Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage (revised)

     The Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in 1690.  It is believed in this pilgrimage that you should do the pilgrimage thrice and then visit Fujiwara-Kannon-do Temple

(3 Chome−2−18 Fujiwara, Funahashi, Chiba 273-0047) to maximize its divine blessings.  Accordingly, Fujiwara-Kannon-do Temple is considered as the the #100 of the Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  The Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage might have compactly copied the idea to make it 100 by visiting the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, the Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, and the Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage.

     Takagi Taneyoshi (1501-1565) moved his base from Negiuchi Castle to Kogane Castle, which commanded theOld Watarase, Old Tone, and Ara Rivers.  Accordingly, Taneyoshi controlled the inland waterway between Edo Bay and the northern part of the Kanto Region.

     Taneyoshi also owned Gyotoku Saltern, the largest saltworks in the Kanto Region.

     In 1527, a Buddhist monk who had practiced asceticism in the mountains in Ise Province settled in the estuary of Edo River.  He had brought some sand from Ise Shrine and put it in one of the small islands in the river and founded a shrine there, which was later named Jinmei-Toyouke Shrine.  He taught not only Buddhism to locals but also taught them various skills including how to extract salt from sea water.  Yamada Town in Ise Province had produced good salt for Ise Shrine for a millennium.  His deeds were so virtuous that people called him Gyotoku, namely Deed Virtue, with respect although his real name was Kinkai.  

     The 8th Guardian Samurai of Ise Province, Kitabatake Harutomo (1503-1563), was very aggressive.  He first invaded Shima Province, and then Yoshino and Uda Counties in Yamato Province.  He further advanced to Kumano in Ki Province and occupied the Totsu Valley, which extended over Ki and Yamato Provinces.  He also intervened in the management of Ise Shrine.

     The area around Ise Shrine had been ruled by the Shinto priests of the shrine.  People in shrine towns organized 3 communes by the 15th century, formed a union of the three, and got rid of the rule by the priests by the middle of the century.  The communes and the union lasted till the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

     In January, 1534, Harutomo sent troops to Yamada Town, defeated the mercenary troops of the communes, and ruled them.  Some citizens hated his rule, emigrated from Ise, went east, counted on their relations with Kinkai, and settled in Gyotoku in 1542.

     Takagi Taneyoshi (1501-1565) welcomed them to expand the saltworks business in Gyotoku.

     In 1614, more people immigrated to Gyotoku from Ise Province.  On November 15th in the same year, Tokugawa Ieyasu started seizing Osaka Castle.  As the Seto Inland Sea produced the  largest amount of salt, and Osaka lay just between the Seto Inland Sea and Edo, where Ieyasu was based, he was always worried about increasing his self-sufficiency in salt.  To achieve salt independence, he expanded the saltworks in Gyotoku.  That meant he had to obtain more salt makers.

     In 1603, Ieyasu appointed a magistrate in Yamada Town.  As the communes managed the town, the magistrates’ biggest job was to carry on the renewal of shrine buildings every 20 years.  The 41st renewal was late and was carried out by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) in 1585.  As the Toyotomi Clan was not destroyed yet, Ieyasu had to show a better performance.  The 42nd renewal was carried out in 1609.

     The 4th and 5th magistrates in Yamada Town, Mizutani Mitsumasa (?-1631) and Okada Yoshiatsu (1558-1631) respectively, must have been very busy and stressful.  It was after the 8th magistrate, Ishikawa Masatsugu, that the arrival and leaving dates were recorded.  Masatsugu arrived at the post on January 11th, 1641, and left the position on April 19th, 1659.

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #1 Tokusho-ji Temple

     Priest En’yo built a hermitage in Hon-Gyotoku in 1600 and named it Fuko-in.  For some reason or another, Tokugawa Ieyasu embraced the hermitage in 1610, named it Tokusho-ji, and made it a branch temple of Shogan-ji Temple.

     Apparently, Tokugan-ji’s toku comes from Tokugawa and Tokugan-ji’s gan comes from Gansho-ji.  It is unknown why Ieyasu put that much importance on Tokugan-ji.  Presumably, En’yo died in 1610, and he could have been personally very important for Ieyasu.

     When Sugenin or Go (1573-1626), a wife of the 2nd Shogun, Hidetada (1579-1632), died, her personal guardian Buddhist image was given to Tokugan-ji.  So, En’yo might have been important for her, too.  In 1648, the 3rd Shogun, Iemitsu (1604-1651), paid the temple for annual memorial services of his late grandmother, Go.

Address: 5-22 Hongyotoku, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0103

Phone: 047-357-2372

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #2 Kongo-in Temple

     Kinkai built a hermitage when he settled in Gyotoku in 1527.  The hermitage was named Kongo-in presumably after his death.  When the Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in 1690, a Kongo-in Temple still existed and it was listed as the #2 member temple.  When Edo Meisho Zue (the Guide to famous Edo sites) was published in 1834,  it was already introduced as the site of Kongo-in Temple.

     Fukusen-ji Temple was founded in 1625.

     It is unknown when its statue of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses, was moved to Fukusen-ji Temple, which itself was abolished after the Meiji Restoration.

Fukusen-ji Temple 

Address: 2 Chome-7 Futamata, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0001

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #3 Choson-ji Temple

     Enjo-zan Choson-ji Temple was founded sometime between 1532 and 1555 by Priest Keizan and was supported by Matsubara Shigeyuki, who was a vassal of the Later Hojo Clan and who ruled Hirata Village.  In those days, Choson-ji Temple and Hirata Village were both located on the left bank of the Edo River.

