Tsugaru 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Tsugaru Nobuyoshi (1619-1655), the third lord of the Hirosaki Domain, has been believed to have organized Tsugaru 33 Kannon Pilgrimage either in 1645 or in 1653 as a part of the memorial religious service for those who were killed during independence of the domain, or of the clan, from the Nambu Clan and for those who died during the process of developing the Hirosaki Plain.  Nobuyoshi himself had gone through 2 grave incidents.  Whether the incidents influenced the organization of Tsugaru 33 Kannon Pilgrimage or not is unknown.

     In 1634, the power struggle between old-timer and newcomer vassals broke out.  The central shogunate government stepped in, and several leaders of the both sides were exiled.

     In 1647, the power struggle between Nobuyoshi's supporters and Nobuhide's broke out.  Nobuhide was Nobuyoshi's younger brother and a child of his father's lawful wife, who was the niece of Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616).  Nobuyosi, meanwhile, was a child of his father's concubine, who was a daughter of Ishida Mitsunari (1560-1600).  Ieyasu and Mitsunari had fought a decisive battle over the ruling of Japan in Sekigahara on September 15, 1600.  Some of Nobuhide's supporters were exiled or ordered to commit seppuku.

     In those years in the mid-17th century, however, as half a century had passed since the establishment of the Tokugawa Clan's sovereign over Japan, the general public had become stable and settled, and Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage came into fashion nationwide.  Even in Hirosaki, which was very far from Saigoku, people organized associations to save money to send their representatives to Saigoku.  Some of them brought back a handful of the soil of each of Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage temples, and delivered the soil to the corresponding temple of Tsugaru 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  Thus, even ordinary people could make the 33 Kannon Pilgrimage domestically, and the domain government could stop the drain of money to other domains.

     At first, the 33 temples used to be in and around the castle town, Hirosaki.  In the mid-18th century, as the Tsugaru Clan’s rule over the Hirosaki Domain infiltrate into every corner of the domain, Tsugaru 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was reprganized, and spread across the territory.  Today, we have to travel more than 400 kilometers to visit all the 33 temples.

     Time has passed, and more than two-thirds of Tsugaru 33 Kannon Pilgrimage temples have no priest to live there and to offer a certificate of visit.  Some Kannon statues have been supported by the community neighbors.

Tosa 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Tosa 33 Kannon Pilgrimage is said to have been organized sometime during the Edo Period, and to have been reorganized at the beginning of the 20th century.

Tanabu Seaside 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Tanabu Seaside 33 Kannon Pilgrimage covers a distance of 270 kilometers, and takes more than 3 days by car.  It was organized at the beginning of the 18th century.

     All the 33 member temples have their own Avalokitesvara statue as their main deity, which is not always true of all the 33 Kannon pilgrimages in Japan.

Tamba 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Tamba 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized during the first half of the 15th century.  By the time its first guidebook was published in 1807, the pilgrimage membership had become vague.  The guidebook listed three pairs of the temples which had the same numbers.  The guidebook covered all the 36 temples in total, and nobody can tell today which ones used to be the first member temples and which ones were added later.  Or was the membership of the pilgrimage vague even from its start?  Anyway, having a couple of lists is not so unusual among 33 Kannon Pilgrimages in Japan.

Taki County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     We have too many histories to remember.  How many 33 Kannon pilgrimages have we had in Japan?  100?  Or more?  It is natural that some 33 Kannon pilgrimages have gone forgotten in the waves of history.  So has Taki 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  Only Guzen-ji Temple's membership is known, with the other 32 temples' names unknown.

Tajima 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Tajima 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in 1384 by Kiyooki, one of the highest-ranking priests at the time.

Tada-sho 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Tada Shrine used to be Tada-in Temple, which became a Shinto shrine after the Meiji Restoration, or more precisely after the Shinbutsu Hanzenrei (namely the Gods and Buddhas Separation Order) in 1868.

     Minamoto Mitsunaka (?-997) started living in Tada, and even came to be called Tada Mitsunaka.  In the famous novel "Botchan" by Natsume Soseki (1867-1916), the main character claimed to be one of the descendants of Mitsunaka, although Mitsunaka was comically pronounced Manju (a Japanese-style bun).

     Tada-sho 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized by Priest Sonko in Tada-in Temple in 1694.  Sonko was mentioned in the diary of Ryuko (1649-1724), a Buddhist bishop.  It was believed that Ryuko advised Tokugawa Tsunayoshi (1646-1709) to legalize compassion for animals, prohibiting harassment against them.  The entry in Ryuko’s diary was dated April 28, 1700.

South Chita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     South Chita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in 1929, and is very active.  They throw the 90th anniversary Buddhist ceremony on November 3, 2020, in #3 Zenchu-ji Temple.  1929.  The 90th anniversary in 2020.  A little bit contradictory to each other.  The pilgrimage route has a distance of a little more than 40 kilometers.

Shintatsu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Shintatsu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in the Fukushima Valley in Fukushima Prefecture in 1690’s.  The valley has Shintatsu, Shintatsu Bando, Old Shinobu, and New Shinobu 33 Kannon Pilgrimages.  Shintatsu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage spread across Fukushima City, Date City, Koori Town, and Kunimi Town.

Shimane 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Shimane 33 Kannon Pilgrimage spreads across Medieval Shimane County but not across Modern Shimane Prefecture, so it could have been organized sometime during the Edo Period. The distribution area belongs to Matsue City today, but the member temples are different from those of Matsue 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  When we talk about localism and/or regionalism, it is sometimes difficult to define the area and identify it with a certain name.  The pilgrimage’s guidebook was published in 1997.

Shikoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Shikoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was newly organized in 1990, at first to prevent senility.  As their understanding over senility matured, they came to openly discuss and try to contribute to the mental problems senior citizens face.

     In 1999, each of the 33 temples brought in a Kannon statue with one of the 33 manifestations of Avalokitesvara which had been arranged by Tosa Hidenobu (?-?).  Accordingly, the visitors can see all the 33 manifestations, in stead of usual “six types” of them, by accomplishing the pilgrimage.

