Even photos of alleged “sexual harassment” were leaked! Father and son are in a “swamp trial” at the “famous temple associated with Minamoto no Yoshitsune” in Kamakura.
A father who was dismissed by his son filed a motion for a provisional injunction, claiming that the dismissal was "invalid," and got into big trouble.
It is said that a father and his son are engaged in a “bone fight” over the position of chief priest at a venerable old temple in the ancient capital of Kamakura.
Mampukuji Temple,” located a short walk from Koshigoe Station on the Enoshima Electric Railway, is a famous Shingon sect temple said to have been founded by Gyoki in 744. It is known among history buffs as the place where Minamoto no Yoshitsune stopped by this temple on his way to Kamakura to reconcile with his brother Yoritomo, with whom he had a falling out, and wrote the “Koshigoe Letter” to ask for forgiveness.
In the precincts of the temple, where historical atmosphere still remains, there is a stone on which Benkei is said to have sat. Due in part to the influence of last year’s NHK historical drama “Kamakuradono no 13-nin,” many visitors came to the temple during this year’s Golden Week holidays.
On the other hand, however, there was a big trouble.
One of the parishioners of Manpuku-ji Temple revealed, “Last year, the temple’s chief priest, Mr. Kikuchi, was a bit of a nuisance.
Last year, Mr. Y was replaced by his son, Mr. T, who had been serving as deputy head of Manpukuji Temple, and we thought it was because Mr. Y was nearly 80 years old and suffering from a chronic illness, but it was actually a coup d’etat.
According to a source close to the temple, there was a behind-the-scenes reason for the change.
According to a source close to the temple, the change of abbot had this to say: “Mr. Y was suspected of sexually harassing and power-harassing the temple staff, and also of associating with a gangster in the past. For these and other reasons, in April of last year, Mr. T, who was in charge of the temple, and others, including lawyers, discussed the matter, and the Responsibility Committee passed a resolution to dismiss Mr. Y. In November of last year, the head temple administrator also appointed Mr. T as the chief abbot.
However, the father, Mr. Y, was furious about this. In January of this year, he filed a provisional disposition petition with the Yokohama District Court, claiming that his son T’s appointment as chief priest was “invalid” because it violated temple rules, and that he is still the chief priest.
The father and son’s arguments are in direct conflict. Furthermore, his own sister, who was in charge when Mr. Y was dismissed, has begun to claim that he did not sign the resolution of his own volition, and the situation has become confusing.
A former parishioner laments, “Mr. T has already been appointed as the new head priest.
A former parishioner lamented, “Mr. T is already running the temple without a hitch as the new head priest. However, since Mr. Y, the former head priest, has not given his consent, he is still the representative of the temple in the registration. I can only hope that the barren ‘parent-son squabble’ will be resolved soon.”
A direct interview with the father and son can be found at ……
In the meantime, this magazine obtained a photo of Mr. Y (the first or second photo) from another parishioner, in which Mr. Y appears to be forcibly holding a woman’s hand. A former employee of the temple said.
Mr. Y would touch the bodies of the women who worked at the temple on a daily basis. When they stood in front of him to run errands or to greet him, he would suddenly touch them. Everyone had to put up with it. Until a few years ago, he used to go to a Korean club in Yokohama City every night to have a drink. He used to proudly say, ‘The Korean clubs I go to cost tens of thousands of dollars just to sit down.
How is this appropriate for a monk? This magazine interviewed Mr. Y.
–What is the situation in this picture?
Mr. Y.: “(The woman) is an employee, I think. （She put out her hand, so I put out my hand, too. Like a handshake. I didn’t mind. Of course, there are many things that happen with women. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen.
–So the woman didn’t mind?
No, no, no. No, not there.
–We also heard that Mr. Y is close to a gangster.
I guess they are old local friends.
–How did you and his son, Mr. T, end up in court?
I just said, “It’s too early to tell. I just said, ‘It’s too early to tell,'” she said.
Mr. T, on the other hand, told the magazine, “The fact is that we are in a civil trial.
It is true that there is a civil trial going on. I will be arguing the legitimacy of my appointment as chief priest in court, including the power harassment and sexual harassment of the staff by my father.
The father and the son are quarreling with each other, and we wonder which priest’s words will be accepted as fact in the trial.
From the May 26, 2023 issue of FRIDAY
