Virtual Nada 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #25 Jokyu-ji Temple

 

     Jokyu-ji Temple was re-founded by Edoku Domyo (1632－1721) in Shinden-Nakano Village.

     Why was it re-founded?  In 1631, the Tokugawa Shogunate issued a prohibition on founding new Buddhist temples.  Presumably, Priest Edoku made use of a temple registration of an abolished one.  It is unknown if the original temple's name was Jokyu-ji and it is also unknown where it was located.

     In the early Edo Period (1603-1867), as many masterless and thus jobless samurai became farmers, it was popular to cultivate wastelands to turn into fields to secure food.  Shinden-Nakano Village is the only village in Itami that was created through large-scale agricultural development.

     Before Shinden-Nakano Village was organized, this area was the land of Koya Village with Koya Shimo Pond, which had been built by Gyoki (668-749), along with Koya Kami Pond (now Konyo Pond).  The Koya Shimo Pond was reclaimed by Koya and Ikejiri Villages in 1608.  Part of the area that was reclaimed at that time later became a rice field in Shinden-Nakano Village.

     In 1629, Asano Magozaemon, Watanabe Shin'emon, and others were accepted after hoping to turn the Shibano Wasteland in the area of ​​Koya Village into fields.  Surprised, Koya Village appealed that they should develop the area.  However, as Magozaemon and others had applied for years, and, during that time, Koya Village had had no response, Koya Village's appeal was rejected.

     Magozaemon and others gathered more than 50 people from all over the province and began developing the following year.  The area which was developed at that time were called Sawada (literally Mountain Stream Field) and Nobiraki (Wasteland Development), and were located where the Tennoji River and Tenjin River meet.  They not only cultivated land, but also constructed 5 reservoirs, which were named with the name of developers, including Magozaemon Pond.

     Ito Sukeyuki opened Jokyu-ji Temple, which is the only branch in Itami City of Obaku-san Manpuku-ji Temple.  The Obaku Chan Sect was established by Priest Ingen (1592-1673), who came to Japan from China in 1654.  Sukeyuki was a samurai in Amagasaki, Settsu Province, studied the doctrine of Chan Buddhism under Ingen and worshiped it intently.  Sukeyuki wished to build a temple in Shinden-Nakano Village.  Sukeyuki consulted with Sekitei Doitsu, who asked his master, Mokuan Shoto (1611-1684), for founding an Obaku Chan temple.  The foundation of Jokyu-ji Temple was decided in 1682.  Sukeyuki began building a temple in the land of Tsutsujihara, Shinden-Nakano Village, and, in 1683, its buidings were erected.  Sukeyuki became the first parishioner of the temple.

     In 1682, the offspring of Asano Magozaemon, who developed ShindenNakano Village, donated land to support Jokyu-ji Temple.  In 1686, the Asano Family, who had believed in the Ikko Sect, a small, militant offshoot from the True Pure Land Buddhism, for generations, converted to the Obaku Chan Sect.  They added more grounds and built the main hall.  This led to the increase of parishioners with the relatives of the Asano Family and those involved in the development of the village.

     A little more about water in Shinden-Nakano Village and its 5 ponds:  Asano Magozaemon and others proceeded with cultivation of fields, and also built ponds to store and supply agricultural water.  5 ponds were built in 1629, each with the developer's name: Magozaemon Pond, Sakon'emon Ponds with a large one and a small one, Ichiemon Pond, Yajiemon Pond, and Jiemon Pond.

     Irrigation ditches were also built to pour the water from these ponds into the fields.  Each field in Shinden-Nakano Village has a corresponding pond from which water should be drawn, and there were rules for how to draw water.  For example, in 1753, an arrangement was made between Shinden-Nakano Village and Yasukura Village regarding how to draw water.

     In this way, the 5 (later 3) ponds played an important role in the villagers' lives, and the management was carried out jointly by creating water-supply cooperatives in the village.

     When problems arose with ponds or water, the leaders of the cooperatives negotiated with one another.  When pond repairs and civil engineering work such as dredging the pond were needed, the cooperatives supplied laborers.  When they drained the water from Magozaemon Pond, the cooperative of the pond took the fish from the pond and sold them..

     Ponds were very important in Shinden-Nakano Village and problems often arose with the use of the ponds.   As a result, they needed organizations like water-supply cooperatives, which were deeply involved in their daily lives.  

Address: 2 Chome-11-5 Nakanokita, Itami, Hyogo 664-0029

Phone: 072-777-2922