Virtual Eastern Edo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #4 Kanchi-in Temple

 

     Ensho-in Temple was founded in Kanda-Kita-Teramachi in 1611 by Monk Shoyo.  As its precincts were confiscated by the Tokugawa Shogunate, it moved to Yanaka-Kiyomizuzaka in 1648.  Again, due to the city planning of Edo, it moved to its present place at the end of the 1650’s.  Yucho (?-1720) became the 12th priest of Ensho-in Temple in 1680, and increased the number of its supporting families dramatically.  In 1698, he changed the temple name to Kanchi-in since the old name Ensho sounds like fire.

     The 1703 Genroku Earthquake occurred at 02:00 on December 31st.  The total number of casualties from earthquake, fires, and tsunami was reported as 5,233. Other estimates are higher, with 10,000 in total, or even 200,000.  Thanks to the renaming(?), Kanchi-in Temple survived, and won even more popularity. 

     The Maruyama Family provided good surgeons for generations with Ensho-in as their family temple.  Terauchi Masasada (?-1744) was adopted by the family, was hired by the Tokugawa Shogunate, and called himself Gento.

     However, the new temple name didn’t work well enough against modern arms.  On March 4th, 1945, most part of Tokyo was bombed.  The Great Tokyo Air Raids killed 650 people and burned 4085 houses.  An incediary bomb hit the main hall, and only a hall for the statues of Kukai and Acalanatha survived the fire.

Address: 2 Chome-31 Asakusa, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0032