History

Kondou Kenshu was the founder of Nensokuji. He moved to Edo (Tokyo) from Enryuji in Mikawa (modern-day Aichi prefecture) during the Kan'ei period:1624-1644. The land for the current site was donated by Sauemon Nakajima and construction of the temple began in 1672. The temple was destroyed during the Firebombing of Tokyo in 1945. After recieving donations from the temple followers, the current temple was built by the 13th head monk Shuken Kondou in 1975.

The grave of Mikijyo is a designated historical site by the Bunkyo ward Educational Committee. Mikijyo is famous for being the first person in Japan to have donated her body for anatomical study to a medical school. She was a daughter of Hikoshiro Mochidana who was a member of the Komagome Oiwake Association. After suffering an illness, she passed away at the age of 34 on August 12th 1869. While her decision to donate her body was controversial at the time, it provided invaluable knowledge to modern medicine. Medical staff or those familiar with her story still occasionally visit her grave. In his novel, "Shiroki Tabidachi" Jyunichi Watanabe included an interview with Shuken Kondou about Mikijyo.