Trees In the Town

Virtual North Settsu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #14 Eiko-ji Temple

 

     Eiko-ji Temple was founded in 1453.

     The Shocho Uprising , one of the many armed rebellions in Japan during the Muromachi Period, occurred between August and September of the year 1428.  They demanded a debt moratorium.  The Muromachi shogunate did not release a debt cancellation order, but, because proof of the peasants' debts were destroyed during the looting, a kind of independent debt relief was effectively achieved.  The Kakitsu Uprising occurred in 1441, demanding debt cancellation.  Finally the Muromachi Shogunate accepted their demands and issued a comprehensive debt cancellation order, which included debt from land sold in perpetuity by farmers less than 20 years ago, that is after the Shocho Uprising.  Whether their main forces were peasants or local samurai is an object of discussion, but it is clear that the shogunate's authority was declining.

     Eiko-ji Temple was founded in those days.  Ei means Eternity and Ko means to Rise.  As the temple’s main deity, the Eleven-Faced Ekadasamukha standing statue, is supposed to have been made when the Japanese aristocracy was in their heyday, the locals might have purchased or plundered it from someone who belonged to the ancien regime.

Address: 133 Kibecho, Ikeda, Osaka 563-0014

Phone: 072-751-2763

Trees In the Town

Virtual North Settsu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #13 Shoun-ji Temple

 

     Shoun-ji Temple is said to have been founded in 1351 by Muso Soseki (1275-1351), who founded Tenryu-ji Temple in 1345.  After its foundation, he lived in Rinsen-ji Temple, died there on September 30th, 1351, and was buried there.

     Nakagawara Village was first documented in 1456.

     The Ikeda Family was from Ikeda Village, Izumi County, Izumi Province.  They became a manorial official in Teshima County, Settsu Province.  The family adopted Minamoto Yasumasa, a younger brother of Yorimasa (1104-1180).  Yasumasa was succeeded by Yasumitsu, who was succeeded by Tokikage, who was succeeded by Yasunaga, whose grandson, Okiyori, built Ikeda Fortress during the Southern and Northern Courts Period (1336-1392).

     The Onin War (1467-1477) broke out.  The Muromachi Shogunate power was divided into 2; the East Force and the West Force.  The East Force was commanded by Hosokawa Katsumoto (1467-1477), and the Ouchi Clan joined the West Force.  Ironically enough, the Ouchi army turned out to be the strongest among the West, and Masahiro (1446-1495), whether he liked it or not, stayed and fought in Kyoto for a decade.

In 1469, when Mitsumasa was the head of the family, Ikeda Fortless was shortly seized by Masahiro's army.  Presumably to evade being involved in the power struggles in the central politics, the Ikeda Family presented 2,000 coins of Nakagawara Village's tax to the Fujiwara Clan in 1479.

Address: 306 Nakagawaracho, Ikeda, Osaka 563-0013

Phone: 072-753-3587

Ikeda Castle Ruins

Address: 3-19 Shiroyamacho, Ikeda, Osaka 563-0052

Phone: 072-753-2767

Trees In the Town

Virtual North Settsu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #12 Tozen-ji Temple

 

     Shiun-ji Temp-le is believed to have been founded in Higashiyama Village, Teshima County, Settsu Province, by Gyoki (668-749), who founded over 40 Buddhist temples in Kansai Region alone.  Legends have it that he founded over 600 temples across Japan.

Higashiyama Village was first documented in 1605.

     Shiun-ji Temple declined and was revived as Tozen-ji Temple by Priest Toko in 1604.

Address: 373 Higashiyamacho, Ikeda, Osaka 563-0012

Phone: 072-751-4519

Trees In the Town

Virtual North Settsu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #11 Kyuan-ji Temple

 

     According to temple legend, the predecessor of Kyuan-ji Temple is said to be An'yo-in Temple, which was founded by Gyoki (668-749) at the request of Emperor Shomu  (701-756) in 725.  It flourished as a training center for Shingon esoteric Buddhism and Kukai (774-835) stayed at the temple sometime between 824 and 834.

     An'yo-in Temple was burned down in 1140, but the Bhaisajyaguru statue, Amitabha statue, and the Thousand-Armed Sahasrabhuja statue, which was the main Deity, survived. In 1145, it was rebuilt at the request of Emperor Konoe (1139-1155), and Priest Kenjitsu added the Main Hall and other buildings, and the temple came to be called Kyuan-ji.  At its peak, the temple had as many as 49 sub-temples, but only Kosaka-in Temple survived and became Kyuan-ji Temple itself.

     During the Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1573-1603), Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598) held a moon-viewing tea ceremony at the temple.  In the mid-Edo Period, Hirama Choga (1636-1710), a tanka poet, stayed there:

My situation is

Like a forest ranger

Visited by few.