     In 1538, a big battle was fought around Konodai Castle, which was located 6 kilometers north from Choson-ji Temple, between the Koga Kanto Deputy Shogun, who was supported by the Later Hojo Clan, and the Oyumi Kanto Deputy Shogun.  Although the Chiba Family, who had ruled Shimousa Province, fought for  Koga Kanto Deputy Shogun, they faded, facing the power of the Later Hojo Clan.  Soon, the Chiba Family became a vassal of the clan.  The Hara Family was a vassal of the Chiba Family, and the Takagi Family was a vassal of the Hara Family. 

     In those days, Takagi Taneyoshi (1501-1565) moved his base from Negiuchi Castle to Kogane Castle, which commanded the Old Watarase, Old Tone, and Ara Rivers.  Accordingly, Taneyoshi controlled the inland waterway between Edo Bay and the northern part of the Kanto Region.  He also ruled the saltworks in Gyotoku, the largest in the Kanto Region.  All in all, he became independent from the Chiba and Hara Families.  The relation between Matsubara Shigeyuki and Takagi Taneyoshi is unknown.

     The sango of Choson-ji Temple, Enjo, meant salt pans, and the temple was surrounded with salt pans.  The temple gained the faith and belief of salt workers.

Address: 8-5 Hongyotoku, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0103

Phone: 047-357-2241

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #4 Jisho-in Temple 

     Jisho-in Temple was founded in 1588 by Monk Hosen as a shrine temple of Hon-Gyotoku-Yawata Shrine, whose foundation year is unknown.

     In the 1580's, the Salt industry in Gyotoku was growing under the management of the Takagi Family and the number of temples was increasing.  In the Kanto Region, the Takagi Family's master, Hojo Ujimasa ((1538-1590), was further expanding his territories, but Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) was the ruler in the western and central Japan.  In 1588, Hideyoshi invited Ujimasa to Kyoto, but Ujimasa turned down the invitation.  Political and military upheaval was threatening between the east and west.

Address: 1-10 Hongyotoku, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0103

Phone: 047-357-6832

    

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #5 Daitoku-ji Temple 

     Daitoku-ji Temple was founded in 1615 by Priest Kaizan.  Its temple bell was known as the time signal not only in Gyotoku but in Katsushika County at large.

     In 1877, the paddle steamer Tsuun-maru began service.  The boat was 22 meters long and 3 meters wide, and sailed at 11 kilometers an hour.  The steamboat age started in the Edo River.  However, everything bright has its dark side.  Some steamships caused fire along the river, and Daitoku-ji Temple was caught in one of those fires in 1885.  The temple bell was cracked and stopped giving time signals as it had done.  In 1943, during World War II, the bell was delivered to the government.  Today, the temple has neither a bell nor a bell tower.

Address: 5-13 Shimoshinshuku, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0102

Phone: 047-357-3016

    

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #6 Jorin-ji Temple

     No one knws where Jorin-ji Temple used to be.

     Jorin-ji Temple was said to have been located at Kawara in Ichikawa City.  In 1919, a drainage canal was built for the Edo River.  Kawara was located at the fork of the Old and New Edo Rivers, and Jorin-ji Temple might have disappeared under the waters.

Address: Kawara, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0101

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #7 Shogen-ji Temple

     Monk Shogen was from the Yawata Manor, Katsushika County, Shimousa Province.  The manor was owned by the Chiba Family after Chiba Yoritane (1239-1275).  Chiba Tanesada (1288-1336) had deep faith in the School of Nichiren, and contributed the manor to Hokekyo-ji Temple, where Tanesada's adopted son, Nichiyu (1298-1374), was the third priest.

     Shogen, however, believed in the Pure Land Sect, sought no position, and built a hermitage in Kawara, Katsushika County.  He spent his days absorbed in chanting prayers, and thus enlightened people.

     Half a century after Shogen's death, when Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) moved to Edo, Priest Gencho changed the hermitage to a temple, and named it Shogen-ji to enlighten the increasing number of people living in the suburbs of Edo.

Address: 3-6 Kawara, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0101

Phone: 047-357-3249

   

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #8 Yofuku-in Temple

     Yofuku-in Temple was founded in 1550 by Priest Jukai.

     Takagi Taneyoshi (1484-1565) moved from Negiuchi Castle to Kogane Castle in 1537 and was actually ruling the left-bank area of the Edo River.  Under the Takagi Family, the saltworks in Gyotoku grew and its population might have increased.  That is, more temples were needed.

     In 1919, a drainage canal was built for the Edo River.  Kawara was located at the fork of the Edo River and the canal, and Yofuku-in Temple was moved to its present place.

Address: 16-22 Kawara, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0101

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #9 Ryugon-ji Temple

     Ryugon-ji Temple was founded in 1450 by Yoyo.

     When Ashikaga Yoshinori (1394-1441), the 6th Shogun of Muromachi Shogunate, forced Ashikaga Mochiuji (1398-1439), the 4th Kanto Deputy Shogun, into suicide, Chiba Tanenao (1419-1455) was on Yoshinori's side.  Yuki Ujitomo (1402-1441) sheltered Mochiuji’s 2 sons, Shun'o-maru and Yasuo-maru, in his castle, and rebelled against Yoshinori in March, 1440.  On July 29th, Yuki Castle was surrounded by the overwhelming strength of the shogunate army, which Tanenao joined.  The outcome was self-evident from the very beginning.  Yet, the Yuki Family held the castle for nearly a year.  On April 16th, 1441, the castle finally fell.  Ujitomo and his son were killed in the fighting.  Shun'o-maru and Yasuo-maru were arrested and were to be transferred to Kyoto.  On their way, at Tarui, Mino Province, however, they were killed and left their death poems:

“Summer weeds,

Their flowers blooming in Aono Field

Who knows their future?” (Shuno-maru)

“Who knows the future?

