Mikao Usui + Saihoji Temple

THERE has been much speculation about the fact that Mikao Usui's burial site and memorial stone are on the grounds of Saihoji Temple in Tokyo -- a temple belonging to the Jodo Shyu sect of Buddhism. Some of Usui's students and family members have said that Mikao Usui was a Tendai Buddhist all his life; and some people claim that Usui converted to Shingon Buddhism as a young man. So, how did his burial site come to be on the property of Saihoji Temple?

Some claim its presence there as proof that Usui was not a Tendai Buddhist. Others have said that the Saihoji Temple grounds were formerly the property of a Tendai sect. And still others have speculated that the site of Usui's memorial was chosen by the president of the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai (Society) at the time, Admiral Ushida -- possibly because of its proximity to the Usui Gakkai meeting place.

Below is an email from Dave King -- received July 4, 2009 -- which seems to clear up the confusion about this:

• A colleague took a trip to the Saihouji temple in Tokyo a few weeks ago. He chatted with a few people and received the following information.
  
  1. The temple was moved there in 1921 when they widened the rail track and extended the road. They pointed out the information written on the plaque outside the temple (see images attached).
  2. Stones from a Tendai graveyard including the Usui plot were transferred there between 1960 and 1961 when they cut the subway under route 4 near what is now a McDonalds.

After I posted this, however, there was still confusion about what exactly was moved in 1960 or '61. James Deacon wrote to ask, "If the grave was only moved to Saihoji Temple in 1960/61, how come Saihoji is mentioned on the memorial stone (1927)?????"

I forwarded the question to Dave King, who gave the following clarification:

• My understanding is that:
  1. The Saihoji temple ... was relocated to its present site in 1921.
  2. The Usui family burial plot was moved to the monument's location at the current Saihoji temple in 1960/61. The Usui family plot contains (a part of) Usui's remains; the monument itself does not.
  
  The whole Usui family plot was moved. Usui's wife and son are there too.

In other words, Usui's remains were buried in a Tendai cemetery, and the Usui memorial stone (with no remains) was erected in Saihoji Temple grounds in 1927 ... and then in 1960/61 the Usui family burial plot was moved from the Tendai cemetery and put with the Usui memorial stone at Saihoji Temple.