Hokoin Temple, officially known as Baigusan Hokoin Rinsenji Temple, is a Buddhist temple of the Shingon-shu Buzan-ha school located in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture. The temple is particularly associated with Chiba Shusaku, a renowned swordsman of the late Edo period and the founder of the Hokushin Itto-ryu school of swordsmanship.
Hokoin is also one of the sites associated with the Matsudo Shikoku 88 Sacred Places, where visitors can experience a form of pilgrimage without traveling to Shikoku. In addition, it is the 12th temple of the Higashi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, a pilgrimage route established in 1935 by Keisei Railway and temples along its railway lines.
Located in Matsudo, Hokoin is a historic temple with roots extending back to the Edo period. The grounds include a Shikoku 88-Temple Pilgrimage Sand-Stepping Site, making the temple especially meaningful for people who are unable to make the long journey to Shikoku.
The temple grounds also contain graves connected with famous figures in Japanese swordsmanship, including Chiba Shusaku and his teacher Asari Mataichiro. Because of these connections, the temple attracts not only worshippers but also history enthusiasts and practitioners of Japanese martial arts.
The construction of temples in the area that is now Matsudo City began around 1609, during the early Edo period. As the local community developed, seven temples, including Hokoin, were established by around 1651.
However, on October 2, 1855, the Ansei Edo Earthquake caused extensive destruction. The main hall, shrine worship hall, torii gate, subsidiary shrines, and other structures associated with the temple complex were destroyed.
Until the Meiji period, Hokoin served as the bettōji, or administrative temple, of Mitake Gongen, which is associated with what is now Matsudo Shrine.
Takagi Gikai, who entered the Buddhist priesthood at Hokoin, later contributed to the construction of shrine buildings toward the end of the Edo period. He went on to serve as chief priest of several important Buddhist temples, including Gokokuji, Hasedera, and Murōji, and became known as one of the prominent Buddhist monks of the Meiji period.
One of Hokoin’s distinctive features is its Shikoku 88-Temple Pilgrimage Sand-Stepping Site. Visitors walk across sand associated with the 88 temples of the Shikoku pilgrimage and are traditionally believed to be able to receive spiritual benefits similar to those of making the pilgrimage itself.
The original site was established at Matsudo Mukoyama in 1907. It was later affected by local development and was subsequently revived within the grounds of Hokoin.
Today, the site continues to attract visitors who wish to experience the atmosphere and traditions of the famous Shikoku pilgrimage without having to travel from temple to temple across Shikoku.
The temple grounds contain the grave of Chiba Chuzaemon, the father of Chiba Shusaku, as well as the grave of Asari Mataichiro, a swordsman of the Nakanishi-ha branch of Itto-ryu whom Shusaku studied under.
It is said that Shusaku lived near the temple gate when he was young and devoted himself to swordsmanship at Asari’s dojo. These connections make Hokoin an interesting destination for visitors wishing to learn more about the history of Japanese swordsmanship.
Chiba Shusaku was a samurai and swordsman who lived during the late Edo period. He is widely known as the founder of Hokushin Itto-ryu, one of the influential schools of Japanese swordsmanship.
Shusaku trained many students, and his teaching had a significant influence on the world of swordsmanship during the turbulent final years of the Tokugawa shogunate. His students included several figures who later became prominent during the Bakumatsu period, such as Kiyokawa Hachiro, Yamaoka Tesshu, Yamanami Keisuke of the Shinsengumi, and Ito Kashitaro.
As a child, Chiba Shusaku studied Hokushin Muso-ryu. He later became a student of Asari Yoshinobu of the Nakanishi-ha branch of Itto-ryu. Shusaku subsequently married Asari’s daughter and at one point used the name Asari Mataichiro.
As he continued to develop his own approach to swordsmanship, Shusaku combined elements of Hokushin Muso-ryu with the Nakanishi-ha tradition of Ono-ha Itto-ryu. This development eventually led to the establishment of Hokushin Itto-ryu.
In Edo, Shusaku established a dojo called Genbukan, where he taught and promoted his approach to swordsmanship. His emphasis on practical training and systematic instruction helped make his school widely known.
Many of Shusaku’s students later played important roles during the final years of the shogunate and the political upheaval of the Bakumatsu period. Among those associated with his school were Kiyokawa Hachiro, Yamaoka Tesshu, Yamanami Keisuke of the Shinsengumi, and Ito Kashitaro.
Shusaku’s approach also influenced the development of modern Japanese swordsmanship. His methods included forms of structured training such as kakari-geiko, along with practical and systematic teaching techniques that remain associated with his legacy.
Hokoin Temple is conveniently accessible by train. From Matsudo Station, served by the JR Joban Line and Shin-Keisei Line, take the West Exit and walk for approximately 10 minutes.
The temple is a convenient stop for visitors exploring Matsudo City and offers an opportunity to experience Japanese Buddhist culture while learning about the history of Chiba Shusaku and traditional swordsmanship.
Hokoin Temple (Rinsenji Temple) is a historic Buddhist temple where religion, local history, and Japanese martial arts traditions come together. Its connection with the famous swordsman Chiba Shusaku gives the temple a special place in the history of Japanese swordsmanship.
The Shikoku 88-Temple Pilgrimage Sand-Stepping Site is another distinctive feature, allowing visitors to experience a form of pilgrimage within the temple grounds. For travelers interested in Japanese Buddhism, history, traditional martial arts, or the culture of the Edo period, Hokoin offers a fascinating glimpse into the past in the heart of Matsudo.