Our lives are to be limited today

Here away from home.” (Yasuo-maru)

     Mochiuji’s youngest son, Eiju-maru, survived, became the 5th Kanto Deputy Shogun in 1449, and was given the adult name Shigeuji.  Tanenao supported Shigeuji this time.

     Ryugon-ji Temple used to be located where the New Edo River runs today.  When they built the drainage canal, Priest Yudo merged it to Fukuo-ji Temple and renamed it Sorin-ji.

Sorin-ji Temple

Address: 3 Chome-10-2 Tokagi, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0024

Phone: 047-377-1243

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #10 Fukuo-ji Temple

     Fukuo-ji Temple was founded in 1431 by Priest Ryoko.

     Ashikaga Harutora was born on June 13th, 1394.  At the age of 9, he entered Seiren-in Temple, on June 21, 1403.  On March 4, 1408, he became a priest, and was named Gien.  Ashikaga Yoshikazu (1407-1425) and Yoshimochi (1386-1428) died of a disease one after the other, and the shogunate became vacant.  Chief vassals assembled at Iwashimizu-Hachiman-gu Shrine and decided the next shogun by lot on January 17th, 1428.  Gien became the sixth shogun, Yoshinori (1394-1441). Ashikaga Mochiuji (1398-1439), the 4th Kanto Deputy Shogun, wasn't satisfied with the decision and thought he should be the 6th Shogun.  Uesugi Norizane (1410-1466) and Chiba Tanenao (1419-1455) tried to stop Mochiuji.

     Priest Yudo merged Ryogon-ji Temple to Fukuo-ji Temple and renamed it Sorin-ji.

     It is interesting that both Ryogon-ji and Fukuo-ji Temples were founded in the first half of the 15th century in the estuary of the Old Watarase River.  The estuary might have transformed from mudflats into dry enough land to settle in.  Human greediness sometimes brought development, and sometimes caused political strife.

     About a century later, in 1527, Kinkai immigrated from Ise Province with some sand from Ise Shrine.  He taught locals various skills including how to extract salt from sea water.

Address: 3 Chome-10-2 Tokagi, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0024

Phone: 047-377-1243

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #11 Ryokyoku-ji Temple

     A fortune-teller, Awasuke, lived in Fushimi, Kyoto.  He realized life was transient, listened to the sermon of Honen (1133-1212), and became his follower.  Awasuke volunteered to spread the repetition of Namomitabhaya Buddhaya.  Honen granted his wish, had his follower draw his portrait, checked it with his reflection in water, and gave it to Awasuke.

     Awasuke started his enlightenment tour with Honen's portrait.  One day, he arrived at Ukishima Village in Gyotoku.  The village had only 7 families, who were farmers and fishers.  He stayed with Isogai Shinbe, a farmer, and made sermons to the villagers.  Shinbe was impressed with the sermons, and accompanied Awasuke's enlightenment tour in eastern provinces.  After half a year, they arrived at Chuson-ji Temple in Mutsu Province.  Awasuke sat up straight westward in front of Honen's portrait, put both palms together, and passed away.  Following Awasuke's wish, Shinbe toured around Mutsu and Dewa Provinces.  After the tour, Shinbe returned to Ukishima Village, built a hermitage, enshrined Honen's portrait as its main deity, repeated Namomitabhaya Buddhaya, and died at the age of 80 on December 25th, 1275.

     Ukishima literally meant Floating Island, which used to be located at today's Koya, which namely meant High Valley.  Ryokyoku-ji Temple's sango, Kaichu-zan literally means Mountain in the Sea.  The temple was located at a slightly higher place in the estuary of the Edo River.

     Priest Yokaku changed the hermitage to a temple sometime between 1558 and 1569 and named it Ryokyoku-ji.  In the middle of the 16th century, Takagi Taneyoshi (1501-1565) moved his base from Negiuchi Castle to Kogane Castle, which commanded the Old Watarase, Old Tone, and Ara Rivers.  Accordingly, Taneyoshi controlled the inland waterway between Edo Bay and the northern part of the Kanto Region.  Taneyoshi also owned Gyotoku Saltern, the largest saltworks in the Kanto Region.

     The Tokugawa Shogunate protected Gyotoku Saltern to increase the self-sufficiency for salt in the Kanto Region.  They employed a kind of food security policy.  In 1686, they dispatched Priest Yuten (1637-1718) to Ryokyoku-ji Temple to hold a Buddhist memorial service on the 549th anniversary of Honen's death.  Yuten drew a symbolic stupa of a long thin wooden board in memory of Honen.  Yuten was such a well-known psychic that people shaved the stupa, which they believed to be a cure-all.  The leftovers of the stupa are still kept in the temple.

Address: 2 Chome-16-4 Koya, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0013

   

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #12 An'yo-ji Temple 

     Kaigan-san An'yo-ji Temple was founded in 1534.  As its sango, Kaigan (Seashore) shows, the Edo Bay used to be just in front of the temple.

