Hōsen-ji (Kōfu)

Main hall

The Hōsen-ji ( Japanese 法泉寺 ) is a temple in the Japanese city of Kōfu in Yamanashi Prefecture . He belongs to the Kofu Gozan , a group of five Buddhist temples of the Rinzai-shū that Takeda Shingen had rebuilt in the Sengoku period or relocated from the surrounding province to Kofu to promote its administrative seat. Like the other four temples of the Kofu Gozan, it belongs to the Kai Hyakuhachi Reijō , the 108 spiritual places of Kai. He is number 62.

building

The main gate is said to date from the early Edo period .

Graves

Takeda Katsuyori

If you step through the main gate and go through the portico in front of the main building to the left, you will find the grave of Takeda Katsuyori (1546–1582), the son of Takeda Shingen and the last Sengoku daimyo of the Takeda , in front of the normal graves . However, as for his father, several graves are mentioned here, which is why the location of the actual grave is uncertain.

After his defeat, Oda Nobunaga had his head exhibited in Kyoto. His funeral ceremony in Myōshin-ji , the temple whose teaching line is followed by the Hōsen-ji, was also attended by a monk from the Hōsen-ji who took hair and teeth with him. These are said to have been buried on the temple grounds of Hōsen-ji and a cherry tree was planted over it. The hill is known as the "teeth-and-hair hill" ( 歯髪塚 ).

Takeda Nobutake

The tomb of Takeda Nobutake (1292-1359) is said to be in the small, white pagoda behind it . During the time of the north-south courts during the Ashikaga shogunate, he was the head of the family and for the first time built a prominent position for the Takeda in the province of Kai, while the government in Kyoto ( Heian-kyō ) broke up into northern and Südhof was busy with himself. Nobutake thus laid the foundation for one of the most influential principalities in the Sengoku period .

Fallen of the 24 generals under Katsuyori in the Battle of Nagashino

At the very top, above the normal graves, are monuments to the third of the 24 generals who lost their lives in the Battle of Nagashino in the defeat of Takeda Katsuyori against Oda Nobunaga on March 11, 1582. For this purpose, a small so-called “poor soul tower” was built.

history

Foundation and early days

The Hōsen-ji as the temple of Rinzai-shū was founded by Musō Soseki (monk of the Rinzai sect, 1275-1351). Takeda Nobutake herself invited the Zen master to Kofu and became his student in this then newly built temple. When the influence of the Rinzai-shū in the rest of Japan already waned and new schools were spread, Takeda Shingen declared the complex to be one of the Kōfu Gozan as a protection and memory of his ancestors and thus revitalized the Rinzai-shū. Furthermore, he protected him from new influences from the west of the country.

Connection to Nobutake

He has a special connection to Takeda Nobutake, whose grave can be found here.

The temple is said to have been a family temple of the Takeda for seven generations and to have stood on the side of the clan even during the turmoil during the Muromachi period . At that time the temples were an important weapon-bearing authority in Japan. The Shogun Ashikaga Takauji, in turn, could rely on the Takeda, especially Nobutake, as his Shugo (military governors). In the Kenmu Restoration , the Tennō Go-Daigo wanted to reverse the decentralization and loss of power of the court, which he initially succeeded in doing. But due to his dissatisfaction, Ashikaga Takauji rebelled against the new laws. At his call, the Takeda in Aki Province and the Takeda in Kai Province raised troops and stood with him from start to finish. Because of their trust and alliance, Ashikaga Takauji married his niece to Takeda Nobutake. To convince them to participate, Ashikaga Takauji Takeda Nobutake gave the office of Shugo (military governor) and Tandai (governor general) over Kyushu , Wakasa , Aki and Kai in personal union. After his death, Nobutake was buried in the temple.

After Nobutake

After Takeda Shingen took over the patronage, the temple was repaired and expanded. In the period that followed, the new Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu , who was looking for pacification, placed the memorial and resting place of Takeda Katsuyori and the rest of Takeda and their entourage under protection.

Surroundings

Next door is the Murayama Onsen Palace ( 湯村山城 ).

reachability

By train you take the Chūō main line to Kōfu station and can be reached in about 10 minutes by bus or in 50 minutes on foot. As everywhere in the city, there is also a parking lot there.