Virtual Kasai Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #28 Jogyo-in Temple

 

     Legend has it that the temple was originally founded on a hill along the watershed between the Kako and Ichi Rivers by Prince Shotoku (574–622). Later, the hermit Hodo—a legendary monk said to have flown from India to Japan on a cloud during the 6th or 7th century—constructed the main hall and other structures for the temple. Emperor Amanonunahara Okinomahito (?–686) bestowed the name Denpuku-ji.  This succession of historical events aligns surprisingly well with the actual timeline.

     While the exact date of Jogyo-in's founding remains unknown, a stone seven-story pagoda dating back to 1451 stands on the grounds, suggesting the ancient origins of the temple complex. It is believed that the original Denpuku-ji was destroyed during the civil wars of the late 16th century, and Jogyo-in later carried on its spiritual lineage, with its main hall rebuilt in 1663.  After the Meiji Restoration, Denpuku-ji was disestablished even nominally.

     It is believed that the original precinct of Denpuku-ji may have once occupied a significant portion of the Site of Yamashita Castle.

     The Buddhist tanka poem for Jogyo-in Temple or for Denpuku-ji is:

Whatever relief a mortal heart may pray,

The Great Compassionate One turns none away.

Even souls burdened with sorrow and sin,

Are granted salvation and welcomed within.

Historical Context and Analysis

     Unlike many devotional hymns that incorporate specific mountain or temple names, this goeika is remarkably generic, expressing a universal prayer to Kannon (the Bodhisattva of Compassion). Rather than being an oversight, this lack of exclusivity offers a profound clue to the temple’s turbulent history.

     While a stone seven-story pagoda erected in 1451 testifies to the ancient roots of the original Denpuku-ji, the region was later devastated by endless civil wars during the late 16th century—particularly the brutal conflicts surrounding Yamashita Castle and the fall of the Bessho clan. The warfare left the surrounding three villages (Yado, Tono, and Higashi) completely desolate and ruined Denpuku-ji itself.

     Following the war, Yamashita, a masterless samurai (ronin) formerly serving the Takeda clan of Kai Province, settled in the area. He consolidated the three ruined hamlets into a single village, named Yamashita Village.

     By the early Edo period, when the Tokugawa Shogunate mandated the temple-danka system (terauke) to register all citizens under Buddhist temples, the main temple of Denpuku-ji had likely already ceased to function as an active institution. Instead, its sub-temple, Jogyo-in, was rebuilt in 1663 to serve as the spiritual and administrative anchor for the newly formed village. Adopting a conventional, universal goeika was a practical wisdom—it allowed the rebuilt temple to heal past political rivalries among displaced villagers while inheriting the sacred lineage of the ancient Denpuku-ji without conflict.

Address: 1394 Yamashitacho, Kasai, Hyogo 675-2354

Phone: 0790-46-1524

Site of Yamashita Castle

Address: 1130 Yamashitacho, Kasai, Hyogo 675-2354