     In the middle of the 16th century, Takagi Taneyoshi (1501-1565) moved his base from Negiuchi Castle to Kogane Castle, which commanded the Old Watarase, Old Tone, and Ara Rivers.  Accordingly, Taneyoshi controlled the inland waterway between Edo Bay and the northern part of the Kanto Region.  Taneyoshi also owned Gyotoku Saltern, the largest saltworks in the Kanto Region.  Under the rule and management of the Takagi Family, the salt industry in Gyotoku grew.  The population there multiplied and the number of temples also increased.

Address: 2 Chome-16-35 Koya, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0013

Phone: 047-327-1066

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #13 Hosen-ji Temple

     Hosen-ji Temple was founded in 1570 by Priest Eko.

     At the beginning of the Warring States Period (1467-1590), the Takagi Family was subject to the Hara Family, and the Hara Family was subject to the Chiba Family.  In 1560's, Takagi Tanetoki (1537-1583) succeeded to the head of the family.  In 1566, when Uesugi Kenshin (1530-1578)attacked the Chiba Family and seized Moto-Sakura Castle in Shimousa Province, Tanetoki drove off the Uesugi army.  Tanetoki married a daughter of Chiba Katsutane (1471-1532), the lord of Moto-Sakura Castle.  In the meanwhile, the Hara Family thought of nothing but to protect their base, Usui Castle.  In 1570's, the hierarchy of the 3 families collapsed, and they all became vassals of the Later Hojo Clan.  For Tanetoki, that meant independence from the Chiba and Hara Families.

     Under the Takagi Family, Gyotoku was growing.  The population there increased and new temples were founded one by one.

Address: 9-8 Hongyotoku, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0103

    

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #14 Hozen-ji Temple

     Kawamoto Yozaemon (?-1641) was a vassal of Katagiri Katsumoto (1556-1615), who was an important vassal of the Toyotomi Clan.  On September 15th, 1600, the Battle of Sekigahara broke out between the Toyotomi and Tokugawa Clans, in which the latter won.

     Even after the battle, Katsumoto kept working for the Toyotomi Clan as a messenger between the 2 clans.  However, Yozaemon left for the Kanto Region, and settled in Gyotoku by the end of the year.  He developed wasteland along the beach, and taught locals how to build salt pans.

     In 1627, 12 years after the collapse of the Toyotomi Clan and the death of Katsumoto, who had evacuated Osaka Castle before the siege of Osaka, Yozaemon became a priest and founded Hoen-ji Temple, which locals nicknamed Shioba-dera, namely Salt Pan Temple.  The temple was succeeded by Yozaemon's offspring.  As salt manufacturing grew, the temple became too small, and was moved hundreds of meters southwest to its present place at the turn of the 18th century.  In those days, this part of  Gyotoku came to be called Honshio, namely Real Salt.  Yozaemon and his offspring must have known how to make good salt.

     Katsumoto handled military logistics from 1586 for the Toyotomi army.  It might have been in those days that Katsumoto employed Yozaemon as a salt expert.  After Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) moved to Edo, especially after the conflict against the Toyotomi Clan became bitter, Ieyasu was worried over the self-sufficiency of salt and supported the development of salt production in Gyotoku.  It is unknown whether Ieyasu invited Yozaemon or he spontaneously found a business opportunity there.

Address: 1-25 Honshio, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0104

Phone: 047-357-2943

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #15 Jokan-ji Temple

Jokan-ji Temple was founded in 1626 by Priest Chin'yo.

     Chin'yo wrote to show his gratitude to the acting governor of Gyotoku, Ina Han'ichiro.  Who was Ina Han'ichiro?  He was Ina Tadaharu (1606-1653), whose nickname was Hanjuro.  How can Han'ichiro and Hanjuro be the same man?  Han meant half, ichi was 1, and Ju was 10.  He first nicknamed himself Han'ichiro, an immature man, with modesty.  When he achieved something, he called himself Hanjiro.  As ji meant 2, a half of 2 made 1.  He became mature.  When he achieved another task, he added 1 to his nickname.  Later, he became an expert of river management, and had 5 people's manpower.

     To save Edo from floods, Tadaharu first stopped the Aino River, a bypass of the Tone River.  In 1621, he finished digging a canal to make the Tone River flow into the Watarase River, and started separating the Kinu and Kobai Rivers.  In 1629, he made the Ara River flow into the Iruma River, and the New Kinu River started running.  In 1630, the New Kobai River started running.  In 1635, he started building the New Edo River and finished it in 1641.  Did you follow what I have said?  I wonder how many people understood his ultimate end.  In 1654, 1 year after his death, the Tone River finally ran east directly to the Pacific Ocean.  After the mid 17th century, the number of the floods of the Tone River which hit Edo dramatically decreased.

Address: 23-34 Hongyotoku, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0103

Phone: 047-357-1324

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #16 Shingyo-ji Temple

     Shingyo-ji Temple was founded in 1570 by Priest Junko.

     At the beginning of the Warring States Period (1467-1590), the Takagi Family was subject to the Hara Family, and the Hara Family was subject to the Chiba Family.  In 1560's, Takagi Tanetoki (1537-1583) succeeded to the head of the family.  In 1566, when Uesugi Kenshin (1530-1578)attacked the Chiba Family and seized Moto-Sakura Castle in Shimousa Province, Tanetoki drove off the Uesugi army.

     Tanetoki married a daughter of Chiba Katsutane (1471-1532), the lord of Moto-Sakura Castle.  In the meantime, the Hara Family thought of nothing but to protect their base, Usui Castle.  In 1570's, the hierarchy of the 3 families collapsed, and they all became vassals of the Later Hojo Clan.  For Tanetoki, that meant independence from the Chiba and Hara Families.