     Tosa Hidenobu published Butsuzo-zui (Illustrated Compendium of Buddhist Images) in 1783.  In the compendium, he listed 33 popular subjects of Buddhism Avalokitesvara drawings and paintings: #1 Holding-Willow-Spray Avalokitesvar, #2 Naga Avalokitesvar, #3 Holding-Buddhism-Scripture Avalokitesvar, #4 Halo Avalokitesvar, #5 Sitting-on-Cloud Avalokitesvar, #6 Pandara Vasini Avalokitesvar, #7 Sitting-on-Lotus-Leaf Avalokitesvar, #8 Looking-at-Cascade Avalokitesvar, #9 Listening-to-Stream Avalokitesvar, #10 Holding-Fish-Cage Avalokitesvar, #11 Brahman (Virtuous-Lord) Avalokitesvar, #12 Looking-at-Reflected-Moon Avalokitesvar, #13 Sitting-on-Leaf Avalokitesvar, #14 Blue-Head Avalokitesvar, #15 Great-Commander Avalokitesvar, #16 Life-Prolonging Avalokitesvar, #17 Relief-from-Ruination Avalokitesvar, #18 In-Cave-with-Venom Avalokitesvar, #19 Wave-Reduction Avalokitesvar, #20 Anavatapta Avalokitesvar, #21 One-Knee-Drawn-Up Avalokitesvar, #22 Leaf-Robe Avalokitesvar, #23 Holding-Lapis-Lazuli-Censer Avalokitesvar, #24 Tara Avalokitesvar, #25 Sit-in-in-Clam Avalokitesvar, #26 Twenty-Four-Hour Avalokitesvar, #27 Universal-Benevolence Avalokitesvar, #28 Celestial Beauty Avalokitesvar, #29 Brahmani Avalokitesvar, who put palms together, #30 Controlling-Thunderbolt Avalokitesvar, #31 Peaceful-Vajrapani Avalokitesvar, #32 Holding-Lotus-Flower Avalokitesvar, and #33 Sprinkling-Purified-Water Avalokitesvar.  Some subjects came directly from the Lotus Supra Chapter XXV, some were based on folklore in China, and others had been created in Japan.  He put stronger emphasis on the number 33, and might have ramified a couple of subjects to increase the number to 33.  He also might have considered the 33 subjects to be artistically more meaningful manifestations of Avalokitesvara than those from the Lotus Sutra, at least in Japan.

Settsu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     The Kansai area at large has had Saigoku Kannnon Pilgrimage with 33 temples since the 8th century.  Settsu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in 1980 in the northern part of Osaka Prefecture and the eastern part of Hyogo Prefecture, both of which used to belong to Settsu Province in Ancient and Medieval Japan.

Sanuki 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Sanuki 33 Kannon Pilgrimage is said to have been organized by the end of the 16th century.  The pilgrimage fell into decline due to the movement to abolish Buddhism early in the Meiji Period, and was revived in 1977.

Sano 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     In 1698, Hongen Unkoku (?-?) organized Sano 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, copying not Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage but Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, which had copied Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  His intention to copy the copy wasn't clear.  Kanto Regionalism?

Saijo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

Saijo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in1923. Around Saijo, Iyo Province, there used to be 10 temples which belonged to the Omuro School of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism. They had a meeting one day, and decided to organize a copy of Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage there. They recruited their branch temples and even the priests’ hermitages to make it 33.

Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage -----The Oldest 33 Kannon Pilgrimage in Japan-----

     In 718, Priest Tokudo, the founder of Hase-dera Temple, died.  At the entrance of the netherworld, he met the great king of the Buddhist Hades.  The king had a kind of triage crisis and complained that he had to sort too many people into the hell.  “Japan has 33 Avalokitesvara precincts.  People there can reduce their penalty points by going on a pilgrimage to the precincts.”  Thus he gave Tokudo a written pledge and 33 precious seals, and sent him back to the world.  Tokudo chose 33 precincts and advised people to visit them.  People, however, didn’t believe it (as a matter of course), and the pilgrimage didn’t become popular.  He stored the seals up in a stone case in Nakayama-dera Temple.  He died at the age of 80, and the pilgrimage got forgotten.  This time, what conversation did he have with the king?

     One day, Emperor Kazan (968-1008) was shutting himself up in Mt. Nachi, Kishu Province, after his abdication in 986.  The god of Kumano appeared in his dream, and advised him to revive the pilgrimage Priest Tokudo had organized.  The emperor found the 33 seals in Nakayama-dera Temple, asked Priest Shoku (910-1007) in Enkyo-ji Temple to cooperate.  The priest recommended Priest Butsugen in Eifuku-ji Temple instead.  With Butsugen’s guide, the retired emperor went on the pilgrimage to the 33 precincts, and even composed a tanka poem for each temple.  That was the start of go-eika, Japanese tanka poem chants for pilgrims.

     Why had the great king of the Buddhist Hades mentioned the number 33?

     According to Lotus Sutra Chapter XXV, Avalokitesvara, to save people, manifest herself/himself/itself: #1 into the form of a buddha, #2 into the form of a pratyekabuddha, #3 into the form of a sravaka, #4 into the form of Brahma, #5 into the form of Sakra, #6 into the form of isvara, #7 into the form of Mahesvara, #8 into the form of the great commander of the devas, #9 into the form of Vaisravana, #10 into the form of a minor king, #11 into the form of a wealthy man, #12 into the form of a householder, #13 into the form of a state official, #14 into the form of a brahman, #15 into the form of a monk, #16 into the form of a nun, #17 into the form of a layman, #18 into the form of a  laywoman, #19 into the form of a wife of a wealthy man, #20 into the form of a wife of a householder, #21 into the form of a wife of a state official, #22 into the form of a wife of a brahman, #23 into the form of a boy, #24 into the form of a girl, #25 into the form of a deva, #26 into the form of naga, #27 into the form of yaksa, #28 into the form of gandharva, #29 into the form of asura, #30 into the form of garuda, #31 into the form of kimnara, #32 into the form of mahoraga, or #33 into the form of Vajrapani.  

Many of the forms, or manifestations, are an enumeration of occupations at the time of Buddha.  Thus most of the 33 manifestations haven't been carved into Buddhism statues or painted in Buddhism pictures in Japan.  Instead, the number 33 came to mean more to Avalokitesvara believers in Japan.  The great king of the Buddhist Hades must have been familiar with the local conditions in Japan.

     Every 33 Kannnon pilgrimage has 33 temples, but has only "six types" of Avalokitesvara statues: 1) Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of other 6 metamorphoses, 2) Ekadasamukha, who has 11 faces, 3) Sahasrabhuja, who has 1,000 arms, 4) Cintamanicakra, who usually has 6 arms and holds chintamani (a wish-fulfilling jewel) in one of the six, 5) Hayagriva , who has the head of a horse, 6) Cundi, who has 16 arms and appears to be female, and, 7) Amoghapasa, who usually has 3 eyes and 8 arms.

     Oh, we have 7 types of them.  Why did I say “six types" then?

     The Shingon Sect Buddhists assert that the last one should be Cundi, while the Tendai Sect Buddhists maintain that it should be Amoghapasa.  They all believe that Arya Avalokitesvara can metamorphose into 5, and that they can carve 6 types of Avalokitesvara statues in total.  All in all, we can find 7 types of Avalokitesvara statues in Japan.

     Do we meet just “six types" of Kannon statues in Japan today?  As the number 33 has come to mean more to Avalokitesvara believers in Japan, we can find more types of Kannon statues in Japan today.

