In 1590, when Tokugawa Ieyasu was relocated to the Kanto region by order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, he is said to have designated Shofukuji in Takasaki as his personal prayer site. As a devout follower of the Jodo sect, Ieyasu found this nembutsu temple well suited to his faith, and it remained associated with his name throughout the Edo period.