     Under the Takagi Family, Gyotoku's saltworks grew, its population increased, and thus new temples were founded.

     The temple was burned in a fire caused by air raids on January 25th, 1945, and was merged with Kyozen-ji Temple nearby on August 31st, 1948.

Kyoshin-ji Temple

Address: 38-18 Hongyotoku, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0103

Phone: 047-357-1279

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #17 Kyozen-ji Temple

     Kyozen-ji Temple was founded in 1569 by Priest Zuigan.

At the beginning of the Warring States Period (1467-1590), the Takagi Family was subject to the Hara Family, and the Hara Family was subject to the Chiba Family.  In 1560's, Takagi Tanetoki (1537-1583) succeeded to the head of the family.  In 1566, when Uesugi Kenshin (1530-1578)attacked the Chiba Family and seized Moto-Sakura Castle in Shimousa Province, Tanetoki drove off the Uesugi army.  Tanetoki married a daughter of Chiba Katsutane (1471-1532), the lord of Moto-Sakura Castle.  In the meanwhile, the Hara Family thought of nothing but to protect their base, Usui Castle.  In 1570's, the hierarchy of the 3 families collapsed, and they all became vassals of the Later Hojo Clan.  For Tanetoki, that meant independence from the Chiba and Hara Families.

     Under the Takagi Family, Gyotoku's saltworks grew, its population increased, and thus new temples were founded.

     The temple was burned in a fire caused by air raids on January 25th, 1945, was merged with Shingyo-ji Temple nearby, and became Kyoshin-ji on August 31st, 1948.

Kyoshin-ji Temple

Address: 38-18 Hongyotoku, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0103

Phone: 047-357-1279

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #18 Hosho-ji Temple

     Hosho-ji Temple was merged with Tokuzo-ji Temple in 1956.  The temple's history is unknown.  Tokuzo-ji Temple's precincts have a stone lantern dated 1831 and the Acalanatha statue box,  which were both presented by the Awayuki-ro Inn nearby.

Address: Sekigashima, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0105

Tokuzo-ji Temple

Address: 8-10 Sekigashima, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0105

Phone: 047-357-1460

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #19 Tokuzo-ji Temple

     Tokuzo-ji Temple was founded in 1575 by Priest Joi.  Its precincts have many stone statues of Cintamanicakra, who usually has 6 arms and holds chintamani (a wish-fulfilling jewel) in one of the six.

     At the beginning of the Warring States Period (1467-1590), the Takagi Family was subject to the Hara Family, and the Hara Family was subject to the Chiba Family.  In 1560's, Takagi Tanetoki (1537-1583) succeeded to the head of the family.  In 1566, when Uesugi Kenshin (1530-1578)attacked the Chiba Family and seized Moto-Sakura Castle in Shimousa Province, Tanetoki drove off the Uesugi army.  Tanetoki married a daughter of Chiba Katsutane (1471-1532), the lord of Moto-Sakura Castle.  In the meantime, the Hara Family thought of nothing but to protect their base, Usui Castle.  In the 1570's, the hierarchy of the 3 families collapsed, and they all became vassals of the Later Hojo Clan.  For Tanetoki, that meant independence from the Chiba and Hara Families.

     Under the Takagi Family, Gyotoku’s salt industry grew, and its population increased.  By the end of the Warring States Period, there emerged 7 villages: Tokagi, Owada, Tajiri, Koya, Kawara, Myoden, and Hon-Gyotoku.  Thus, new temples were founded.  Between the middle of the Warring States Period and the beginning of the Tokugawa Period, 33 temples were founded in Gyotoku.

Address: 8-10 Sekigashima, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0105

Phone: 047-357-1460

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #20 Seigan-ji Temple

     In the middle of the 16th century, Takagi Taneyoshi (1501-1565) moved his base from Negiuchi Castle to Kogane Castle, which commanded the Old Watarase, Old Tone, and Ara Rivers.  Accordingly, Taneyoshi controlled the inland waterway between Edo Bay and the northern part of the Kanto Region.  Taneyoshi also owned Gyotoku Saltern, the largest saltworks in the Kanto Region.  Under the Takagi Family, Gyotoku’s salt industry grew, but, even at the beginning of the 17th century, the Isejuku area was still wild and barren.  Only apparitions roamed around.  Priest Chuzan (?-1671) was concerned about the situation, and founded Seigan-ji Temple in 1610, when Gyotoku was already under the Tokugawa Clan.  Chuzan died in Seigan-ji Temple at the age of 97.

     On August 25th, 1856, a big typhoon hit the Kanto Region with a death toll of 100,000.  The flood washed away the documents the temple had kept.

Address: 4-8 Isejuku, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0106

Phone: 047-357-2415

    

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #21 Korin-ji Temple

     Korin-ji Temple was founded by Priest Sonryo (?-1544)  sometime between 1532 and 1544, and was supported by Tadokoro Nobuyoshi.

     In those days, Takagi Taneyoshi (1501-1565) moved his base from Negiuchi Castle to Kogane Castle, which commanded Edo, Naka, and Ara Rivers.  Accordingly, Taneyoshi controlled the inland waterway between Edo Bay and the northern part of the Kanto Region.  He also ruled the saltworks in Gyotoku, the largest in the Kanto Region.  All in all, he became independent from the Chiba and Hara Families.  It is unknown whether Nobuyoshi was for the advance of the Takagi Family or against it.

