Virtual Kako County Chichibu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #3 Shogan-ji Temple

 

Historical Context: Shougan-ji & Joufuku-ji (Kakogawa City)

Overview

     Located in the Naka-Saijo and Kami-Saijo areas of Yahata-cho, Kakogawa, both Shougan-ji (No. 3) and Joufuku-ji (No. 4) Temples belong to the Myoshin-ji branch of the Rinzai Zen sect. Despite being situated in close proximity on low hills surrounded by farmland, detailed historical records for both temples remain scarce.

1. Geometrical & Archaeological Clues

Strategic Elevation: During Japan’s Sengoku (Warring States) period, small raised hills overlooking farmland and the Kako River were ideal sites for local samurai (kokujin or dogo) to build fortified residences or outposts.

Sarcophagus Buddha (Sekkandobutsu): The stone Buddha carved into an ancient tomb slab found in Joufuku-ji’s cemetery points to the site being used for sacred burials or rituals during the 15th to 16th centuries.

2. Why Are Two Identical Zen Temples So Close Together?

     Rather than a modern "split," several historical scenarios explain this proximity:

Village-Based Identity: Both Naka-Saijo and Kami-Saijo Villages were listed on the Keicho Provincial Maps in 1611, Saijo Village might have splitted into Shimo-Saijo, Naka-Saijo, and Kami-Saijo (from west to east) Villages during the Warring States Period. In the Edo period, under the strict Terauke (temple registry) system, neighboring villages (Naka-Saijo vs. Kami-Saijo) were required to maintain their own official temples. Both likely registered under the influential Rinzai Myoshin-ji school.

Post-War Rebuilding: Many temples in the Harima region were destroyed during the 16th-century campaigns (e.g., Hideyoshi’s Siege of Miki). When itinerant Zen monks later restored these abandoned sites in the early Edo period, they re-established them under their own sect.

Functional Division: One site may have originally served primarily as a mortuary temple/cemetery (bodaiji), while the other functioned as a hall for prayer or retreat.

Address: 1096 Yahatacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-1205

Phone: 079-438-0400

Sarcophagus Buddha (Sekkandobutsu) in Jofuku-ji Temple Cemetery

Address: Kamisaijo-546 Yahatacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-1204