Virtual Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #22 Doji-do Temple

 

     Emperor Yamabe (737-806) had more than 26 sons.  He and his first son, Ote (774-824), were on bad terms while he and his 4th son, Iyo (?-807), were on good terms.  Ote became the Crown Prince on November 25th, 785.  He asked Fujiwara Tadanushi (760-817) for his engagement to Tadanushi's young daughter.  It was the greatest pleasure for Tadanushi.  Ote, however, had another intention.  As Tadanushi's daughter was too young, his wife, Kusuko (?-810), accompanied their daughter.  Ote was in his 30's. Ote and Kusuko had an illicit relationship.  Yamabe died on March 17th, 806, and Ote came to the throne on that day.  Tadanushi was shunted to Dazaifu, Kyushu, in the year.  In October, 807, Prince Iyo was suspected of treason.  He and his mother, Fujiwara Yoshiko (?-807), were confined to Kawara-dera Temple in Yamato Province and forbidden from having food.  They finally killed themselves by taking poison on November 12th.

     A hut was built in Shimizudani (namely Pure Water Gorge), Maita Village, Chichibu County, Musashi Province, in the same year, with an image of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses, to pray for the comfort of Iyo in the other world.  Presumably, someone was drawn into the incident and was banished to Chichibu.

     Later, Priest Henjo (816-890), a famous Japanese tanka poet, asked the local powerful family to change the hut into a temple.

     In 915, smallpox spread among young children.  People prayed to the Avalokitesvara image and washed their children with the pure water near the temple.  The epidemic ceased.  People brought the image down from the gorge to Fuzaka, Maita, and the temple came to be called Doji-do, namely Children Temple.

     In 1910, the temple was merged to Eifuku-ji Temple, and moved to its present place.

Address: 3600 Terao, Chichibu, Saitama 368-0056

Phone: 0494-23-9989