Myoshoji Temple

Matsudaira-Area

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Myoshoji is a small Soto Zen temple with deep ties to the Matsudaira samurai family that ruled the lands around the village of Matsudaira from the late 1300s onward. The temple is located in Otaki Gorge on a terraced plot supported by moss-covered stone walls. It is a few minutes’ walk uphill along the river from the parking lot at the entrance to the gorge. The structures include the main hall built in 1854, a somewhat older gate that faces the gorge, and a bell tower. As Myoshoji does not have a resident priest, the main hall is usually closed to the public.

The temple was founded in the 1350s by an itinerant Zen priest and was initially a place for solitary spiritual practice. When Matsudaira Chikauji (d. 1394?), the founder of the Matsudaira family, placed the temple under his protection, he expanded it and had permanent halls built for the first time. Myoshoji has enjoyed the patronage of the Matsudaira family ever since.

Among the temple’s treasures is a wooden plaque with an order by Matsudaira Motoyasu (1543–1616), who later assumed the name Tokugawa Ieyasu and founded the Tokugawa shogunate (1603–1867). The order is thought to have been issued between 1557 and 1563, a time of great turmoil, and prohibited the use of force within the Myoshoji grounds. This indicates that the temple functioned as a safe haven of sorts for local villagers, who could take shelter within its gates in case a battle broke out nearby.

Basic Information

Address	〒444-2206 Rakuan 16, Otaki-cho, Toyota City
Phone number	0565-77-8089 (Matsudaira Tourism Association)
Parking	Free parking lot at Otaki Valley Ryumon-enchi (about 20 parking spaces)
Directions by public transportation	From Meitetsu Mikawa/Toyota Line Toyotashi Station, take the Toyota Oiden Bus bound for Onuma (下山・豊田線［大沼方面］Shimoyama-Toyota Line for Onuma), get off at Ugase (鵜ヶ瀬). Transfer to the Meitetsu Bus bound for Asuke (足助), get off at the Odakicho (王滝町) bus stop and walk 7 minutes.
Directions by car	10 min. from the Tokai-Kanjo Expressway Toyota-Matsudaira Interchange

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Myoshoji Temple

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