Mount Tsukuba Chuzen-ji Omido [Ibaraki]

Tokuitsu was a legendary high priest of the early Heian period, often called the “Founder of Northern Japanese Buddhism.” He traveled from the capital (Nara) to eastern Japan, founding numerous sacred sites such as Chuzen-ji on Mt. Tsukuba, Atago Shrine in Kasama, and Enichi-ji in Fukushima Prefecture.

Atago Shrine (Kasama) [Ibaraki]

He was a preeminent leader of Buddhism in Eastern Japan. Even Kukai respected him as a “superior master of the East,” and his vast knowledge and virtue were so renowned nationwide that Kukai even sent him his own writings to seek Tokuitsu’s insights.

Haibutsu Kishaku was a movement at the beginning of the Meiji Restoration (around 1868) to “abolish Buddhism and destroy Shaka (Buddha).” Backed by the government’s policy to make Shinto the state religion, temples, Buddhist statues, and scriptures were destroyed across Japan, and monks were forced to return to secular life. This movement aimed to end the long-standing tradition of Shinto-Buddhist syncretism, resulting in the loss of many priceless cultural assets.

Mount Tsukuba, located to the northeast of Edo Castle, was considered the Kimon (Demon Gate)—the unlucky direction from which evil enters. As a result, it was designated as a primary site of prayer for the stability of the Shogunate and received lavish protection from successive Shoguns.

The Imperial Palace (Outer Gardens of the Imperial Palace, Ruins of Edo Castle, East Gardens) [Tokyo]

Protection by Tokugawa Ieyasu

When Ieyasu entered Edo in 1590, he designated Mount Tsukuba as a sacred peak to protect Edo Castle. In 1602, he donated 500 koku (a measure of rice production used for wealth) in land and invited the priest Yujun to revive the temple.

Large-scale Reconstruction by Tokugawa Iemitsu

The third Shogun, Iemitsu, undertook a massive reconstruction in 1633, building a magnificent “Seven Hall Compound” (Shichido Garan) including the Main Hall, a three-story pagoda, and the Nio-mon Gate.

Expansion into a Premier Prayer Temple

Under the fifth Shogun, Tsunayoshi, the head priest Ryuko held significant influence within the Shogunate, and the temple’s land was increased to 1,500 koku. A branch called Goji-in was established in Edo (modern-day Kanda/Bunkyo-ku), rivaling the authority of Ueno’s Kan’ei-ji.

Interestingly, the “Sacred Bridge” (Shinkyo) and the “Zuishinmon Gate” now located within Tsukuba-san Shrine were originally facilities belonging to this temple.