     Tosa Hidenobu (?-?) published Butsuzo-zui (Illustrated Compendium of Buddhist Images) in 1783.  In the compendium, he listed 33 popular subjects of Buddhism Avalokitesvara drawings and paintings: #1 Holding-Willow-Spray Avalokitesvar, #2 Naga Avalokitesvar, #3 Holding-Buddhism-Scripture Avalokitesvar, #4 Halo Avalokitesvar, #5 Sitting-on-Cloud Avalokitesvar, #6 Pandara Vasini Avalokitesvar, #7 Sitting-on-Lotus-leaf Avalokitesvar, #8 Looking-at-Cascade Avalokitesvar, #9 Listening-to-Stream Avalokitesvar, #10 Holding-Fish-Cage Avalokitesvar, #11 Virtuous-Lord Avalokitesvar, #12 Looking-at-Reflected-Moon Avalokitesvar, #13 Sitting-on-Leaf Avalokitesvar, #14 Blue-Head Avalokitesvar, #15 Great-Commander Avalokitesvar, #16 Life-Prolonging Avalokitesvar, #17 Relief-from-Ruination Avalokitesvar, #18 In-Cave-with-Venom Avalokitesvar, #19 Wave-Reduction Avalokitesvar, #20 Anavatapta Avalokitesvar, #21 One-Knee-Drawn-Up Avalokitesvar, #22 Leaf-RobeAvalokitesvar, #23 Holding-Lapis-Lazuli-Censer Avalokitesvar, #24 Tara Avalokitesvar, #25 Sit-in-in-Clam Avalokitesvar, #26 Twenty-Four-Hour Avalokitesvar, #27 Universal-Benevolence Avalokitesvar, #28 Celestial Beauty Avalokitesvar, #29 Putting-Palms-together Avalokitesvar, #30 Controlling-Thunderbolt Avalokitesvar, #31 Peaceful-Vajrapani Avalokitesvar, #32 Holding-Lotus-Flower Avalokitesvar, and #33 Sprinkling-Purified-Water Avalokitesvar.  Some subjects came directly from Lotus Supra Chapter XXV, some were based on folklore in China, and others were created in Japan.  He put stronger emphasis on the number 33, and might have considered the 33 subjects to be artistically more meaningful manifestations of Avalokitesvara, at least in Japan.

     If a temple has a Kannon statue other than the above-mentioned “six types", it followed Hidenobu’s idea when it made its Avalokitesvara statue.

Sagara 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Sagara 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized by the end of the 18th century.  Their members are Kannon statues not Kannon temples.  And it has 2 #22s and 2 #24s.  33 Kannon Pilgrimage is usually composed with Kannon temples as its members.  A few pilgrimages have 2 temples for the same number for a certain, probably historical, reason.

     Why are they particular over the number 33?  Why didn't they call it Sagara 35 Kannon Pilgrimage instead?

     According to Lotus Sutra Chapter XXV, Avalokitesvara, to save people, manifest herself/himself/itself: #1 into the form of a buddha, #2 into the form of a pratyekabuddha, #3 into the form of a sravaka, #4 into the form of Brahma, #5 into the form of Sakra, #6 into the form of isvara, #7 into the form of Mahesvara, #8 into the form of the great commander of the devas, #9 into the form of Vaisravana, #10 into the form of a minor king, #11 into the form of a wealthy man, #12 into the form of a householder, #13 into the form of a state official, #14 into the form of a brahman, #15 into the form of a monk, #16 into the form of a nun, #17 into the form of a layman, #18 into the form of a  laywoman, #19 into the form of a wife of a wealthy man, #20 into the form of a wife of a householder, #21 into the form of a wife of a state official, #22 into the form of a wife of a brahman, #23 into the form of a boy, #24 into the form of a girl, #25 into the form of a deva, #26 into the form of naga, #27 into the form of yaksa, #28 into the form of gandharva, #29 into the form of asura, #30 into the form of garuda, #31 into the form of kimnara, #32 into the form of mahoraga, or #33 into the form of Vajrapani. 

     Many of the forms, or manifestations, are an enumeration of occupations at the time of Buddha.  Thus most of the 33 manifestations haven't been carved into Buddhism statues or painted in Buddhism pictures in Japan.  Instead, the number 33 came to mean a lot to Avalokitesvara believers in Japan at large as well as locally in Sagara.

     Unfortunately, they don't have #1 Kiyomizu, #2 Nakao, #4 Sanjigaharu, #5 Unokuchi, #7 Ishimuro, #8 Yunomoto, #11 Nagata (or Ashihara), #12 Kashinomine, #14 Toshima, #19 Uchiyama, #20 Uefukada, #21 Nagamine, #22 Uwate, #22 Kakuin, #23 Suyama, #24 Shozen-in, #24 Ryusen-ji, #25 Fumon-ji, #26 Kamizato-no-machi, #27 Hoda-ji, #28 Nakayama, #30 Akitoki, and #33 Akaike Kannon Statues listed on TripAdvisor.

Rakuyo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     The 33 temples of Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage were distributed throughout the Kansai area and were hard for ordinary citizens to visit, so Emperor Go-Shirakawa (1127-1192) organized Rakuyo Kannon Pilgrimage.  Rakuyo, or Luoyang, used to be an ancient capital city of China, and the name was sometimes used to mention the Heian-kyo Capital, or Kyoto.  The distribution of the 33 member temples of Rakuyo Kannon Pilgrimage is, as such, very compact, only in Kyoto City.  This was the first city-type 33 Kannon pilgrimage in Japan.

     The pilgrimage was discontinued with the Onin War (1467-1477), but was revived in 1665.  It was suspended again due to the anti-Buddhism movement during the Meiji Restoration, but was revitalized again in 2005.

Oshu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage β

     Oshu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage β was organized in 1123 by an old Shinto maiden Asahi, who was living in Shiga, Natori county.  She had been worshipping Three Kumano Shrines, and had visited Kumano every year.  As she got old, she stopped visiting Kumano.  Instead, she built small Three Kumano Shrines and kept worshipping them.  One day, an itinerant yamabushi, or an itinerant Japanese mountain ascetic, brought a leave of a nagi tree, a sacred tree in Kumano Shrines, on which her tanka poem had been scribbled:

“Far art thou

Old am I

Please remember me

I will remember thee.”

     The ascetic had been told by the god of Kumano Shrines in his dream to bring the leave to  Asahi.  She was filled with emotion at the divine favor, and organized a 33 Kannon pilgrimage.     

Oshu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage α

     Ennin (794-864), who is known to have sailed to Tang China as a member of the last Japanese mission in 838, and to have kept staying in there more than 9 years under the patronage and protection of Jang Bogo (787-846), a Silla trader or pirate, was said to have organized Oshu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage in Mutsu Province.  The oldest written record of the pilgrimage was dated as 1123.  In 1761, the pilgrimage was revitalized by the Buddhist monks who were working for the 7 out of the 33 temples.

Osaka 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Osaka 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in the late 17th century.  The pilgrimage was mentioned in Sonezaki Shinju (1703) and Uzuki-no-koyo (1706), both of which were written by Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653-1724), one of the most popular playwrights in Japan. 

Omi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     One of the Omi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage hymns is dated as 1668.  And so are the extant printing woodblocks for the main deities of the 33 temples.  Some temples even argue that the pilgrimage dates back to the 16th century.

