Virtual Sayama 33 Kannon Pilgrimag #29 Saisho-in Temple

     Emperor Shomu (701-756) ordered building of Saishoo-ji or Saishoo-in Temples in provinces.  Tradition says Saisho-in Temple is a successor of a Saishoo-in Temple in Musashi Province, which was founded in Yadera Village, Iruma County.  According to tradition, Kano Shimotsukenokami built Miyadera Fortress during the period of the Northern and Southern Courts (1336-1392) and moved Saisho-in Temple to its present place.  It is recorded that there used to be a Miyadera Family as a branch family of the Murayama Corps, so the Kano Family might have had something to do with the Miyadera Family or could have replaced them presumably in the Kamakura Period (1185-1333).  The Ino Family seems to have overpowered the Kano Family in the Warring States Period (1467-1590).  At the end of the period, Miyadera Fortress was abandoned with Saisho-in Temple left in its site.  Even today, you can find a trench in the west of the temple and an earthen wall in the east.  Under the Tokugawa Shogunate, the Omori Family moved in from Mikawa Province.

Omori Kinjiro was subject first to Taokugwa Nobuyasu (1559-1579) and then to Tokugawa Hidetada (1579-1632).  In Pax Tokugawana, instead of living in the fortress, he built a residence in where the Omori Hall is located today.

     The temple was revived by Priest Chiyo (?-1619) at the beginning of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Address: 489 Miyadera, Iruma, Saitama 358-0014

Phone: 04-2934-4615

Omori Hall

Address: 2595-2 Miyadera, Iruma, Saitama 358-0014