Sainenji Temple

The exclusive name of Yamasai Nenji Temple was opened in 1593 (Bunroku 2) in Kojimachi Shimizu Valley by Hattori Hanzo Masanari. Hattori Hanzo was a heavy vassal of Tokugawa Ieyasu and is known as a master of spears and shinobi. Ieyasu had a son, Nobuyasu, who was superior in military prowess with Tsukiyama, and because of this he attracted the attention of Oda Nobunaga, who married his beloved daughter and made her a clan, with whom he had two daughters. However, the Oda family still could not let go of their vigilance against Nobuyasu, and Nobunaga, despite being his father-in-law, demanded that Ieyasu commit seppuku (at the age of 21 at the time) because of Nobuyasu's turbulence, which was only a rumor. Ieyasu obeyed Nobunaga's extraordinary orders and sentenced his beloved child to seppuku. Hanzo Hattori was entrusted with the intervention. However, no matter how much it was the lord's order, Hanzo was unable to give up his hand in the end, and from this he felt the impermanence of the world and entered the Buddhist gate to pray for the repose of Nobuyasu. In 1590 (Tensho 18), Ieyasu entered Edo and built Edo Castle, which was to establish the shogunate. Hanzo also accompanied his lord, but he shaved his head to mourn Nobuyasu's spirit, took the name Sainen, set up a hermitage in Shimizu Valley in Kojimachi, and buried Nobuyasu's hair, which he had dedicated to since Enshu, and spent his days as a dedicated Nembutsu. In 1593 (Bunroku 2), Hanzo received an order from Ieyasu to build Ichiu to pray for the soul of Nobuyasu and the soul of the Tokugawa family, and it is recorded that he received a gift of 500 ryo of gold. However, he did not build the temple and passed away on November 14, Bunroku 4, at the age of 55. The name of the law is "Exclusive Title of the Temple, Yi'an Honour, Sainen Daizen Gate". Later, Ichiu was built in the same place, but the name of the mountain and the temple were taken from this legal name, and it became "Sainenji Temple". In 1634 (Kanei 11), due to the policy of the shogunate, all temples were ordered to be relocated for the construction of a new moat outside Edo Castle, and they were moved to their current location. It was completely destroyed by fire in 1945, but the main hall was rebuilt in November 1946. (From Sainenji Temple)