It is named after the Shinano Province of Japan, abbreviated Shinshu, and the city of Ueda, Nagano Prefecture.
The observance began after Shinran's daughter, Kakushinni carried on administration of Shinran's mausoleum, as did her descendants, who ultimately became the Monshu of Jodo Shinshu.
In the Edo period, Tōzen-ji was considered the family temple of various clans, including the Date clan of Sendai, the Ikeda clan of Omi province, the Inaba clan of Usuki Domain in Bungo province, the Suwo of Shinshu, the Tamura of Ichinoseki, and the Mori clan of Saeki in Bungo.