Myoshoji Temple

Myoshoji is a small Soto Zen temple in Otaki Gorge with documented ties to the Matsudaira samurai family since the late fourteenth century. Founded in the 1350s by an itinerant priest, it became a permanent institution under Matsudaira Chikauji's patronage. Among its treasures is a wooden plaque bearing an order by the young Matsudaira Motoyasu, later known as Tokugawa Ieyasu, prohibiting the use of force within the temple grounds. Issued during a turbulent period between 1557 and 1563, the order suggests Myoshoji functioned as a refuge where local villagers could shelter from nearby battles.