Virtual Miki County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #24 Eiten-ji Temple

 The Mystery of Yokawa-zan Eiten-ji Temple

Yokawa-zan Eiten-ji Temple, belonging to the Caodong (Soto) Zen school, was founded in 1325 by the priest Sotetsu (1277–1350) during the transitional years leading into the Nanboku-cho period (1336–1392). Its sango (mountain name), Yokawa-zan, suggests its profound historical importance within the Yokawa Manor.

Sotetsu was a prominent disciple of Keizan Jokin (1268–1325), the second great founder of the Soto school in Japan. The temple’s history was later marked by tragedy. After suffering a fire in 1546, it was dealt a devastating blow in 1579 during Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s siege of Miki Castle. To secure his position, Hideyoshi built the Okutani Fort nearby and burned the temple to the ground, eventually confiscating its lands. This harsh treatment indicates that Eiten-ji was not merely a place of worship but a military stronghold for the Bessho clan, who fiercely resisted Hideyoshi.

For nearly a century, the temple lay in ruins. However, as the Tokugawa Shogunate’s prohibition of Christianity led to a nationwide restoration of Buddhist institutions, Eiten-ji was revived in 1665 by the priest Ryuteki, establishing the precincts seen today. Despite further destruction by fire in 1796 and the hardships of the Meiji-era anti-Buddhist movement and World War II, the temple has preserved its main hall, which remains a tranquil sight with its traditional thatched roof.

Decoding the Manor System

What lay behind the foundation and strategic importance of Eiten-ji? A key clue survives at Hoko-ji Temple: a letter dated August 5, 1203, signed by the farmers of the Upper Yokawa Manor. The document reveals that the local officials and farmers of the Upper Manor pledged their loyalty to Hoko-ji (located in the Lower Manor), promising to cooperate in managing the oil-plant fields in the mountains. This proves that the Yokawa Manor had already split into Upper and Lower divisions by the early Kamakura period.

The honkeshiki (the highest tier of manor ownership) was passed down through the Daikakuji imperial line via Kankiko-in Temple in Kyoto. During the late Kamakura period, this title was held by Daihoon-ji Temple, and later by the influential Madenokoji family during the Muromachi period.

Understanding Honkeshiki

In the Japanese manor (shoen) system, land ownership was a multi-layered hierarchy. Local developers commended shares of their revenue, known as shiki, to powerful court nobles or religious institutions. In exchange, they received tax exemptions and protection from central government interference. The apex of this hierarchy was the honkeshiki (nominal superior owner).

Because the honkeshiki was held by the Daikakuji line, the Upper Yokawa Manor would have been aligned with the Southern Court when Eiten-ji was founded. The Madenokoji family, who later held the title, were also staunch supporters of the Southern Court. Madenokoji Nobufusa (1258–c.1348), for instance, served as a high-ranking official under Emperor Go-Daigo’s Kenmu Restoration. Though he resigned amidst the regime's eventual collapse, his legacy—and his family’s ties to the manor—endured.

The Actual Owners of the Land

Judging from Hoko-ji’s records and the eventual destruction of Eiten-ji, we can reconstruct the temple’s hidden role. An ancient, powerful local family likely developed the upper reaches of the Yokawa region and served as the manor’s local officials. At some point, they sought independence from the main manor. To secure their hereditary rights over this newly formed "Upper Yokawa Manor," they commended the honkeshiki to the Daikakuji line. Eiten-ji Temple was founded not just as a religious site, but as the spiritual and physical stronghold of this independent local power.

Address: 572 Yokawacho Kusuhara, Miki, Hyogo 673-1241

Phone: 0794-72-0459

Okutani Fort Site

Address: Yokawacho Mizukami, Miki, Hyogo 673-1244

Miki Castle Ruins

Address: 5 Uenomarucho, Miki, Hyogo 673-0432

Phone: 0794-82-2000

Daihoon-ji Temple

Address: 1034 Mizomaecho, Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto, 602-8319

Phone: 075-461-5973