Virtual Shinobu Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #13 Shufuku-ji Temple

 

     Shufuku-ji Temple was founded by Priest Enmei (?-1298) in Nara Village.

     Hojo Sadatoki (1272-1311), the Regent of the Kamakura Shogunate, cornered Taira Yoritsuna (?-1293), who was the Steward of the Hojo Clan, and who was a wirepuller of the shogunate, to kill himself.  Enmei witnessed the incident, but he missed witnessing the collapse of the Kamakura Shogunate or the destruction of the Hojo Clan as well as their stewards, which took place 5 years after his death.

     After destroying the Nara Family in 1517, Narita Chikayasu (?-1545) revived the temple, inviting Priest Shuho (?-1549), who changed the temple from Linji Chan School to Caodong Chan School.  It is unknown why he chose the temple as their foothold in Nara Village.

     Shufuku-ji Temple has the grave of the Yoshida Family.

     The heads of the Yoshida family used the name “Ichiemon” for generations: Ichiemon I (1703-1792), Ichiemon II (1739-1813), Ichiemon III (1783-1844), Ichiemon IV (1816-1868), and Ichiemon V (1845-1868).  For five generations, they were social entrepreneurs and philanthropists.  They gained a lot of respect from neighboring villages.

     Ichiemon II replaced the bridges in the village and nearby villages with stone bridges, and sent relief supplies to the victims of the eruption of Mt. Asama.  Ichiemon III paid money for repairing irrigation canals and rivers, including the Bizen excavation Irrigation Canal, and provided assistance in times of famine.  Ichiemon V provided food aid when the harvest was poor, and presented donations to educational facilities.  Kindness is never lost.  In 1890, when the Arakawa River flooded, several hundred bales of seed rice were delivered from Shizuoka Prefecture to the Saitama Prefectural office, with their label saying, "Once our ancestors suffered from starvation, Yoshida Ichiemon of Shimonara, Musashi Province, supplied them.  We send seed rice to repay his act of kindness."  It wasn't mentioned which Ichiemon they were talking about.  A specific Ichiemon?  Plural Ichiemon's?  Or all of them?

Address: 551 Shimonara Kumagaya, Saitama 360-0802

Phone: 048-521-3734