This temple is known as “Horai-san Eikokuji.” It is a temple
of the Soto sect of Zen Buddhism and is a direct branch of the Daihonzan Sojiji
temple in the Tsurumi Ward of Yokohama City. Eikokuji is the principle temple
of the 16 temples of the Soto sect in the Kuma Hitoyoshi area. The temple was
established in the 15
th year of the Oei Period (1408). It was built
by the 9
th Daimyo of the Sagara clan, Daimyo Sakitsugu, and headed
by the monk Jittei Choshin Osho. The current head priest is now the 40
th
generation head priest at the temple.
The principle Buddhist images enshrined at the temple are
the Shakyamuni Buddha, the Monju Bosatsu and the Fugen Bosatsu. It is estimated
that they were created between the end of the Kamakura and the beginning of the
Muromachi period, and it is recorded inside the images that maintenance was
done by Hokyo Koyu, Buddhist artist in Kyoto from the first year of the Enpo
period (1673) until the third year of that period. Later, in 1976 maintenances
was done for the first time after a roughly 300 year period when the current
head priest came to the temple. The Chinjuinari Tomikatsu Daimyojin is also
enshrined on the peak of Mt. Hitoyoshi. On the other left side of the main
temple building the Akiba Daigongen is enshrined. Akiba Sanjakuho is the avatar
of Chinbo Kashoku fire prevention.
The Ghost Scroll
It is said that the scroll was written by Jittei Chosin
Osho, the founder of the temple. At the time the temple was built there was a
well known samurai in nearby Kinoe. The samurai kept a mistress who was
distraught over the jealousy of his wife. She threw herself into the Kumagawa
River and died an unnatural death. Her resentment lived on in the form of a ghost
and caused his wife much misery. The samurai’s wife chose to appeal to the
priestly powers of Jittei Osho and fled to the temple. Osho spoke to the ghost
that appeared before him about the path of karma and the ghost was shocked at
the hideousness of the form she had taken. The ghost asked that Osho perform
the prayer for her and then became a Buddha through Jittei Osho’s prayer, never
to appear again.
The pond behind the main temple building where it is said
that the ghost appeared is a spring water pond and it offers such delights as
azalea and aronia in the spring and lotuses blooming in the summer, making it
possible to enjoy the changes in the pond that occur with the four seasons.
The temple is sometimes called Yureidera (the Ghost Temple)
in connection with the story.
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| The Ghost Scroll |
Saigo Takamori and Eikokuji
In the 10th year of the Meiji Period (1877),
while playing a part in the Satsuma Rebellion, Saigo Takamori (also known as
the “Last Samurai”) was defeated at Tabaruzaka and moved his headquarters to
this temple for a period of 33 days. In response to the advance of the imperial
army, however, Saigo Takamori retreated over the Kakuto Pass while the rifle
corps under general Nagaike Kamishiro guarded his rear on May 29th.
In the street fighting in the town of Hitoyoshi that followed on June 1st
the temple was destroyed by fire and the current main temple building was
rebuilt in 1891.
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| The "Last Samurai" |
