Virtual Eastern Edo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #33 Kiyomizu-Kannon-do Temple

 

     Kiyomizu-Kannon-do Temple was founded by Priest Tenkai (1536-1643) in 1631, and was moved to its present place in 1694.

     After Hatakeyama Yoshitsugu (1552-1585) was killed by Date Masamune (1567-1636), Funaki Kagemitsu, Yoshitugu’s vassal, became subject to Ashina Moriuji (1521-1580), and married a woman of the Ashina Clan, who gave birth to Tenkai in 1536. He later became one of the brains of Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616). He was especially influential in shaping the religion policies of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

     In Edo, Tenkai built some copy temples of those in Kyoto. Kiyomizu-Kannon-do Temple was a copy of Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto. Kiyomizu-dera Temple's main deity is a thousand-armed Sahasrabhuja statue. Kiyomizu-Kannon-do Temple's main deity, which is also a thousand-armed Sahasrabhuja statue, is said to have been carved by Genshin (942-1017), and also said to have been moved from Kiyomizu-dera Temple to Kiyomizu-Kannon-do Temple. As the matter of course, Kiyomizu-Kannon-do Temple is a copy of the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #16 Kiyomizu-dera Temple.

     Kiyomizu-Kannon-do Temple is also the Old Edo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #6, the Aduma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #1, the Ueno Oji Komagome 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #16, and the Edo Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #13. The overlap of its membership indicates how popular the temple was. Organizers of 33 Kannon pilgrimages wanted to include popular temples to increase the number of their pilgrims.

Address: 1-29 Uenokoen, Taito, Tokyo 110-0007

Phone: 03-3821-4749