Virtual Western Edo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #18 Rinsen-ji Temple

 

     Sugihara Ietsugu (1530-1584) founded Ritsurin-ji Temple in Fushimi, Kyoto, in the 1560's.

In Medieval Japan, a peddler group were called "ren'jaku".  They originated in the Kamakura Period, when they brought raw materials to big cities such as Kyoto and Kamakura, and hawked handicrafts to other provinces.  They first sold their goods in open-air shops.  Gradually, districts came to hold periodic markets, and peddlers came to tour around those periodic markets.  If a market was held on the 8th day of a month, the market was called Yoka-ichi, namely the Eighth Day Market.  We can still find that type of place names throughout Japan.  A big "ren'-jaku" group was consisted of over 100 laborers, over 60 guards, and countless horses.

     Ietsugu was no more than a peddler at first with his name Shichiro, namely the Seventh Boy.  His younger sister, Okohi, gave birth to Nene (?-1624), who happened to marry Tokichiro, who later unified Japan and changed his name Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598).  On his way to the ruler of Japan, Hideyoshi promoted his relatives, and Shichiro became Hideyoshi's chief retainer with his name Sugihara Ietsugu.

     Hideyoshi became the lord of Nagahama Castle, Omi Province, in 1573, and Ietsugu's first son, Nagafusa (1574-1629), is supposed to have been born in its castle town.

     After Hideyoshi's death, Nagafusa became a vassal of Hideyoshi's son, Hideyori (1593-1615).  In 1598, Nagafusa became the lord of Toyooka Castle in Tajima Province.  In 1600, the Toyotomi Clan and the Tokugawa Clan fought the Battle of Sekigahara, which was the largest battle of Japanese feudal history and is often regarded as the most important.  Nagafusa took part in a much minor battle, the siege of Tanabe Castle in Tango Province.  It was so minor that nobody cared who fought against whom in the siege.  Nagafusa silently went over to Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616) after 1600.  He built his residence in Edo and moved Ritsurin-ji Temple there too.  In 1601, Edo had a great fire, and Ritsurin-ji Temple and 46 other temples were moved to the neighborhood of Rinsen-ji Temple's present location.  

     On January 12th, 1823, a big fire broke out in Mita, and the temple burned down.  Its main hall was rebuilt in 1828, and survived World War II.  In the process of modernization and economic growth, National Route 1 was widened and the precincts were reduced.  Part of the precincts was detached, and was made into the Toyooka-cho Children’s Park.  Now, you can understand why a park in Mita is called Toyooka-cho.

Address: 4 Chome-3-20 Mita, Minato City, Tokyo 108-0073

Phone: 03-3451-3802

Toyooka-cho Children's Park

Address: 5 Chome-11-6 Mita, Minato City, Tokyo 108-0073