Manman-ji Temple

In a residential neighborhood about five minutes on foot from Mabashi Station stands an old temple whose gate guardians draw visitors. Hoozan Manman-ji is a temple of the Rinzai Daitokuji school in Mabashi, Matsudo. The gate houses wooden Kongo Rikishi (Nio) guardian statues from the Kamakura period, designated Important Cultural Properties. They are said to be the work of Unkei, but that is a tradition.

The temple's history is long. It is said to have begun in 1256 when Chiba Yoritane, protector of Shimosa Province, invited the monk Ninsho and built the Shingon temple Dainichi-ji. In the Muromachi period Chiba Mitsutane revived it as a Rinzai temple and renamed it Manman-ji, taking one character from the name of Ashikaga Ujimitsu. In 1537 Takagi Taneyoshi donated temple lands. A great fire in 1908 destroyed much of the complex, but a new main hall was completed in 1987.

The temple's best-known feature is the ritual of passing between the Nio's legs. Of the two guardians, the open-mouthed "A" figure has a gap of about 50 cm square between its legs, and passing through it is said to ward off illness and misfortune. The custom has continued since the Edo period and draws crowds during the Fudo-son festivals on January 1-3, March 27-29 and October 27-29. The spring and autumn festivals feature both the "Nio leg passing" and the "Fudo festival," and the Fudo image has been worshipped as one that wards off chuki, paralysis such as hemiplegia. When smallpox spread in the Edo period, many daimyo and hatamoto stationed in Edo are said to have sent proxies to pray here.

The grounds include the Jiun-kaku (Nio gate) housing the guardian statues, as well as the mountain gate, main hall, bell tower, a Mizuko Jizo, a water-pouring Fudo and Six Jizo. Among cultural properties, the temple preserves a wooden seated Amida Nyorai, a wooden standing Fudo Myoo and a cast Gyoran Kannon standing statue, all designated by Matsudo City. Annual events include a goma fire ritual on Coming-of-Age Day and a segaki memorial service on August 16, and the spring and autumn festivals serve vegetarian meals as the Toon kuyo offering.

When you visit, first look up at the Nio from the front and check the gap at the feet of the open-mouthed figure and the thickness of the statue. Passing through the legs centers on the festival days, so plan around them if you want to try. The grounds are not large and can be walked in about 30 minutes.

Nearby, Shibamata Taishakuten (about 7 km) and, also in Chiba, Hokekyo-ji (about 10.5 km) make good pairings. It also suits a day trip linking old temples from eastern Tokyo to northwestern Chiba as a tour of shitamachi temples and shrines.