A Jodo sect temple in Choshi opened by order of Tokugawa Ieyasu as a mission base. Jodo nembutsu teachings were widely accepted by fishing village people as a place of memorial rites and prayers for rebirth in paradise. The principal Amida Nyorai in a welcoming posture is said to guide to the Pure Land the souls of fishermen lost at sea. Soy sauce brewers and wealthy merchants used it as their bod…

Jokoji Temple, a Jodo sect temple located in Iinumamachi, Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture, is said to have been founded in 1600 (Keicho 5) by order of Tokugawa Ieyasu as a missionary base for Jodo Buddhism in the Choshi region. As the Edo period progressed, Choshi flourished as a vital hub for river t…