Tokuzoji Temple & Itabi Museum (Genko-era stone tablet)
Tokuzoji / Itabi Museum
徳蔵寺 / 板碑保存館
The temple that safeguards the Genko-era itabi, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property — a genuine historical treasure to rank alongside the National Treasure at Shofukuji.
highlights
Highlights & things to do
A Rinzai Zen temple. In its grounds is the “Itabi Museum,” which holds and displays many stone cultural properties, including itabi (flat stone tablets) from the Kamakura period.
The Itabi Museum is an azekura-style building completed in 1968. The second floor is said to display about 170 itabi centered on the Genko-era tablet, while the first floor shows stone tools, earthenware, Kokubunji roof tiles, old coins and more.
The “Genko-era itabi” is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property (designated in 1950). It is said to be about 147 cm tall and 44 cm wide.
It was erected to honor warriors (Saito and others) who fell in 1333 during Nitta Yoshisada's attack on Kamakura, and is known as historical evidence supporting the account in the Taiheiki.
This tablet is said to have originally stood on the slope of Hachikokuyama before later being moved to Tokuzoji, giving it a connection to Hachikokuyama Woods as well.
photos
Photo gallery
Photo credit: Photo: Asanagi / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 / public domain). The Sanmon gate of Tokuzoji.
Beyond the National Treasure at Shofukuji, Higashimurayama has one more “real thing.” For history lovers, I really hope you'll visit the two together.
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