Photo Gallery

Hongaku-ji Temple (built mid 15th century onward)

Hongaku-ji temple is located in an area that was originally designated as a commercial district for boats to load and unload cargoes. Enshrined here was Ebisu, the deity of commerce, fishing, and fortune, at a shrine known as Ebisu-do. The site was appropriated by Mochiuji Ashikaga (1398-1439), the Governor-General of Kamakura, and given to the priest Nisshutsu (1381-1459), who transformed it into a Buddhist temple of the Nichiren sect.

Mochiuji had originally been at odds with Nisshutsu over religious policy. However, after an audience with the priest, Mochiuji had a change of heart and instead handed over the Ebisu-do property. Nisshutsu's motives in transforming it into a Nichiren sect temple mostly had to do with his personal affiliation with Nichiren Buddhism. But the site was also known to have been a spot where, 150 years previous, Nichiren himself had stayed for a period of six weeks while attempting to propigate his religious beliefs without success.

The second chief priest of Hongaku-ji was Niccho (1421-1500). He had originally been afflicted with an eye disease but underwent remission after espousing faith in the Lotus sutra. He encouraged the belief that others could effect the same recovery by visiting the temple and saying the appropriate prayers. Today, the temple remains a a site of pilgrimage for sufferers of eye ailments.

An excellent description of the temple may be found at the following external website: http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~QM9T-KNDU/hongaku.htm

For GPS users: According to the author's GPS, the temple is located at 35 19.06563' N, 139 33.15451' E.