     The territory of Omi Province in Ancient Japan is exactly the same with that of today’s Shiga Prefecture, which is the rare case in the Japanese history.  In the center of Omi Province, there lay, and of course still lies, Lake Biwa, so the province has been sometimes called Kokoku (literally Lake Province): the northern part of it was called Kohoku (Lake North), and the southern part Konan (Lake South).

     The 33 temples are unevenly distributed, with many in the southern part.  Meanwhile, the northern part is called Kohoku Kannon-no-sato, with a Kannon statue in each community.  The geo-political reason why the uneven distribution of the temples of Kannon 33 Pilgrimage isn’t clear.

Okitama 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Okitama 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized by O-Fune (1557-1637), the wife of Naoe Kanetsugu (1560-1619).  Kanetsugu was the consul under Uesugi Kagekatsu (1555-1623), who was one of the great rivals against Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616), who united the whole of Japan under his dictatorship after the Warring States Period.  That means Kanetsugu and O-Fune had witnessed countless deaths.

Oga 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     The history of Oga 33 Kannon Pilgrimage is unknown.  #1 Jisho-in Temple was founded at the turn of the 17th century by Ota Masatada, a descendant of Ota Dokan (1432-1486), who built the foundation of Edo Castle.  Masatada’s father, Sukemasa, used to live in Fukushima Prefecture, and it is unknown why Masatada moved to today’s Akita Prefecture.  Anyway, it must be after the 17th century that the pilgrimage was organized.

     As you go on the pilgrimage in a numeric order, you will travel clockwise around the Oga Peninsula.

     The migration from the northern coast of the Sea of Japan to the peninsula was not impossible nor improbable.  Oga City in Akita Prefecture has Akagami Shrine, which has passed down a migration-related legend.  Long, Long ago, Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty brought 5 ogres to the village.  To drive them out, villagers made a promise with the ogres.  If ogres were to build one thousand stone steps to Akagami Shrine within a night, the villagers would marry their daughters to the ogres.  If not, the ogres should leave the village.  When the ogres finished building 999 stone steps, a villager copied crows of a rooster.  The ogres kept their promise and left the village.  If it had really happened when Wu was ruling China, it should have happened in the first century B.C., 4 centuries before the first kingdom of Japan was born.  It is quite improbable that the legend has been handed down since such old days.  At the beginning of the 8th century, Dewa Fortress was built in today’s Yamagata Prefecture.  In 733, it was removed further north to today’s Akita Prefecture to suppress Emishi people living there.  Japanese shrines should have been built after the middle of the 8th century there.  Anyway, I wonder why they didn't accept the ogres who were competent enough to build 999 stone steps in such a short time, and who had such good manners to keep promises.

Noto 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     When and how Noto 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized is unknown, but it sided to be popular in the Edo Period.  In 2006, a guidebook was published.  The province name, Noto, reminds me of a tragic story:

     Noto was a Japanese Envoy Ship to Balhae, which survived 2 round trips between Japan and Balhae, and which witnessed the most tragic incident in the documented history of Japan-Balhae sea traffic.

     Noto was built in Fukura Port in Noto Province by the spring or by the early summer of 762.  The ship sailed back and forth across the Sea of Japan twice.

     In the spring or in the early summer of 762, Noto set sail from Fukura Port for Balhae with Koma Oyama (?-762), the 6th ambassador of Japan to Balhae, on board.

     On its return trip, Noto had Wang Sin-bog (?-?), Balhae’s ambassador, and 22 other Balhae envoys on board as well as Koma and other Japanese envoys.  Noto sailed back to Sariyoku Port in Kaga County, Echizen Province on October 1 in 762 (or October 26 by the Gregorian calendar).  Tragically, Koma died of a disease at the port.  Surprisingly, Wang was the first civil officer as Balhae’s ambassador.  On January 7 in 763 (or February 27 by the Gregorian calendar), Emperor Junnin (733-765) held an official welcome party with Tang music played.  The Tang dynasty was ruling China, which was the most advanced country in East Asia, and Tang music was the most classic music at the time.  The Emperor had another informal party 10 days later with ethnic flavor.  They played Tibetan, Vietnamese, Eastern (Japanese), Southern (Japanese), and other kinds of music.  In addition, the Emperor had female trainees of the Imperial Music and Dance School sing and dance in front of them, or maybe with them.  Fujiwara Nakamaro (706-764) threw his own private party for the mission members, without knowing he would be driven off from his position and would be killed along with his family next year.  Those luxurious and gorgeous parties had nothing to do with Noto and its crews at all.  Noto was just patiently waiting for the spring to come, when south winds start blowing to send them to Balhae.  In winter, snow closed in all around at Fukura Port.

     In the early summer of 763, Noto left Japan to sail Balhae’s emboys back to their home country.  In Noto’s surprise, no Japanese officers were on board other than Japanese sailors.  After letting Wang and other envoys off along today’s Posyet Bay in Russia, Noto waited for 2 passengers to come from the capital: one was Ko Uchiyumi (?-?), who had mastered phonetics in Balhae, and the other was Kai-yu (?-?), who was a Japanese Buddhist priest who had studied in China.  Ko’s case proved that Japanese people could study something more advanced even in Balhae.  Kai-yu used Balhae as an alternative route from China to Japan.

     September found the passengers at last.  Ko was with his wife, his young son, his baby and the baby’s wet nurse, and Kai-yu was with an “upasaka”; a mysterious man who could survive with having just a very small portion of food every few days.  They were just additional burdens to Noto and its crews.  Having neither Japanese officers nor those of Balhae meant having no capital to bribe local officials to take good care of Noto and its crews.  Although the typhoon season was approaching, Noto and its crews had better set sail for Japan.

     The area which is called Primorsky today never had a typhoon, so Noto’s departure was safe and smooth.  On the day of Noto’s arrival in Japan or on the day before, however, a typhoon came about.  Waves washed a helmsman, and oarsmen away.  Noto was trying hard to keep itself intact, but the captain argued with other sailors and decided to throw 3 females and an upasaka into the rough and wild sea because of their superstition that the god of the sea was angry with those passengers.  Superstition was just superstition.  Noto was at the mercy of winds and waves over 10 more days, and got washed ashore on Oki Island, an island province in the Sea of Japan.

     After its return to Japan, Noto was awarded with the 12th ranking in Japanese aristocratic order and with a beautifully decorated crown for its contribution.  The captain, Itaburi Kamakatsu (?-?), was arrested and imprisoned.  In 764, Fujiwara Nakamaro plotted a counter-coup against the retired Empress Koken, who herself had done a successful coup, and her henchmen in vain.  He was killed, and his henchmen were put into prison.  The prison being crowded, Itaburi was transferred to Omi Province.  What Itaburi had done aboard Noto in the storm has been passed down to today by the transfer document although the original police document has been lost.

     How many days or even years did Noto survive?  Superstitious people might not have dared to destroy it.  They must have left it dilapidating, decaying, and rotting over the years until the memories of the hell Noto had witnessed were dissolved like chips of wood and were concealed under the scattered documents about this incident.

