Myokokuji Temple is a historic head temple of the Nichiren school of Buddhism located in Sakai Ward, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture. Its name is also written as 妙國寺. The temple’s mountain name is Kofuzan, and its principal object of worship is the Sanbozon, representing the Three Treasures of Buddhism.
The temple was founded by Nikko, with Miyoshi Jikkyu regarded as its founder and patron. Myokokuji is also closely associated with the Sakai Incident of the final years of the Edo period, giving it considerable historical and cultural significance.
Myokokuji was founded in 1562. Miyoshi Jikkyu, younger brother of Miyoshi Nagayoshi, who had raised an army in Awa Province and came to control much of the Kinai region, became a devoted follower of Nikko. He donated a large tract of land measuring three cho from east to west and five cho from north to south, together with temple estates yielding 500 koku of rice.
However, Jikkyu was killed at the Battle of Kumeda, and the temple buildings were not completed at first.
Later, Nikko’s father, the wealthy Sakai merchant Aburaya Jogen, and his elder brother Joyu worked together to construct the Main Hall and other temple buildings in 1568. The temple’s name was derived from Myokoku-in, the religious name of Nikko’s teacher, Nisshu.
Myokokuji was later officially recognized by the Imperial family as an imperial prayer site, further enhancing its status.
The Main Hall was completed in 1571, and by 1583, the temple complex had expanded to include 14 sub-temples and facilities for Buddhist learning.
During the Summer Campaign of the Siege of Osaka in 1615, however, the temple was attacked by forces led by Ono Harufusa of the Toyotomi side and the entire complex was reduced to ashes.
Reconstruction began in 1628. The Main Hall and other buildings, including a three-story pagoda, were gradually rebuilt. Throughout the Edo period, Myokokuji flourished and became one of the well-known sights of Sakai.
Myokokuji was once again destroyed by fire during the Osaka air raids of 1945. All of the buildings except the Sutra Repository and the Great Sago Palm were lost.
Following the war, reconstruction progressed, and the present Main Hall was rebuilt in 1973.
The temple grounds are home to a magnificent 1,100-year-old sago palm, a nationally designated Natural Monument. The tree is associated with a famous legend involving Oda Nobunaga.
According to the story, in 1579, Nobunaga had the sago palm transplanted to Azuchi Castle. However, every night the tree supposedly cried out that it wanted to return to Sakai Myokokuji. Angered by this, Nobunaga ordered his men to cut it down.
When the sago palm was struck with a sword, it was said to bleed. Frightened by the sight, Nobunaga ordered that the tree be returned to Myokokuji.
After returning to Myokokuji, the Great Sago Palm had become weak. Nikko prayed by reciting the Lotus Sutra 1,000 times. On the day the prayers were completed, the dragon deity Ugatokusho Ryujin is said to have appeared.
The deity reportedly told Nikko that the tree would recover if it were given iron. Iron scraps were therefore buried around its roots, and the sago palm is said to have revived.
Since then, the tree has been revered as a protective deity associated with safe childbirth and protection from misfortune. Some of its leaves can reach approximately 8 meters in length, and the tree is traditionally said to have watched over this place for more than a thousand years.
Myokokuji’s garden is regarded as Japan’s only dry landscape garden centered on sago palms. Created in the late Edo period, the garden was recorded in the famous guidebook Izumi Meisho Zue and became one of Sakai’s celebrated scenic attractions.
The garden contains features such as a Rokujizo stone lantern, traditionally said to have been donated by tea master Sen no Rikyu, and a gourd-shaped stone basin.
In 1868, French sailors who had landed at Sakai Port became involved in an incident after reportedly engaging in disorderly behavior in the city. A gun battle then broke out between the sailors and a security unit of the Tosa Domain.
Known as the Sakai Incident, the confrontation resulted in the deaths of 11 French sailors and developed into an international diplomatic issue.
As those responsible for the incident, 20 Tosa samurai were ordered to perform seppuku. Eleven of them carried out the ritual at Myokokuji.
The tragic event continues to be remembered through a memorial monument within the temple grounds. A stone marker at the site where the samurai performed seppuku bears the inscription “Graves of the Tosa Samurai who performed seppuku.”
