永祥寺

Overview

Eishoji is a Soto Zen temple in Nishiebara-cho, Ibara City, Okayama Prefecture, whose mountain name is Zendozan. It stands on the site of the former Bicchu Ebara Manor and is closely associated with the legendary archer Nasu no Yoichi.

Highlights

• ●Zendozan, the mountain name of the Soto Zen temple Eishoji
• ●Temple grounds tied to the history of Bicchu Ebara Manor, associated with Nasu no Yoichi
• ●Sodegami Inari Daimyojin, a shrine linked to the fan-target legend
• ●The Ebara-Nasu clan graves on the grounds and the tomb of Nasu no Yoichi said to lie in the nearby mountains

History

The area of Nishiebara-cho corresponds to Bicchu Ebara Manor, said to be one of five manors granted to Nasu no Yoichi as a reward for shooting down the fan target at the Battle of Yashima. Although the Nasu clan was originally based in Shimotsuke Province, Ebara Manor was governed by a branch family known as the Ebara-Nasu clan. Eishoji is said to have been founded in 1387 (the first year of Kakei) by Nasu Suketaka and his son Suketei as the family temple of the Ebara-Nasu clan, inviting Jippo Ryoshu — a senior disciple of Gasan Shoseki counted among the 'Twenty-Five Sages of Gasan' — as its founding priest.

Map

34.6335, 133.4927 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Visit Eishoji in Nishiebara-cho, Ibara City, and walk the grounds of this Soto Zen temple named Zendozan
2. 2Explore the area around the main hall while learning about the history connecting Nasu no Yoichi and the Ebara-Nasu clan
3. 3Pay a visit to Sodegami Inari Daimyojin, known as a shrine for prayers that hit the mark
4. 4Visit the Ebara-Nasu clan graves on the grounds, and if time allows, extend the trip to the tomb of Nasu no Yoichi in the nearby mountains

Did you know?

💡 Within the temple grounds stands 'Sodegami Inari Daimyojin,' said to enshrine the right sleeve that Nasu no Yoichi tore off and discarded because it got in his way when he shot the fan target at Yashima; it is worshipped as a shrine for prayers that are sure to 'hit the mark,' inspired by that legend. The grounds also hold the graves of the Ebara-Nasu clan, and a tomb attributed to Nasu no Yoichi himself is said to lie in the mountains a short distance away.

Nearby spots