Hōfunji Temple was a temple of the Kenpon Hokke School of Buddhism that once stood in the Ōami area of Oamishirasato City, Chiba Prefecture. Its mountain name was Hōryūzan.
Today, the former temple site is known as Otsukayama and is designated as a municipal historic site. The area is an important place for understanding the history of the local community and the development of Buddhist culture in the region.
The name and religious tradition of Hōfunji are now carried on by Hōfunji Temple in nearby Minami-Yokokawa, which belongs to the same Buddhist school.
Hōfunji was founded in 1597 by Nikkei, a Buddhist monk of the Nichijū lineage, whose main temple was Myōmanji in Kyoto. This lineage traces its teachings back to Nichiren.
During the Warring States period, this area was strongly influenced by the “Seven-Ri Hokke” policy of the Sakai family, the lords of Toke Castle. The policy promoted the Hokke school of Buddhism throughout the territory, and there were very few temples belonging to other Buddhist traditions. Hōfunji consequently became an important temple within the local religious community.
Nikkei was born in what is now Ichimatsu Village in Nagara District, Chiba Prefecture, and was active from Zenshōji Temple in Toke.
He advocated the Fuju Fuse doctrine, a strict Buddhist teaching that emphasized not accepting offerings or giving alms to those outside the faith. His beliefs frequently brought him into conflict with political authorities.
During the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate severely suppressed the movement. Nikkei was eventually subjected to the brutal punishment of having his ears and nose cut off at Rokujōgawara in Kyoto, and the Nichijū lineage subsequently entered a period of decline.
In 1627, Hōfunji was completely destroyed by order of Miura Shigenari, the lord of Ōami Castle.
At the time, two of Nikkei’s disciples, Nichiyō and Nichijō, were arrested and became targets of religious persecution.
Despite the suppression, local believers continued to preserve their faith. The former Hōfunji site came to be known as Otsukayama and was quietly protected by members of the religious community.
During the Edo period, the Buddhist temple known as Hōfunji in Minami-Yokokawa was outwardly established as a family temple, while followers secretly continued their religious practices through a group known as the Naishō Daimoku-kō.
During the Meiji period, the Fuju Fuse school was officially permitted to practice again, allowing its religious activities to become more visible.
In 1911, local supporters erected a monument commemorating the 300th anniversary of Nikkei’s death. The monument provides evidence of the community’s continuing devotion and remembrance of the monk.
One local legend tells that when Hōfunji was destroyed, its temple bell mysteriously sank into the water by itself. Another version says that believers secretly hid the bell to protect it from destruction.
The place associated with the story became known as Tsurigane-fuchi, or “Bell Pool,” and the legend has been passed down through generations of local residents.
The temple grounds once contained several Gorintō, traditional five-element Buddhist stone monuments representing earth, water, fire, air, and space.
These monuments were buried separately after the destruction of the temple and were excavated during the Taishō period. Today, they are preserved at several locations, including the grounds of the Tanaka family home and beside the Minami-Yokokawa Community Center.
The former Hōfunji site also contains Jokan-zuka, a mound known as the burial place of Nichijō. Local believers have carefully protected the mound as a sacred place.
A structure known as the Itsuka-dō was later built at the site, and the area continued to serve as a place of Buddhist worship.
Hōfunji Temple in Minami-Yokokawa, which inherited the name and religious legacy of the former Hōfunji, continues to be respected by people in the local community.
The temple preserves the teachings of the Fuju Fuse tradition. Although it functions outwardly as a Buddhist family temple, followers have continued to practice and preserve the teachings through the Naishō Daimoku-kō tradition.
The former Hōfunji site, known as Otsukayama, is privately owned and access to the property is restricted. Visitors should not enter without permission.
The present Hōfunji Temple can be visited at the following location:
The former Hōfunji Temple site and the present temple that carries on its name offer a rare glimpse into the history of religious persecution and the perseverance of local believers.
Despite periods of severe suppression, followers continued to preserve their faith through discreet religious practices and by protecting the remains of their former temple. The stories of Otsukayama, the Bell Pool legend, and the surviving monuments all form part of this distinctive local heritage.
When visiting the area, it is important to respect its religious significance and the fact that the former temple site is privately owned. Learning about the history beforehand can make a visit to the surrounding area a more meaningful way to understand the region’s cultural and religious heritage.