     On August 25, 1856, a big typhoon hit the Kanto Region with the death toll of 100,000.  The flood washed away the documents the temple had kept.

Address: 12-20 Oshikiri, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0107

Phone: 047-357-2381

 

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #22 Hoden-ji Temple

     Hoden-ji Temple was founded in 1568 by Priest Kanryu.

Takagi Taneyoshi (1501-1565) moved his base from Negiuchi Castle to Kogane Castle, which commanded the Old Watarase, Old Tone, and Ara Rivers.  Accordingly, Taneyoshi controlled the inland waterway between Edo Bay and the northern part of the Kanto Region.  Taneyoshi also controlled Gyotoku Saltern, the largest saltworks in the Kanto Region.  Taneyoshi's son, Tanetoki (1537-1583), succeeded the head of the family by 1564.  In November, 1568, the alliance among Kai, Suruga, and Sagami Provinces broke down.  The perfunctory ancien regime in the Kanto Region collapsed and the situation became more unstable and liquid.

     In the 1780's, storm surges hit Gyotoku and the temple lost some documents.  On August 25th, 1856, a big typhoon hit the Kanto Region with a death toll of 100,000.  The flood washed away all the other documents.

Address: 7-1 Minato, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0131

Phone: 047-357-2341

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #23 Enmyo-in Temple

     Enmyo-in Temple was founded by Priest Kakugen in 1560.

     In the middle of the 16th century, Takagi Taneyoshi (1501-1565) moved his base from Negiuchi Castle to Kogane Castle, which commanded the Old Watarase, Old Tone, and Ara Rivers.  Accordingly, Taneyoshi controlled the inland waterway between Edo Bay and the northern part of the Kanto Region.  Taneyoshi also owned Gyotoku Saltern, the largest saltworks in the Kanto Region.  Under the Takagi Family, Gyotoku’s salt industry grew, its population increased, and thus the number of temples also multiplied.

     On August 25th, 1856, a big typhoon hit the Kanto Region with a death toll of 100,000.  The flood washed away all the temple's documents.  The temple gate was built in 1738, and it is the oldest building in Gyotoku whose construction date is specific.

Address: 11-21 Minato, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0131

Phone: 047-357-1643

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #24 Zensho-ji Temple 

     Zensho-ji Temple was founded in 1625 by Aoyama Masasada, who invited Chozui as its priest.  Masasada was the 4th son of Iesada.  When Odawara Castle fell, the Aoyama Family tried to flee to Awa Province, but unexpected winds washed their boats to Minato Village, Gyotoku, Shimousa Province.  As Masasada's grandfather was too old to move again, they settled in the village.

Address: 18-20 Minato, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0131

Phone: 047-357-2232

     

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #25 Genshin-ji Temple

     At the beginning of the 16th century, far before the Takagi Family advanced to Gyotoku and about a decade before Kinkai arrived at Gyotoku, someone built Anraku-in Hermitage to enshrine an Acalanatha statue.

   The Later Hojo Clan organized their vassals in a hierarchical structure: the top 7 families, 4 second families, 20 third families, and so on.

     Ise Shinkuro (1456-1519) came from Kyoto to Suruga Province to become a Warring-States-Period hero.  In 1493, he invaded Izu Province and made it his own territory, and gained independence from the Imagawa Clan in Suruga Province.  Before his invasion of Izu Province, Shinkuro had organized 7 families as his vassals.  4 other families followed the invasion, and 20 families in Izu Province followed him in the progress of the invasion.  The Kano Family was one of the 20.

     Kano Yasumitsu (?-1590) first worked and fought for Hojo Ujiyasu (1515-1571).  In the 1560's, he was assigned to Hachioji Castle to work and fight for Ujiyasu's 3rd son, Ujiteru (1542-1590).  In 1582, he stayed in Fukaya Castle, the front line against Takigawa Kazumasu (1525-1586), a vassal of Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582).  When Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598) attacked the Later Hojo Clan, Maeda Toshiie (1538-1599) and Uesugi Kagekatsu (1555-1623) seized Hachioji Castle.  Yasumitsu defended the castle and was either killed in battle or killed himself.  Yugi Toshishige (?-1590) was also killed in battle there.

     About 2 decades after the death of Yasumitasu and Toshishige, Yasumitsu's son, Shin'emon (?-1629) and Toshishige's son, Priest Jisho (1544-1620), jointly changed Anraku-in to Genshin-ji Temple in 1611.

     In 1620, Shin'emon worked together with Tanaka Takumi to build a 15 kilometer irrigation canal from Okashiwa River through Gyotoku to Todai-jma.  The canal was called either Takumi-hori, after Tanaka Takumi, or Joten-hori, after Shin'emon's posthumous Buddhist name.

http://katsunansanpo.fuma-kotaro.com/page003.html

     Shin'emon's daughter, whose posthumous Buddhist name was Jushin, built a grave for Shin'emon and his wife in Genshin-ji Temple, and she also built 5 Ksitigarbha stone statues.  One of the 5 was to pray for the comfort of late Shin'emon in the other world and another was to pray for the comfort of herself in the other world.  It was built when she was still alive.

