Virtual Yamanote 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #17 Saiho-ji Temple

     Saiho-ji Temple was founded in 1597 in Yotsuya-Oiwake (Address: 3 Chome Shinjuku, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-0022) by Priest Teigi (?-1658).  After the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate, precisely in 1617, Tokugawa Tadanaga (1606-1634) financially supported the temple when he became the lord of Kai Province.

     As Tadanaga was ordered to kill himself in 1634, the temple might have declined.  It was revived by Priest Zenmei (?-1801) but was caught in fire in 1829 and 1898.  The precincts had a Kannon-do Hall which enshrined an 8-centimeter tall golden thousand-armed Sahasrabhuja statue, which was said to have been made in India and brought to Japan through China and Korea.  In 1920, the temple was moved to its present place according to the increase of the tracks of the Chuo Line and the expansion of the road.  Finally in May 25th, 1945, 470 Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombed uptowns of Tokyo, killed 3651 people, and burned 166 thousand houses.  Saiho-ji Temple was also reduced to ashes.

Address: 1 Chome-4-56 Umezato, Suginami City, Tokyo 166-0011

Phone: 03-3311-6704