Virtual Tama Aqueduct Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #5 Muryo-ji Temple

 

     At the beginning of the Kamakura Period (1185-1333), a yoga training hall was built in Ebara County, Musashi Province.  The hall was called Shin'nyo-in.  Iida Tatewaki and his son, Zusho (?-1573), were subject to the Later Hojo Clan, and developed the surrounding area of the hall from 1558 to 1573.  Zusho founded Shinpuku-ji Temple, the Tama Aqueduct Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #7, sometime between 1558 and 1573.  Muryo-ji Temple was founded by Monk Juko (?-1594), sometime between 1573 and 1592, presumably after the collapse of the Later Hojo Clan in 1590.  Juko might have been a vassal samurai of the Iida Family.

     At first, the temple was no more than a retreat.  In the 1780's, a fisher netted an eleven-faced Ekadasamukha statue in the sea off Shinagawa.  A Yoga villager bought the statue and presented it to Muryo-ji Temple.  The statue became popular and the number of visitors of the temple increased.  Eventually, its worshippers organized an Ojuya religious event annually from October 6th to 15th.  Juya literally means 10 nights.  They chanted the phrase Namo Amitabhaya Buddhaya for 10 days and nights.

     The statue is displayed to the public every Year of Horse, and the next Year of Horse is 2026, which is the Year of Fire Horse.  The Fire-Horse superstition had repeated till 1966.  The year 2026 will show whether Japanese people are still superstitious or not.

Address: 4 Chome-20-1 Yoga, Setagaya City, Tokyo 158-0097

Phone: 03-3700-8268