Enmei-Jizo-Son --- The Tiny Shrine In The Middle Of The Honch

If you walk out the main gate of Yokosuka Navy base, and go cross National Highway 16, you will arrive in a shopping and entertainment street called "Dobu-Ita-Dori", or "The Honch."

Sailors of the U.S. Navy's Seventh Fleet, and others, have been partying, buying souvenirs, and relaxing in Honch establishments since 1945.

Down the street, on the way towards Keikyu Shioiri train station, and amidst all the money-spending, drinking, music, and cacophony, is a small island of peace and spirituality ---- a little shine for "Enmei-Jizo-Son"  延命地蔵尊 ...  (over my many years in Yokosuka, I must have walked past this place hundreds of times, never really knowing what it was)

          

Thanks to Mr. Yoji Kawashima, here is a description:

This tiny shrine at the wayside of Dobuita-Street is dedicated to the Jizoh (a guardian deity for children), whose particular name is “ENMEI-JIZO-SON” (the Jizoh of lengthening of life).  The shrine used to be called Donokuchi Jizoh and was located in Shiodome (currently called Shioiri), closer to the Shioiri Elementary School beyond Keikyu Line.  After the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, the Jizoh shrine was moved to the present place.

An old book titled “Shin-sen Sagami-koku Fudo-kiko (The Newly-edited History and Culture in the Sagami Province)” -- published in 1841, indicates that this Jizoh was enshrined between 1704 and 1710 as a part of the temple named “Enmyo-san (Lengthening of Life), Saioh-ji Temple, one of the subordinate temples of Ryocho-in Temple (located in Midorigaoka presently).
  　
Another old book titled “Miura Hanjo-ki (Note on Flourishing Miura)” -- published in 1908 indicates the Jizoh shrine is located at Shiodome-cho and is always filled with smoke from incense sticks offered by many people coming and worshiping, morning and evening -- including many girls from the gay quarters, too.

At the shrine, there are stone statues and monuments.  One of which is for the repose of souls of the victims of the Great Kanto Earthquake, on which 45 victims names were inscribed.  Another stone statue there, though very much weathered, of Mother and two Children was erected for the repose of their souls, who died by the fire at the back of the EM Club in the beginning of Showa era (around 1930) while Father was on an overseas business trip.  We see also many small Jizoh stone statues called “Mizuko Jizoh” in the shrine, which are guardian deities for the spirits of aborted and miscarried children.

We see many worshipers visiting here even these days.