The present Main Hall was rebuilt in 1973. Buddhist images are enshrined inside the dignified building, creating a solemn atmosphere for visitors and worshippers.
The temple also has a museum where visitors can learn about the history and culture of Myokokuji.
Its collection includes a portrait of Miyoshi Jikkyu, Buddhist scriptures associated with Nikko, and a vermilion-seal document issued by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Numerous materials relating to the Sakai Incident are also displayed, making the museum particularly interesting for visitors interested in Japanese history.
The original three-story pagoda was destroyed during the fires of the Summer Campaign of the Siege of Osaka. It was later rebuilt but was destroyed once again during the 1945 air raids.
Remains associated with the former pagoda can still be seen, offering a glimpse of the impressive structure that once stood here.
The temple grounds feature a karesansui dry landscape garden attributed to Kobori Enshu. It is designed as a strolling garden with a flat landscape, ponds, and naturalistic scenery.
The garden is particularly notable for its use of sago palms and is regarded as the only garden of its kind in Japan. It has also been designated a Scenic Place by Sakai City.
The dry landscape garden is said to have originated in the Muromachi period and was appreciated as a famous local attraction from the Edo period onward. It has undergone restoration work in recent years.
Highlights include the sago palm that was admired by Tokugawa Ieyasu, stone arrangements said to represent the city of Sumpu, and the Rokujizo stone lantern traditionally attributed to Sen no Rikyu. The garden has been restored to evoke its appearance in the late Edo period.
Sutra Repository: A building where valuable Buddhist scriptures are preserved.
Tokushoden: A hall dedicated to Ugatokusho Ryujin.
Memorial Monument for the Eleven Tosa Martyrs: A memorial connected with the Sakai Incident.
Main Quarters, Bell Tower, Busshinden Hall, and Statue of Nichiren: Buildings and religious monuments scattered throughout the temple grounds.
Poetry monuments dedicated to Akiko Yosano and Masaoka Shiki can be found near Myokokuji.
Masaoka Shiki is said to have visited Myokokuji when he traveled to Sakai Girls’ School with Natsume Soseki, and composed a poem inspired by the temple. These connections give the area an additional literary dimension.
Myokokuji also appears in Railway Song No. 5, published in 1900. The song refers to the temple as an “old temple famous for its sago palm,” recording its reputation as one of Sakai’s notable sights.
Myokokuji once housed a tanto dagger called “Kunimitsu” by the renowned swordsmith Shinto Go Kunimitsu, as well as a wakizashi by Nagashige of Bizen Osafune, bearing the vermilion inscription “Nagashige.”
These swords are designated Important Cultural Properties and are currently deposited at the Sakai City Museum.
Myokokuji possesses several nationally designated Important Cultural Properties. Among them are the tanto inscribed “Kunimitsu,” made by Shinto Go Kunimitsu, and the wakizashi bearing the vermilion inscription “Nagashige,” made by Nagashige of Bizen Osafune. These historically valuable objects are deposited at the Sakai City Museum.
The Myokokuji Sago Palm is believed to be approximately 1,100 years old and was designated a National Natural Monument in 1924.
Also known as the Great Sago Palm, this ancient tree is revered as a sacred tree symbolizing Sakai and continues to attract the respect of visitors.
The temple also preserves valuable historical documents designated as cultural properties by Sakai City, including Jiko-ki and Gyoko Bubunki. These materials are deposited at the Sakai City Museum, where they help convey the history and circumstances of their period.
Myokokuji is a place where visitors can experience the history and culture of Sakai and Osaka. From the more-than-1,000-year-old Great Sago Palm to the memorials connected with the Tosa samurai of the Sakai Incident, the temple preserves numerous sites and objects of historical significance.
For travelers interested in Japanese history, Buddhist culture, traditional gardens, and local legends, Myokokuji offers a fascinating glimpse into the rich heritage of Sakai.
The temple can also be combined with sightseeing around other historic areas of Sakai, making it a worthwhile destination for exploring the city’s cultural heritage.