoden.

     Shinjo-in Temple is also the #7 member temple of the Old Edo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, which was a copy of the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  If a copy of the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage and that of the Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage had overlapped, could visiting them and a copy of the Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage in Edo have made it an 100 Kannon Pilgrimage?  Wasn't it too convenient?  What did the organizer of the Edo Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage have in mind?  Anyway, as far as I know, they didn’t copy the Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage in the town of Edo.

 

Address: 3 Chome-32-4 Yushima, Bunkyo City, Tokyo 113-0034

Phone: 03-3831-1350