Zenkokuji was founded in 1595, at the end of the Momoyama period, about 400 years ago. The first chief priest was Bushijoin Nissei Shonin, who served as the 12th chief priest of Ikegami Honmonji Temple. Shonin was the biological son of Nijo Kanpaku Akizane, and had been on friendly terms with Tokugawa Ieyasu for some time due to his father's relationship. In Tensho 18 (1590), nine years after Shonin was appointed as head of the Honmonji Temple from Kyoto, where he traveled to study, Ieyasu moved to Edo Castle and the two met again. So, the Shonin immediately made a prayer for peace in the world in front of the statue of Bishamonten that had been handed down from his grandfather. When Ieyasu heard about it, he gave the priest a temple site at the end of Nihonbashi Bakuro-cho Baba Kita, and furthermore, with the intention of protecting the nation, he hand-painted the mountain and temple plaque of "Chengozan/Zenkokuji" and presented it. became the foundation. This is where the famous Zenkokuji Temple, which enshrines Bishamonten, was born. Among the members of the Tokugawa family, if there is a strong belief in the Lotus Sutra, it is Mitsukuni Mito, who is famous for Komon-sama. Lord Mitsukuni also put his faith in Bishamonten of Zenkokuji Temple, and the mountain, which was destroyed by fire in 1670, was relocated to Kojimachi and rebuilt splendidly. Because of this connection, the mountain has since become a place of prayer for the Tokugawa family, as well as for the Tayasu and Hitotsubashi families of the Sango branch family. After that, the mountain suffered from fires in the Kyoho and Kansei years, especially in 1792, when it was relocated to Kagurazaka. About two hundred years ago. In addition, the ruins of Kojimachi can be remembered by the black granite "Zenkoku Teratani Ato" stone monument built on the sidewalk of the current Nippon Television Street, Kojimachi 3-chome intersection. The worship of Bishamonten became popular with the times, spreading to the shogunate, hatamoto, and feudal lords, and in the end of the Edo period, especially during the Bunka and Bunsei eras, it became an object of reverence for the common people. The prestige of Bishamonten has doubled. At first, the Kagurazaka neighborhood was mostly just samurai residences, but along with the relocation of Zenkokuji Temple, the number of private houses gradually increased, such as the relocation of Yoshizu-covered shops from Kojimachi to the front of Kukentoji Temple. was established and became a vibrant city. In the Meiji and early Taisho eras, many writers and artists such as Kyoka Izumi, Koyo Ozaki, and Hakushu Kitahara strolled through the area, making it a very lively place. In particular, the bustle of fairs was so great that crowds of people made it difficult for horses and carriages to come and go, and it became so famous that it was called Yamanote Ginza. rice field. The Great Tokyo Air Raid of 1945 turned the capital into a sea of ​​fire, and Mt. However, in 1946, Bishamondo was rebuilt, and in 1946, with the support of local residents and related people, the main hall, Bishamondo, which boasts of its majestic appearance, was completed, and reconstruction after the war damage was accomplished. of. Bishamonten is a god from India who plays the role of protecting the Buddha or Buddhism, and as the number one of the Four Heavenly Kings, he is in charge of the protection of the north. Also known as Tamonten, he literally "listens" to the prayers of pilgrims, and as one of the Seven Lucky Gods, he bestows good fortune on a daily basis.