The main object of worship at Shinshō-ji Temple, Budōmyō’ō, came from Kyoto on a boat during a war in the Kanto area. It was erected in Namiki-chō’ Fudō-dzuka in Narita city and a ritual was carried out. The result? The war settled down and the temple was renamed as Shinshō-ji. But entering into the Edo period is where the real drama starts.

During the Muromachi period there were countless wars, one after another. It was tough living during those times. No one had spare time to go pray at a temple, and so the building housing Budōmyō’ō seemed unnecessary to many. So, a group of villagers who thought that way decided to move the statue to another location.

A group of strong men gathered around and drew names out of a hat. The man chosen was a powerful man from another village and he was to move the Budōmyō’ō statue. Even though he lifted up the statue, he was not able to move a step. Next up was Narita Village’s Saburōzaemon Moro’oka, and he was able to easily pick up and move the statue. Naturally, people concluded that the “unwavering” statue, or Ofudō-sama, wanted to stay in Narita, and so the statue remained in the village. That Saburōzaemon Moro’oka was the ancestor of the founder of Yoneya.

Afterwards, the statue was placed in the Moro’oka family’s residence. The family built a hall, and every morning the villagers would offer clean water from the village’s precious well. This custom still continues today at the present location of the statue.