Jogan-ji (Jogan-ji Temple)
Jogan-ji was the family temple of Doi Sanehira clan that saved Minamoto no Yoritomo (the founder of the Kamakura Shogunate).
Mt.Shiroyama in the back was created 350 to 300 thousand years ago by ejecta from volcanic activity of the Yugawara volcano.
The oldest Hakone volcano quarry that mined this lava is in this vicinity.
The tombstones of the Doi clan located within the temple grounds also seems to have used this somma lava and central cone lava. Over 800 years ago, Doi Sanehira took the dilapidated esoteric Buddhist temple as Jibutsudo of his clan and rebuilt it as Mannenzan Jogan-ji Temple.
Following this, the temple was revived as Rinzaishu (Rinzai sect) in the beginning of the Muromachi period. Additionally, in the 15th century, it became a Sotoushu temple and became ShigeokiKasizan then renamed to the present day Jogan-ji Temple.
Graves of the Doi Clan
On the left side of the main temple of Jogan-ji, there are 66 tombstones.
These are the graves of the Doi Sanehira clan. It is said that the grave in the center front of the Gorinto pagoda is Sanehira, to the left is his wife and on the right is his eldest son Tohira.
Among these gravestones, there is a Kamakura style five layer tower bearing the inscription July of Kagen year 2 (1304) and a Hokyointo (Hokyoin pagoda) with the inscription of June of Eiwagannen (1375).
There are pagodas here with spherical tower bodies and various types of graves. It is very rare to have this many varieties of tombstones in one area for the Kanto area.
These tombstones have been designated as cultural assets of Kanagawa Prefecture.
Shichikido
A wooden statue of Doi Sanehira is enshrined in the Shichikido within the hall of the temple.
His wooden statue protects Minamoto no Yoritomo from the Heike pursuers after being defeated at the Battle of Ishibashiyama.
Since Sanehira’s eldest son, Tohira went to tell the circumstances to Yoritomo’s wife, Masako, he is not included in the Shichiki.
This event has been made into a historical drama creation, Noh Chant “Shichikiochi”.
Byakushin (Juniper)
It is said that there is a juniper tree planted by Doi Sanehira on the grounds that is over 800 years old.
It has been designated as the nation’s natural treasure. Within the prefecture, it is the oldest and has been selected as one of 100 famous trees in the prefecture.
