Virtual Kubota Castle Town 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #28 Shotai-ji Temple

 

     Shotai-ji Temple is said to have been founded nominally by Priest Fuko (1543-?).

     Satake Yoshihito (1400-1468), the 12th head of the Satake Family, had 5 sons.  His 4th son, Yoshimori, called his family Ono.  One of his sons was Yoshitaka, and Yoshitaka’s 3rd son became the 32nd head priest of Shojoko-ji Temple, with his Buddhist name Fuko.

     Shojo-ji Temple’s buildings were all burned down when  Ise Shinkuro (1432-1519) fought against Miura Yoshiatsu (1451-1516) in 1513.  As the temple supported the Miura Family, Shinkuro and his offspring, the Late Hojo Clan, rejected the temple's revival for 94 years.

     In 1589, Fuko stayed in Echigo Province, supported by Naoe Kanetsugu (1560-1619).  In 1591, Fuko returned to Hitachi Province, counting on Satake Yoshinobu, and built the Mito Fujisawa Practice Hall (today's Jinno-ji Temple) in Mito, making it the headquarters of the Ji sect, which belongs to Pure Land Buddhism.  In 1603, Fuko was granted an audience with Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) in Fushimi Castle.  Fuko appointed Tenjun of Ichiren-ji Temple in Kofu, Kai Province, as the head priest of Seijoko-ji Temple, and Tenjun rebuilt the temple in 1607.  Fuko stayed in Seijoko-ji Temple after 1607.

     In 1610, Fuko sent his nephew, Gizan, to Akita.  Presumably, it was Gizan that actually founded Shotai-ji Temple as part of town planning of the Kubota Castle Town, supported by Yoshinobu.

     For your information, Seijoko-ji Temple was recognized by the Tokugawa Shogunate's Magistrate of Temples and Shrines as the head temple of the 274 Ji Sect temples in 1631.

     Shotai-ji Temple’s graveyard has graves of loyalists of the Meiji Restoration:

     Kikkawa Tadayasu (1824-1884) was a samurai of the Kubota Domain.  He taught Japanese classics and western-style gunnery, opening a private school, Isejinkan, in his residence.  In 1866, he founded Raifu Gijuku with Onozaki Michisuke and others, and became head of gunnery.

     He led the uprising of the pro-Imperial faction on the night of July 3rd, 1868.  During the Boshin War, he served as Chief of the Military Affairs Bureau and Magistrate of Arms, among other positions, in charge of operational guidance and the supply of weapons and ammunition.

     After the war, he served as Deputy Chief Counselor and Councillor, but resigned due to the domain's huge liabilities to a Holland trading company.

     Yoshikawa (?-1868) was a musketeer of the Akita Domain.  He was influenced by Tadayuki and took part in Boshin War, to be killed in battle on September 15th, 1868, in Sakai Village (today's Kyowasakai, Daisen, Akita 019-2411), Senboku County, Dewa Province, at the age of 28.

Address: 3-44 Hodonoteppomachi, Akita, 010-0913

Phone: 018-823-8711

Shojoko-ji Temple

Address: 1 Chome-8-1 Nishitomi, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 251-0001

Phone: 0466-22-2063

Jinno-ji Temple

Address: 1 Chome-2-64 Motoyamacho, Mito, Ibaraki 310-0032

Phone: 029-221-7772