Virtual Sakai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #13 Shozen-ji Temple

 

     Shozen-ji Temple's sango was Jingo-san and ingo was Hosen-in.  It used to be located in Teramachi, Higashi 4-cho, Nakano-cho (presumably today's 3 Chome Nakanochohigashi, Sakai Ward, Sakai, Osaka 590-0956). It was a branch of Chosen-ji Temple and belonged to Pure Land Buddhism.  It is said to have been founded by Gyoki (668-749).  It was revived by Priest Ryoshin in May, 1576, and rebuilt in 1829.  Its main deity was Amitabha.  Its Kannon-do Hall enshrined the Eleven-Faced Ekadasamukha image, which was known as the Kannon with 2 graces of Koyasu, Child Rearing, and Funadama, namely Ship Spirit, which cares for water transportation safety.  Some argue about the relation between Funadama and Mazu in China.  The temple's precincts were 220 square meters.

It is unknown when the temple was abolished and where the deities have gone.

     The area used to be called Minami Nakanocho Teramachi and, as its name suggests, was a temple district.  The 1689 Sakai map shows 8 temples there: Myoho-ji Temple, Hoju-ji Temple, Ippo-an Hermitage, Shozen-ji Temple, Joman-ji Temple, Shobo-ji Temple, Hoko-ji Temple, and Jiko-ji Temple.  Of these, only Myoho-ji, Shoho-ji, Hoko-ji, and Jiko-ji Temples remain.

Chosen-ji Temple

Address: 4 Chome−2−25, Shinzaikechohigashi, Sakai Ward, Sakai, Osaka 590-0964

Phone: 072-233-2162

Myoho-ji Temple

Address: 4 Chome-1-3 Nakanochohigashi, Sakai Ward, Sakai, Osaka 590-0956

Phone: 072-232-6719

Shoho-ji Temple

Address: 4 Chome-2-18 Nakanochohigashi, Sakai Ward, Sakai, Osaka 590-0956

phone: 072-221-7673

Hoko-ji Temple

Address: 4 Chome-2-16 Nakanochohigashi, Sakai Ward, Sakai, Osaka 590-0956

Phone: 072-233-6634

Jiko-ji Temple

Address: 4 Chome-3-27 Nakanochohigashi, Sakai Ward, Sakai, Osaka 590-0956

Phone: 072-238-8752