Virtual Western Edo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #10 Kosen-ji Temple

 

     Kosen-ji Temple was founded by Priest Koryu (?-1659) in Imai Village, Toshima County, Musashi Province, in 1614, when the Siege of Osaka Castle was fought and when the Toyotomi Clan was destroyed.  It is unknown whether its foundation had something to do with the paradigm shift or not.  After the paradigm shift, Edo became a de facto capital of Japan, its population increased, and its urban area expanded.  Imai Village was urbanized, and the temple’s neighborhood was named Ichibe-cho on September 15th, 1620.

     When Sugenin or Go (1573-1626), a wife of the 2nd Shogun, Hidetada (1579-1632), died, her body was cremated in Imai Village.  To guard the “holy” place, Hidetada moved Kosen-ji Temple to the cremation site along with the other 3 temples in the village; Shinko-ji, Shoshin-ji, and Kyozen-ji Temples.

     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 the 4th, another big fire burned many temples including the 4 temples and their temple towns.  After the fire, Kagatsume Naozumi (1610-1685), Tokugawa Shogunate’s commissioner for supervision of shrines and temples, ordered the temples to deliver their land to widen the street to 3.05 meters.  On January 10th, 1678, alternate sites were given to the temples in Minamihigakubocho (today’s 5 and 6 Chome, Roppongi)

     According to Jizoson Junpai Michishirube, namely Ksitigarbha Pilgrimage Signpost, which was published in 1794, the temple had one of 144 popular Ksitigarbha statues in Edo.

Address: 7 Chome−14−12 Roppongi, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0032

Phone: 03-3401-9303