     Shin'emon cultivated barrens and developed fields and rice paddies.  That somewhat contradicted the Tokugawa Shogunate's protectionism over the salt industry in Gyotoku.  He was a genuine negotiator.  He made good use of Jisho's priesthood in Zojo-ji Temple, the Tokugawa Clan's family temple.  The canal had another problem.  For people around its outlet, the canal was just needless.  Shin'emon designed the canal to be used as a waterway between the developed land and its outlet.  The people around the outlet benefitted from the water transport of salt and rice.  Takumi was also a genius.  He designed the canal to run roughly from northeast to southwest through Gyotoku so that its upper stream should work for irrigation, and its lower stream could function as a stopper of fresh water running into salt pans which lay in the southeastern part of Gyotoku.  As Gyotoku's tidal flats expanded southeastward, some salt pans became useless after years.  Then, the canal worked to drain salt from the used salt pans.

Address: 1 Chome-16-26 Kandori, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0141

Phone: 047-357-2423

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #26 Ryozen-ji Temple

     Ryozen-ji Temple was founded in 1468 by Yoshida Sataro, who had his fort in Ainokawa, and who respected Rennyo (1415–1499).

     In the Kanto Region, the Kyotoku War was fought from 1455 till 1483, for nearly 3 decades.

     Shinran performed missionary work in the Kanto Region from 1214 to 1234.  Sataro's ancestor, Gengozaemon, lodged Shinran, who was on his way back to Kyoto from Hitachi Province.  Shinran carved his wooden image and presented it to Gengozaemon.  The image is preserved in Zentsu-ji Temple in Kagawa Prefecture today.

     Rennyo was the 8th head priest of Hongan-ji Temple of True Pure Land Buddhism.  In 1465, Enryaku-ji Temple attacked Hongan-ji Temple, and Rennyo fled to eastern provinces in 1468.  He visited places remembered in connection with Shinran (1173-1263), the founder of True Pure Land Buddhism.  Sataro might have met Rennyo on the occasion.  His fort became the Kakemama Park.

https://itot.jp/12203/345     

Address: 2 Chome-12-28 Ainokawa, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0143

Phone: 047-357-2331

    

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #27 Shinsei-ji Temple

     Shinsei-ji Temple was founded in 1616.

     The area which is called Arai today had newly developed salt pans.  Accordingly, locals were short of fresh water.  Priest Ogei of Hojo-ji Temple  heard of the shortage, prayed to Avalokitesvara, picked a certain place, and dug a well.  Surprisingly, fresh water gushed out.  Locals were overjoyed, built a temple for Avalokitesvara and the priest, and named it Shinsen-ji, namely New Well Temple.  The native Japanese style reading of Shinsen was Arai, which became the place name.

     The Arai area was repeatedly hit by floods and storm surges.  Shinsen-ji Temple's 4th priest, Shuetsu, deplored disasters.  He drew characters of the Lotus Sutra on clam shells and built a mound with them.  He sat on the mound and was cremated alive on it in 1697.

Address: 1 Chome-9-1 Arai, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0144

Phone: 047-357-8319

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #28 Enmei-ji Temple

     Enmei-ji Temple was founded in 1596 by Priest Shin'yo, and was transferred to the Shingon Sect in 1656.

     In 1538, the Oyumi and Koga Kanto Deputy Shoguns clashed against each other in Konodai, Shimousa Province. The Oyumi Kanto Deputy Shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiaki (?-1538), was killed in battle, and Koga’s side won.

     Yoshiaki's first son, Yoshizumi (?-1538), was also killed in battle, and Yoshiaki's younger children fled to Awa Province, counting on the protection of Satomi Yoshitaka (1507-1574).  Under the pressure from the Later Hojo Clan, who proved their superiority in the Battle of Konodai, Yoshiaki's second son, Yorizumi (1532-1601) was sent to Sekido-ji Temple in Kazusa Province.  When the Later Hojo Clan was destroyed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598), Yorizumi recovered Oyumi Castle.  By having his first daughter become a concubine of Hideyoshi, Yorizumi rejoined the warlord circle, and his grandson, Yoshichika (1599-1627), became the first lord of the Kiregawa Domain in Shimotsuke Province under the Tokugawa Shogunate.  However, that's another story and shall be told another time.  

     Yoshiaki's 3 daughters were sent to Taihei-ji Temple in Kamakura, Sagami Province.  They became under the patronage, or the supervision, of the Later Hojo Clan.  In 1556, the oldest daughter dramatically eloped with Yoshitaka's son, Yoshihiro (1530-1578).  However, that's another story and shall be told another time.  

     Let's get back to Oyumi Castle.  In 1627, Morikawa Shigetoshi (1584-1632) became the lord of the Oyumi Domain, and built an official residence in the site of the castle.

     Why didn't he build a castle?  Under the Tokugawa Shogunate, lords of domains were classified into 2 categories: those with castles and those without castles.  The latter lords were forbidden to build a castle and instead built an official residence.

     The Morikawa Family was classified into the latter category.  However, their residence proves that Oyumi Castle itself used to be no more than a residence or a fortress.  I'm sorry, but I have introduced some fortresses as castles, keeping to convention.

     In 1782, when Morikawa Toshitaka (1744-1788) was the 7th lord of the Oyumi Domain, his vassal, Kusaburo, and Ine eloped.  When they tried to cross the Edo River, they were arrested by  shogunate officials for the violation of the prohibition of "guns in and women out."  They, their 2 boat operators, and even the wife of one of the boat operators were crucified.  The bodies of the latter 3 were sent to their family temple, but those of Ksaburo and Ine were buried at the spot.  The locals took pity on them and built a stone the Ksitigarbha statue.  Mysteriously, when locals passed by the statue, they found its head fallen.  Before long, the statue was named Beheaded Jizo.

     Toshitaka's first son, Toshimori (1770-1788), died on June 6th, and Toshitaka died on June 28.  Toshitomo (1779-1838), Toshitaka's nephew, succeeded to the lord of the Oyumi Domain in a deathbed adoption.

