Honkoji Temple, Aichi

Honkoji Temple

When you take a train on the JR Tokaido Line from Nagoya to Toyohashi, the train runs into a small mountain area after passing Kota Station. This area is called Fukouzu. Ordinary trains stop at Sangane Station.

Fukozu now belongs to Kota town, which is located to the south of Okazaki City. Fukozu was originally governed by the OBA Family and had been governed since 1520 by MATSUDAIRA Tadasada and his family, called FUKOZU-MATSUDAIRA family.

Honkoji Temple was built in 1523 as the family temple of FUKOZU-MATSUDAIRA family. From the entrance of the temple to the Sanmon Gate, hydrangea flowers bloom in June, along the approach alley. Many people visit the temple to see these beautiful flowers in this season.

At the end of the approach alley, Sanmon Gate is located.

If you walk to the left from Sanmon Gate, you will find tombs of the FUKOZU-MATSUDAIRA family. Four stone statues are the tombs of the first to fourth generation of the FUKOZU-MATSUDAIRA family.

MATSUDAIRA Tadasada was the first generation. MATSUDAIRA Yoshikage was the second, MATSUDAIRA Koretada was the third and MATSUDAIRA Ietada was the fourth generation.

FUKOZU-MATSUDAIRA supported TOKUGAWA Ieyasu and became his retainers. MATSUDAIRA Yoshikage, Koretada and Ietada died in battles during the process of TOKUGAWA Ieyasu becoming "Shogun" and to govern all of Japan.

The tomb of MATSUDAIRA Tadatoshi, the fifth generation, is the mausoleum house. Tadatoshi became a "Daimyo", a feudal lord of Fukozu area in 1600 when TOKUGAWA Ieyasu became "Shogun".

If you walk to the right from Sanmon Gate and climb up a small hill, you will arrive at the East Mausoleum of FUKOZU-MATSUDAIRA Family. In the mausoleum, the tomb of MATSUDAIRA Tadafusa, the sixth generation, and tombs of later generations, except MATSUDAIRA Tadahiro, the 11th generation are located.

After the 6th generation of FUKOZU-MATSUDAIRA Family, they became feudal lords of Shimabara Domain in Kyushu. After these feudal lords died, their bodies were carried to the Honkoji temple far from Shimabara to the place where their forefathers lived. They were buried here.

Tombs of FUKOZU-MATSUDAIRA Family are the shrine style, categorized as high formality.
In 2009, the tomb of MATSUDAIRA Tadao, the seventh generation, was damaged due to heavy rain. The scientific investigation was conducted when the tomb was repaired. The investigation found splendid buried-properties.

Honkoji Temple is now categorized as a national historic site.

Tomb of the 1st to the 5th generation of FUKOZU MATSUDAIRA

Tomb of FUKOZU MATSUDAIRA Family