North Kuwada 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     North Kuwada 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in 1810, and was revived in 1960.

North Kawachi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     A Written record on North Kawachi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage dates back to 1845.  The stone image of Buddha in #7 Saiho-ji Temple is dated 1738.  Some even argue it had been organized as early as by 1654.

     Anyway, in 1887, Tsuda Ganjiro (1814-1889) started delivering the copy Kannon statues of Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, the first 33 Kannon pilgrimage in Japan, to the 33 temples of North Kawachi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  It means #1 Komyo-in Temple of North Kawachi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, has the copy Kannon statue of #1 Seiganto-ji Temple of Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, and so forth.

     In 1978, Nakajima Kazuyoshi and Otsuka Hideo tried to revive the pilgrimage and published a guidebook.  However, their attempt wasn’t supported by all the 33 temples, and the pilgrimage has become obsolete. 

New Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     The Kansai area has had Saigoku Kannnon Pilgrimage since the 8th century.  Another set of 33 temples was organized in Kansai in 1932.  Why?  Of course, to promote their visitors.

New Edo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Under the reign of the Tokugawa Clan, the capital city, Edo, flourished, and so did various pilgrimages. In Edo alone, there used to be 20 copies of the 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  New Edo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage is supposed to be based on what was organized in 1668, say, Old Edo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  New Edo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage even includes #3 Dai-Kannon-ji and #5 Dai-Anraku-ji Temples, which were both established after the Meiji Restoration.  Kamo Chomei (1155-1216) once said, "All things must pass; all worldly things are impermanent."

Nanto Yamato 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

Supposedly, Nanto Yamato 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized sometime in the Edo Period, as other city-type Kannon pilgrimages (such as Edo, Rakuyo, and Osaka Kannon Pilgrimages) were. 

Nada 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     We have too many histories to remember.  How many 33 Kannon pilgrimages have we had in Japan?  100?  Or more?  It is natural that some 33 Kannon pilgrimages have gone forgotten in the waves of history.  So has Nada 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, with only 2 of them left over.

Musashino 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Musashino 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized along Seibu Railway in 1940.

Mogami 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Mogami 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in the middle of the 15th century.  Some call their Kannon statues by the names of their villages, some others call their villages, vice versa, by the names of their Kannon statues or of their temples that enshrine their statues.  The Kannon statue, the temple, and the worshipping villagers are in a harmony.

Mino County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Mino County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized by Yasufuku Gen’emon in today’s Hyogo Prefecture in 1707during the Edo Period  under the permission by the acting county administrator of the Akashi Domain.

     Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, the oldest 33 Kannon pilgrimage, was organized in the 8th century.  Since then, many Japanese people had longed for the mercy of Kannon, wishing to go on the pilgrimage of the 33 Kannon temples spreading across today’s Kansai or Kinki area once in a lifetime.  For the convenience of ordinary people in Harima Province, Harima 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized at the beginning of Edo Period.  Later, County 33 Kannon Pilgrimages were organized in each county in the province for the convenience of the wider inhabitants. Mino County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was one of them, and is one of the few that have survived the anti-Buddhist movement in the early Meiji era, world wars, and the high-growth economy after the Second World War.

Mino 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Mino 33 Kannon pilgrimage was organized in today's Gifu Prefecture in the middle of the Edo Period.  Some pilgrimages used to have “leaders” to guide pilgrims.  Mino 33 Kannon Pilgrimage’s 3 guides, Kobai-in Eno, Yamamoto Kachu, who was from #18 Mie-ji Temple, and Kamiya Nagaharu coauthored a guidebook in the first half of the 18th century, which was published in 1862.

The pilgrimage stretches for over 200 kilometers between the Kiso and Nagara Rivers.

Matsue 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

   It is unknown that when Matsue 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized, but the pilgrimage used to be called Shimane 33 Kannon Pilgrimage in the Edo Period.  There used to be Shimane County where Matsue City is today.  The name Shimane became the prefecture name, and the pilgrimage changed its name to avoid the misunderstanding that the pilgrimage might spread across the prefecture.

Kyushu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     In the 8th century, Horen and Ninmon organized 18 holy precincts in the northern part of Kyushu.  That was said to be the start of Kyushu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  How they increased the number to 33 is unknown.

Kyoto Rakusei 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Nishinooka (literally Western Hill) 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized sometime between 14th and 18th centuries.  “Western Hills” lay west to Kyoto, and people associated the phrase with the Western Pure Land of Amida to form a set of holy precincts there.

     The Kansai area, at large, has had Saigoku 33 Kannnon Pilgrimage since the 8th century.  In Kyoto, the reduced-size copy of 33 Kannon pilgrimage had been already organized by Emperor Go-Shirakawa (1127-1192) under the name of Rakuyo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  Organizing another set might have meant the large enough needs for 33 Kannon pilgrimage in Kyoto.

     The member temples Nishinooka 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, however, experienced the expulsion of Buddhism during the Meiji Restoration, and World Wars.  Some were even closed down.  In March, 1978, they started reorganizing themselves under the name of Rakusei 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  Kyoto was sometimes called Rakuyo, copying the Chinese Ancient capital, Luoyang, whose Chinese characters are pronounced as Rakuyo in Japanese.  Rakusei means the Western Kyoto.

Kuwana 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Kuwana 33 Kannon Pilgrimage seems to have been stuck in a time before the anti-Buddhist movement in the early Meiji era.  The Kannon statues of #1 and #33 are both enshrined in Shinto shrines.  Many of other member temples, however, have gone out of business partially because of the movement.

Kumano 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Kumano 33 Kannon Pilgrimage has been organized in Kumano City, Mihama-cho Town, and Kiho-cho Town in the southernmost part of Mie Prefecture.  It is unknown when and by whom it was organized.

     Historically speaking, Kumano has been rather a mysterious area.

     Kumano Pirates or Kumano Sea Forces were the most mysterious portion of Japanese pirates.

     Even during the Warring States Period in Japan, the sea forces under the direct control of the Mori Clan, the largest and strongest warlord along the Seto Inland Sea, were no match against Awa Sea Forces or Awa Pirates, much less against Murakami Pirates.  Both Murakami and Awa Pirates were said to have developed under the strong influence of Kumano Pirates.  Kumano Pirates were said to have commanded the Seto Inland Sea before the written history of Japanese piracy.  In addition, Kumano Pirates exported their personnels even to Eastern Provinces during the Warring States Period.

     Here, I’m going to talk about the history of Kumano Pirates in historical documents, which does not reveal their mysterious influence nor their strength, though.     

     The Japanese Archipelago has 34,600 kilometers of shoreline, which is shorter than America’s 56,700 kilometers but longer than Brazil’s 5,760 kilometers.  The islands are washed by the Black and Tsushima Currents from the south and by the Kuril Current from the north.