     The temple became widely known among the common people as a sacred place for Avalokitesvara worship.

     Kyuan-ji Temple is also the #19 member temple of the Settsu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.

Address: 697 Fushiocho, Ikeda, Osaka 563-0011

Phone: 072-752-1857

Trees In the Town

Virtual North Settsu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #10 Yosho-an Temple

 

     Yosho-an Temple is said to have been founded in 1351 by Muso Soseki (1275-1351), who founded Tenryu-ji Temple in 1345.  After its foundation, he lived in Rinsen-ji Temple, died there on September 30th, 1351, and was buried there.  That is, he had no chance to found Yosho-an Temple in 1351 in Yoshida Village, Teshima County, Settsu Province.  The village was first documented in 1042.  Soseki's disciple or someone might have retired to the village, and built Yosho-an Hermitage.  3 centuries passed, and the hermitage declined only with its name plate left.  

     Tenkei Denson (1648-1735) revived the temple in 1721, supported by Botan-ya Kohei in Kibe Village, Teshima County, Settsu Province, and Inada Tanehide (1642-1730), who was the chief retainer of the Tokushima Domain, and who was the lord of Sumoto Castle.

     Denson died in the temple, and Jikishi Gentan (?-1776) succeeded him.

      Denson was the priest of Joroku-ji Temple in Awa Province from 1696 to 1706.

Address: 179 Yoshidacho, Ikeda, Osaka 563-0016

Phone: 072-751-2229

Tenryu-ji Temple

Address: 68 Sagatenryuji Susukinobabacho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto 616-8385

Phone: 075-881-1235

Rinsen-ji Temple

Address: 33 Sagatenryuji Tsukurimichicho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, 616-8384

Phone: 075-872-0836

Sumoto Castle Ruins

Address: 1272 Orodani, Sumoto, Hyogo 656-0023

Phone: 0799-24-7613

Joroku-ji Temple

Address: Joryo-32 Jorokucho, Tokushima, 771-4263

Phone: 088-645-0334

Trees In the Town

Virtual North Settsu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #9 Muni-ji Temple

 

     Togaku-ji Temple was founded by Gyoki (668-749) in Furue Village, Teshima County, Settsu Province.  Teshima County was listed in the Engishiki, which is a book about laws and customs, and whose major part was completed in 927.  Furue Village was first documented in 1042.

     Izumi Shikibu (978-?) married Fujiwara Yasumasa (958-1036) in 1013.  He was appointed to be the governors of Yamato, Tango, Yamato, and Settsu Provinces in chronological order.  When he worked for the Settsu Provincial government, he lived near Togaku-ji Temple.  The government office is supposed to have moved frequently, but is supposed to have been located in Teshima County at least in 825.  In 844, the office was moved to today's Osaka.

     According to the Illustrated Guides of Settsu, which was published in 1798, the temple has a grave of Izumi Shikibu.

     One autumn night, when Yasumasa was about to go hunting, Izumi Shikibu heard a deer crying.  She composed a tanka poem to him:

Why on earth does a deer cry?

Because it feels

Tonight is its last night.

Yasumasa was moved by the poem and gave up hunting from then on.

     Togaku-ji Temple was burned down in 1184, when the Minamoto Clan fought against the Taira Clan at the end of the ancient times.

     In 1562, Muni-ji Temple was founded by Priest Donsei on the site of Togaku-ji Temple.

Address: 387 Furuecho, Ikeda, Osaka 563-0015

Phone: 072-751-8542

Trees In the Town

Virtual North Settsu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #8 Saifuku-ji Temple

 

     In 1581, 2 years before Toyotomi Hideyoshi started constructing Osaka Castle in 1583, they enshrined Indra Sakra in a hall on the opposite bank of the Ina River from Mt. Satsuki to guard the North-West of the castle.

     In the north-west of the hall, there was a hermitage.  When Osaka Castle fell in 1615, a defeated, fleeing samurai came to the hermitage, carrying an Amitabha image on his back.  He left the image in the hermitage.  Obe Village was first documented in 1617.  In the 1620's, Osaka Castle was renovated under the Tokugawa Shogunate, which destroyed the Toyotomi Clan.  In 1626, the hermitage was moved near the hall, and they composed Saifuku-ji Temple.  Another high-ranking lady in Osaka Castle left the Thousand-Armed Sahasrabhuja dry-lacquer statue, which is also enshrined in the Main Hall with the Amitabha image as the main deity.　　　

Address: 3-chome-3 Oobe, Kawanishi, Hyogo 666-0014

Phone: 072-759-1950

Mt. Satsuki

Address: 5 Chome Satsukigaoka, Ikeda, Osaka 563-0029