Virtual Hiki Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #29 Entsu-ji Temple

 

     Fuko-ji Temple was founded in 1616, when Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) died after establishing the Tokugawa Shogunate, and Entsu-ji Temple was founded in 1645 as Fuko-ji Temple's branch.

     The Kan'ei Great Famine broke out in 1640 and lasted into 1643.  Abnormal patterns of heavy rain, flooding, drought, frost, and insect damage sent food reserves declining toward zero.  Starving peasants started to either flee or sell their lots.  In a heavily hit region, local farmers performed infanticide on all children below 7 years and lent older children as slaves.  In one village of 127 persons, for example, 60 were sold into slavery in  four years.  The estimated number of deaths due to starvation is between 50,000 and 100,000.

     Entsu-ji Temple was founded 2 years after the famine ended.

     It wasn’t recorded when Entsu-ji Temple was abolished, but the abolishment could have been after the Meiji Restoration.  When Japan deployed incendiary balloon weapons against the United States during World War II, traditional Japanese paper made with paper mulberries in Ogawa was used.

Address: 1246 Nakatsume, Ogawa, Hiki District, Saitama 355-0314

Fuko-ji Temple

Address: 1042 Nakatsume, Ogawa, Hiki District, Saitama 355-0314

Phone: 0493-72-5516