     The Black Current starts off Philippines, flows northward between the Formosa Island and the Ryukyu Islands, and, turning northeastward,  passes between the Ryukyu Islands and the Kyushu Island toward the south coasts of the Shikoku and Honshu Islands, transporting warm, tropical water.  The current brings not only tropical water but also fish, corals, seeds of tropical plants such as coconuts, blocks of dead aromatic trees, and culturally, sometimes even militarily, advanced alien people as well.

     Let me show 2 examples of exotic people who were brought about along the Black Current.

     Ugaya (?-?), whose ancestors had come from what was later called Takamagahara, was ruling Hyuga Province in the eastern coast of Kyushu Island.  He had been abandoned by his mother in his infancy, and raised by his aunt, his mother’s younger sister.  When he came of age, he married the aunt, and had 4 sons, Itsue, Inahi, Mikenu, and Sano.

     Inahi drowned himself in the eastern sea, where the Black Current ran, to see his mother.  Mikenu left eastward, that is, to the sea, for the land of the dead.  Itsuse left northward with his youngest brother, Sano.  The reason for the family breakdown is unknown and unknowable now.

     Itsuse first arrived at Usa in Buzen Province, and stayed at another place int the province for a year.  He moved on eastward along the Seto Inland sea to Aki Province, and stayed there for 7 years.  And then he moved to Kibi Province, and stayed there for 3 to 8 years.  He finally reached the eastern end of the Seto Inland sea only to get faced by Nagasune, who was hostile against him.  Itsuse was shot, flew, got to O Port in Ki Province, and died there.  He was buried in Mt. Kama near the port.

     Itsuse’s younger brother, Sano, continued their eastward quest, and arrived at Kumano.  Tempted by a local tribe, who had the token of a crow with 3 legs, he went upstream along Totsu river, crossed Yoshino River, beat his way through the bush, and reached Uda in Yamato Province.

     The 3-legged-crow tribe helped Sano rival other local tribes there, and successfully split one tribe.  Sano’s men committed an underhanded murder of another local tribe.  Sano also maneuvered pork-barrel politics against other tribes, and established his ruling in Iware.  He was later called Iware, related to his domain name.  Until the end of the World War II, the series of events was widely believed in Japan to have taken place more than 2 millennia before.

     Sano’s descendants eventually unified Yamato Province.  They even further continued the brothers’ eastward quest.  After Kumano, they reached Ise.  They built their advanced base at the southern end of the Ise Plains, Ise Shrine.  Next, they invaded Nobi Plains, and built another advanced base at the mouth of a river in Owari Prefecture, Atsuta Shrine.  They moved further east, got to an inland sea at the eastern end of the Kanto Plains, and built another advanced base at the southern shore of the sea, Katori Shrine.  Across the inland sea, at the northern shore, they also prepared another advanced logistics base, Kashima Shrine, to invade Northern Japan.

     2 districts in Kumano have another type of legend.  The both districts accepted Chinese boat people.  The refugees brought crop farming, fishing, whaling, shipbuilding, paper making, civil engineering, pottery, and medicine there.  That is, they brought civilization.  If the Chinese boat people were some of those who were led by Xu Fu (?278B.C.-?208B.C.) as is widely believed in 11 prefectures in Japan to have happened, the series of incidents occurred in 210s BC, more than 2 millennia ago.

     The widely-known written records of the Black Current can date back to the 18th century.

     During the Edo Period, with Pax Tokugawa established, the economy grew slowly but almost steadily.  The cultural level of the ordinary people was getting higher.  Even commoners could enjoy traveling.  The enthusiasm coupled with the higher literacy rate of commonalty brought the publication of guidebooks and travel essays flourishing.  We can find a couple of comments on the Black Current in the guidebooks.

     Furukawa Shoken (1726-1807) was a geographer in the latter half of the Edo Period.  He compiled topographies based on his own observation, and also integrated information based on hearsay into memorandums.  “The Memorandum of Hachijo” was a latter case, and was about the Izu Islands including Hachijo Island.  The memorandum was published in 1794, and he mentioned the Black Current in it.

     “The Black Current looks as if an ink stone were rubbed on the surface of the sea.  As hundreds of swirls are mysteriously flowing past, whoever sees the current feels just dazzled.”

     Tachibana Nankei (1753-1805) was a doctor of Chinese medicine in Kyoto, and made rounds of visits to various parts of Japan intermittently from 1782 to 1788.  He published travel essays from 1795 to 1798, which would be collectively called “Journey to the East and to the West” later.  In one of the essays, he recorded a scratch of hearsay information on the Black Current.

     “They say that about 5.5 hundred kilometers off the Izu Peninsula, there are desert islands in the south.  The sea around the islands is called the Black Current.  The current is tens of kilometers wide, and runs like a large river, raging and rolling.

     “Furthermore, if you sail out southeast off Awa and Kazusa Provinces too far, you are washed away east and shall never come back, as the current turns eastward away from our islands.”

     The exploration of older records of the current is yet to be done. 

     When I started looking into Kumano and then into the Black Current, I had a slight expectation that someone brought knacks and tricks to be successful pirates to Kumano.  The founders of the Yamato imperial central government might have brought some.  Drifted aliens and flotsam might have raised some motivation for precious products.  Sailing annual tax to Kumano Shrines might have helped develop water transportation skills.  However, it is clear now that piracy was not introduced from the outer world to Kumano.  Then, how did Kumano Sea People grew up to be pirates for themselves?

    In Japan, the right to obtain flotsams was largely acknowledged to belong to the finders.  Kumano might have been one of the best spots to find valuable flotsams from alien countries.  Did they just kept waiting for boats wrecked by chance?  The best way to increase the efficiency of the acquisition must have been to directly shipwreck boats.  Kumano Sea People must have had supremacy in shipwrecking skills to other sea people.  With the supremacy in their hands, they first made their way into the Kii Channel and the Kitan Strait, where tax rice was sent from Tosa and Awa Provinces, and then made their way into the Seto Inland Sea, where not only tax rice was shipped but also valuable imports from China and Korea were shipped even in the ancient times.

     What was the supremacy Kumano Sea People had?  That was never recorded in official historical documents.  Still, we can make a good guess.  What Kumano Sea People were good at, or what Kumano fishers are good at today, was, or is, dolphin drive hunting.  If you can drive dolphins into a bay or onto a beach, it is not so difficult to drive other boats into a bay or onto a beach, even if they had just stone arrowheads and their victims had more advanced iron arrowheads.  In the Seto Inland Sea, dolphin hunting didn’t flourish and the people there had no chance to train their boat hunting skills for them selves.

Kozukue 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Kozukue 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in 1732.  Those days, Tsurumi River flooded almost every year.  To memorialize the flood victims and to pray against the flood, Takino Aisho wanted to organize a 33 Kannon pilgrimage, consulted Priest Soun in Hosho-ji Temple, #33 temple of Kozukue 33 Kannon Pilgrimage today.  The priest, with his colleague priest Choan, visited Priest Tenyo in Senkoku-ji Temple, #1 temple today.  The three reached an agreement, and visited proper and suitable temples in the Kozukue Domain, encouraging them to join their attempt.  They succeeded in organizing 33 temples, and applied to the Tokugawa Shogunate government for the foundation of a new 33 Kannon pilgrimage.