Address: 1 Chome-9-2 Arai, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0144

Phone: 047-357-1527

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #29 Zenpuku-ji Temple

     Zenpuku-ji Temple was founded in 1656 by Priest Eiyu.

The precincts have the grave of Tanaka Takumi, who built the Takumi Canal.  Takumi was a genius at planning canals.  He designed the canal to run roughly from northeast to southwest through Gyotoku so that its upper stream should work for irrigation, and its lower stream could function as a stopper of fresh water running into salt pans which lay in the southeastern part of Gyotoku.  As Gyotoku's tidal flats expanded southeastward, some salt pans became useless after years.  Then, the canal worked to drain salt from the used salt pans.

     The temple was built near its outlet after its completion.

Address: 2 Chome-6-27 Todaijima, Urayasu, Chiba 279-0001

Phone: 047-351-3019

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #30 Kezo-in Temple

     Kezo-in Temple was founded in Nekozane Village by the middle of the 14th century, and was revived by Priest Ken'yu in 1577.  Presumably, it was revived as the salt industry in Gyotoku expanded under the rule of the Takagi Family.

     In the Western half of the Kanto Plain, the Iruma, Ara, Old Tone, and Old Watarase Rivers ran south into the Edo Bay.  They sometimes met one another and sometimes branched off, forming a one big estuary at the northern end of the Edo Bay between Edo Castle in the west and Gyotoku in the east.  The rivers formed mudflats, which enabled locals to build salt pans relatively easily.  As the rivers brought more sand and mud, small islands grew bigger, and some mudflats eventually became dry lands.  Over a span of decades, once productive salt pans became useless and should have been transferred to rice fields.  Before the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the salt workers in Gyotoku might have moved south by generation, but after its establishment, its control over the population became severe and people were supposed to keep living in the same village.  Salt workers had to change their jobs.  As the shogunate had made the Old Tone and Old Watrase Rivers run eastward to the Pacific to save Edo from floods, it might have affected the geographical transformation of the estuary, and, of course, the shogunate changed some flows of the rivers around Gyotoku artificially to control floods.

     As alluvium expanded southward, it became impossible to do saltworks in Nekozane village by 1629.  After the middle of the 17th century, its villagers came to depend on fishing.  The conflict over fishing with Horie and Funahashi Villages nearby became serious and severe.  The conflict caused the death of 3 villagers in the 1780's, and a stone monument was built in 1889 in the precincts of Kezo-in Temple to commemorate them.

Address: 3 Chome-10-3 Nekozane, Urayasu, Chiba 279-0004

Phone: 047-351-2332

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #31 Togaku-ji Temple 

     Togaku-ji Temple was founded by Priest Joyo sometime between 1558 and 1569.

     At the beginning of the 1570's, Yohachiro lived in Horie Village.  One day, his mother picked up a doll-like thing on the beach, brought it home, and kept it in a toy box.  Epidemic hit the village, and his entire family except himself got sick.  He visited Joko-ji Temple at Kinegawa in the same county to pray to its Bhaisajyaguru statue for his family's recovery.  The priest of the temple, however, told him that he had a Bhaisajyaguru statue at home.  He hurried back home to find a statue of Bhaisajyaguru sitting on a turtle in the toy box.  He enshrined it in Togaku-ji Temple.

Address: 2 Chome−4−27 Horie, Urayasu, Chiba 279-0041

Phone: 047-351-3274

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #32 Hojo-in Temple 

    Hojo-in Temple was founded by priest Gangyo. in 1196, soon after the establishment of the Kamakura Shogunate.  It is surprising that this part of Gyotoku already had a big enough population to support a temple.

Address: 4 Chome-14-1 Horie, Urayasu, Chiba 279-0041

Phone: 047-351-2382

    

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #33 Dairen-ji Temple

    Gyoki carved a Mahasthamaprapta statue, and it was enshrined along the Sakai River, which ran between Nekozane and Horie Villages in Gyotoku.

    In 1544, Priest Zon'ei from Dairen-ji Temple in Odawara visited Horie Village and saw the statue.  He was charmed by the statue and founded another Dairen-ji Temple in the village.  The statue has caught fire several times, yet survived and retains its original shape.

Address: 4 Chome-14-2 Horie, Urayasu, Chiba 279-0041

Phone: 047-351-2533

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #100(?) Fujiwara-Kannon-do Temple

    In 962, Kansei carved a truck of wood into 2 statues of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses: one for Aota-ji Temple and the other for Kenjo-ji Temple.

    In the 17th century in Gyotoku, new rice fields were developed and Fujiwara Village was formed.    Tanaka Sanzaemon invited the Arya Avalokiteshvara statue in Kenjo-ji Temple and founded Fujiwara-Kannon-do Temple in 1690.

    It is believed that you should visit the Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage thrice and then visit Fujiwara-Kannon-do Temple to make its divine blessings maximum.  Accordingly, Fujiwara-Kannon-do Temple is considered as the #100 of the Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  The Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage might have compactly copied the idea to make it 100 by visiting the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, the Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, and the Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage.

Aona-ji Temple

Address: 46 Higashinotsuji, Kameoka, Kyoto 621-0029

Phone: 0771-24-0809

Kenju-ji Temple

Address: 96 Nishi, Maizuru, Kyoto 624-0937

Phone: 0773-75-0349

Address: 3 Chome−2−18 Fujiwara, Funahashi, Chiba 273-0047