Virtual Shinobu Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #29 Ryusen-ji Temple

 

     Ryusen-ji Temple was founded by Priest Shinkai in Mishiri Village, Hara County, Musashi province, sometime between 1558 and 1570, supported by the Okonogi Family.  Its main deity is Acalanatha.

     An Ogasawara arrived in Hara County at the turn of the 16th century.  Another Ogasawara, presumably the son of an Ogasawara above mentioned, might have died in 1567.  An Okonogi was one of his/their offspring and ruled Mishiri Village.

     The most famous Ogasawara Family at the time was in Shinano Province.  Although the family was the Guardian Samurai of the province, they were rather a sovereign who reigned but didn't rule.  Furthermore, they broke up into Fuchu-Ogasawara, Matsuo-Ogasawara, and Suzuoka-Ogasawara Families in the 1440's, and their fights continued till the end of the Warring-States Period.  An Ogasawara might have become tired of the conflicts and evacuated to Mishiri Village.  He founded Koan-ji Temple there in 1502, inviting Priest Reiten.  He or his successor died in 1567.  It is unknown why and how an Okonogi became an offspring of the Ogasawara Family.  As the family wasn't so famous, he didn't have to tell a lie.

     Mishiri Village became the territory of Tsurugaoka-Hachiman Shrine in 1183, when Juei's proclamation was issued to Minamoto Yoritomo (1147-1199) from the Imperial Court in October.  The decree made Yoritomo guarantee the payment of government goods and annual tribute from the manors and public territories in the Tokaido and Tosando Regions, and at the same time, it authorized Yoritomo's control over the provinces in the regions.  Yoritomo might have shown his gratitude to Tsurugaoka-Hachiman Shrine by presenting land.

     The Ogasawara and Okonogi Families might have taken over the shrine's land.

     A Thousand-Armed Sahasrabhuja image was found in a pod at the foot of the hill, Sayama, which is behind Ryusen-ji Temple today, at the end of the 8th century, and was enshrined in a Kannon-do Hall.  The pond was called Tatsunoizumi, namely Dragon's Spring.  The image is the #29 deity of the Shinobu Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage.  In the 6th century, the conflict between anti-Buddhism and pro-Buddhism was fierce.  The image could have been thrown into the pond in those days.

     Mishiri later came to be called Mikajiri, and it still has 7 Okonogi Families but 1 Ogasawara according to a telephone directory.  Koan-ji Temple, however, has graves of local celebrities: Hasuya Chube, Gonta Kenkuro, and Gonta Kencho.  It also has Mashimo Senyu's stone monument inscribed with his tanka poem.

     All in all, Koan-ji Temple seems politer while Ryusen-ji Temple is rather indigenous.

Address: 3712 Mikajiri, Kumagaya, Saitama 360-0843

Phone: 048-532-3432

Koan-ji Temple

Address: 1523 Mikajiri, Kumagaya, Saitama 360-0843

Phone: 048-532-3600