     In 1756, 24 years after the foundation, the member temples displayed their Avalokitesvara statues.  Since then, the member temples have displayed their Avalokitesvara statues every 12 years, in the Year of Rat.  And the pilgrimage came to be also called Zodical Rat Year 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  2020 is the Year of Rat.

     288 years have passed.  The centuries have witnessed the title of #9 was handed over from Urashima-dera Temple to Tokuon-ji Temple; #11 from Jigen-ji Temple to Shoin-ji Temple; and #23 from Mannen-ji Temple to Tokuon-ji Temple.  In #33 Hosho-ji Temple, there still stands the stone monument of the list of original 33 member temples.

Kinki Longevity 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Kinki Longevity 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in 1989 with 33 temples in Shiga, Kyoto, Hyogo Prefectures.  It’s quite new!  Their motto is “Shinko (Belief), Kenko (Health), and Kanko (Sightseeing)”, in rhyme, or almost as a pun.  They organized the pilgrimage to support the richness of the mind of the elderly, observing Avalokitesvara benevolence.

Kawachi Province 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Kawachi Province 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, which was organized by the beginning of Meiji Era, is supposed to have been a prototype of the reorganized version of Kawachi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, which was organized by 1930’s.  In the course of the transformation from Kawachi Province 33 Kannon Pilgrimage to (New) Kawachi 33 Kannon pilgrimage, some member temples of Kawachi Province 33 Kannon Pilgrimage were replaced by new member temples, and the distribution of new member temples narrowed into Central Kawachi Province.  Not all the replaced temples had been abolished. That leaves the reason for their replacement mysterious.

  There is another mystery that Kannon temples in the northern part of Kawachi Province were organized into Northern Kawachi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage in 1845, presumably earlier than the birth of Kawachi Province 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  Did the organization of Northern Kawachi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage stimulated Central and Southern Kawachi temples to form their own?

Kawachi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     The Kansai area, at large, has had Saigoku Kannnon Pilgrimage with 33 temples since the 8th century.  In Kawachi Province, which now belongs to Osaka Prefecture, the reduced-size copy of the 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized with another set of 33 temples during Edo Period.

     Because of the unique character of Kawachi Province, Kawachi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage cannot classified as a domain-based pilgrimage although the 33 temples are distributed within a province.

     In the Edo Period, Kawachi Province used to be constituted with small estates and territories of the Tokugawa Shogunate, of the Shogun’s direct retainers, and of the absentee lords in distant domains such as Shimodate, Odawara, Numata, and Tatebayashi, and also comprised small domains such as Sayama and Tannan.

     The Sayama domain used to consist of only 28 villages in Kawachi Province, and the Tannan Domain with just 20 villages.  Thus, Kawachi Province wasn’t governed as a whole domain. That affected the way Kawachi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized and revived.  To put it another way, it was organized and revived somewhat like a city-based pilgrimage.

Kawabe 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Kawabe 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized either at the end of the 17th century or at the beginning of the 18th century.  Those years are generally considered to be the Golden Age of the Edo Period.  The previous hundred years of peace and seclusion in Japan had created relative economic stability.  Additional rice fields were newly developed, and monetary economies grew to make merchants wealthy and affluent.  The arts and architecture flourished, especially in the surrounding areas of Osaka and Kyoto.

     In legendary times, Okinagatarashi, a legendary empress, was said to have made a military expedition to Silla in the Korean Peninsula.  A historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea (Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla) recorded 14 organized piracies by Wa, the Japanese kingdom, by the end of the 4th century.  Okinagatarashi’s expedition to Silla might have been one of those piracies.  For her expedition, Okinagatarashi counted on the arts of shipbuilding and of navigation possessed by the people living along the north coast of today’s Osaka Bay. When she was going to leave Japan, she followed the suggestion of the local people living around today’s Amagasaki City and built warships with Japanese cedars in the upper reaches of today’s Ina River.  So, it was the people having lived and the ceder tress having grown in the Kawabe-33-Kannon-Pilgrimage area that Okinagatarashi had relied on.

Kasai County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, the oldest 33 Kannon pilgrimage, was organized in the 8th century.  Since then, many Japanese people had longed for the mercy of Kannon, wishing to go on the pilgrimage of the 33 Kannon temples spreading across today’s Kansai or Kinki area once in a lifetime.  For the convenience of ordinary people in Harima Province, Harima 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized at the beginning of Edo Period.  Later, County 33 Kannon Pilgrimages were organized in each county in the province for the convenience of the wider inhabitants. Kasai County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was one of them, and is one of the few that have survived the anti-Buddhist movement in the early Meiji era, world wars, and the high-growth economy after the Second World War.

Kanazawa 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     The history of Kanazawa 33 Kannon Pilgrimage is unknown.

Legend has it that #25 Kannon-in Temple was founded by Imohori Togoro in the middle of the 5th century.   He dug (horu) potatoes (imo) and found gold dust.  He became rich, and asked Gyoki (668-749) to send him the timber from the same tree that provided the timber for the Kannon statue in Hase-dera Temple in Yamato Province.  He built a temple, which was burned down later, and, in 1601, it was moved to the location today by Maeda Toshinaga (1562-1614), the first lord of the Kaga Domain in the Edo Period.

Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was first organized sometime during the Edo Period.  At first, the 33 temples were distributed across Kamakura County, a third of which belongs to Kamakura City today, another third of which to Yokohama, and the other third to Fujisawa.  After the Meiji Restoration, Haibutsu Kishaku (literally "abolish Buddhism and destroy Shakamuni”) was executed in many parts of Japan, and, in Kamakura County, many of the 33 temples were either abolished or relocated.  By the mid-20th century, 23 temples had been replaced, and all the 33 temples today are now distributed within Kamakura City only.  Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage has become the most compact 33 Kannon pilgrimage (5 kilometers north and south, and 6 kilometers east and west) in Japan, and you can make the pilgrimage within a day or two.  In Kamakura, it is believed that if you visit the Kannon temples on August the 10th, it will be worth 46000-day visits.

Kako County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, the oldest 33 Kannon pilgrimage, was organized in the 8th century.  Since then, many Japanese people had longed for the mercy of Kannon, wishing to go on the pilgrimage of the 33 Kannon temples spreading across today’s Kansai or Kinki area once in a lifetime.  For the convenience of ordinary people in Harima Province, Harima 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized at the beginning of Edo Period.  Later, County 33 Kannon Pilgrimages were organized in each county in the province for the convenience of the wider inhabitants. Kako County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was one of them, and is one of the few that have survived the anti-Buddhist movement in the early Meiji era, world wars, and the high-growth economy after the Second World War.

Izumo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Emperor Kazan (968-1008) restarted Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, and is also said to have organized Izumo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage In Izumo Province, which is believed to be the province where Japanese 8 million gods gather once a year.  The pilgrimage has the journey of about 220 kilometers when Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage extends for over 1,000 kilometers.  Relatively accessible, isn’t it?

Ise 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Ono Takamura (802-853) was recorded to have gone on Ise 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  He was an associate counselor in the Imperial Court of Japan, and was also a good tanka poet.  His tanka poems appeared in Hyakunin Isshu (a classical Japanese anthology of one hundred Japanese tanka poems by one hundred poets) and in Kokin Wakashu (namely, "Collection of Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times” compiled in the 10th century).  He was so capable, competent, and efficient that legend has it that he helped Yama to judge the dead in Hell at night, while he worked for the Imperial Court in the daytime.

Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, the oldest 33 Kannon pilgrimage, was organized in the 8th century.  Since then, many Japanese people had longed for the mercy of Kannon, wishing to go on the pilgrimage of the 33 Kannon temples spreading across today’s Kansai or Kinki area once in a lifetime.

     For the convenience of ordinary people in Harima Province, Harima 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized at the beginning of Edo Period.  Later, County 33 Kannon Pilgrimages were organized in each county in the province for the convenience of the wider inhabitants. Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was one of them, and is one of the few that have survived the anti-Buddhist movement in the early Meiji era, 2 world wars, and the high-growth economy after the Second World War.

Inaba 33 Kannon Pilgrimage β

     The Japanese society is aging with a low birthrate.  As a consequence, its population is shrinking.  Some figuratively say that the population equivalent to that of Tottori Prefecture, the least populated prefecture, is disappearing.  However little populated and small it may be, the prefecture consists of 2 Ancient/Medieval provinces: Inaba and Hoki.  The smaller Eastern part of the prefecture used to be Inaba Province.

     Inaba 33 Kannon Pilgrimage β is supposed to have been organized at the beginning of the 17th century, and its pilgrimage route was specified in 1858.

Inaba 33 Kannon Pilgrimage α

     The Japanese society is aging with a low birthrate.  As a consequence, its population is shrinking.  Some figuratively say that the population equivalent to that of Tottori Prefecture, the least populated prefecture, is disappearing.  However little populated and small it may be, the prefecture consists of 2 Ancient/Medieval provinces: Inaba and Hoki.  The smaller Eastern part of the prefecture used to be Inaba Province.

     Koizumi Yuken(1622-1691) compiled Inaba Mindan-ki (a handwritten topography and history text of Inaba Province) in 10 volumes by 1688.  Abe Korechika (1734-1808) compiled another handwritten more comprehensive topography and history text of Inaba Province, Inaba-shi, in 86 volumes by 1795.  He mentioned the pilgrimage of Kannon holy precincts in Inaba Province in the book.

Iga 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     The guidebook on Iga 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was published in 1976.  The written record on the pilgrimage dates back to 1966.  One of the stone statues of the pilgrimage dates back to 1916.  How far the organization of the pilgrimage dates back is unknown.

Hokuriku Longevity 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Hokuriku Longevity 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in 1990’s with the 33 temples which enshrine the Avalokitesvara statues who are to answer to the prayers for longevity.

Hokuriku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Hokuriku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in 1979.

Hokkaido 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Yamamoto Raku (1845-1927) was born, grew up, and worked in Tokushima Prefecture.  After she retired from her successful business, she organized the 33 Kannon pilgrimage all across Hokkaido in 1913.  The pilgrimage extends for over 2,300 kilometers; by far the longest as the independent 33 Kannon pilgrimage in Japan.

Hoki 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     In 1744, Yoshimochi Jin'emon confined himself in Unko-ji Temple for 100 days and nights.  At the 101st dawn, Avalokitesvara gave him a divine revelation to organize a 33 Kannon pilgrimage in his home province, Hoki.  Unko-ji Temple later became #1 of Hoki 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.

Hikami 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Hikami 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in 1890.

     The Tamba people love Kannon, or Avalokitesvara.  Tamba Province has Tamba 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, with its 33 member temples across the province.  Tamba Province had 6 counties.  4 out of the 6, Amata, Ayabe, North Kuwada, and Hikami, had their own 33 Kannon pilgrimage.  Even outside the pilgrimages, they had other Kannon statues.

     Kami-ichiba Kannon-do Temple, for example, displays their hidden Kannon statue every 33 years.  The latest display was held on February the 15th, 2018.  On the day, the priest of #16 Juju-ji Temple solemnly chanted sutras, and respectfully opened the vermillion sacred cabinet.  The sparkling golden Kannon statue of Sahasrabhuja, who has 1,000 arms, showed itself to the community members of 24 families, who have maintained and protected the statue for countless generations.  An 83-year-old lady, who had luckily participated in 3 displays, said, “I’m afraid I don’t deserve the 3 opportunities, but feel very thankful.”  A 16-year-old boy said, “It’s my first opportunity, and I’m impressed!” A 73-year-old man, who was in charge of the display, said, “As we have fewer families, it's pretty tough to arrange the display, but we feel relieved now."

Hida 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Hida 33 Kannon Pilgrimage has the 250-kilometer-long pilgrimage road at the foot of the Japan Alps.  The pilgrimage road ties the 33 holy precincts that enshrine Kannon statues.  It is not known when the pilgrimage was organized or started.  Enku (1632-1695), a famous Buddhist monk who traveled across Japan and who carved pieces of wood into as many as 120 thousand Buddhism statues, traveled across Hida Province and left hundreds of wood statues there.

Harima 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Harima 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in the mid 17th century by Namuro, one of the highest-ranking priests at the time, who considered the convenience for slow walkers.  The pilgrimage has the journey of 385 kilometers when Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage extends for over 1,000 kilometers.

Hamada 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Hamada 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized at the beginning of the 18th century by the Buddhist priests of #25 Ryuun-ji and #26 Shoho-ji Temples.  The pilgrimage was revived by the 33 ardent believers in the area.  It took them 2 days to make the pilgrimage on foot those days.

Enshu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Enshu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized 1984 to establish the Pure Land in the western part of Shizuoka Prefecture, which used to belong to Totomi Province, which was also called Enshu.

Ena 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Ena 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in 1758.  

     After the Meiji Restoration, Aoyama Kagemichi (1819-1891), a Shinto fundamentalist, executed Haibutsu Kishaku (literally "abolish Buddhism and destroy Shakamuni") in the Naegi domain, which had been ruled over by the Toyama Clan, in the Ena valley so fiercely that even the family temple of the Toyama Clan, Unrin-ji Temple, was abolished.  He, at least on the surface, successfully expunged Buddhism from an area, however narrow it may be.

Eastern Awa 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Eastern Awa 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized by Fumonken Entsu Upasaka in 1710.  He had heard an oracle to build 33 holy precincts within 33 li (=142 kilometers).  Its guidebook was published as early as in 1718, and more guidebooks were published in 1860s.  After World War II, it was revived in 1972.

     Surprisingly enough, Awa Province had more 33 Kannon pilgrimages: Western Awa 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, Awa Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, and Awa Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage.  Eastern Awa 33 Kannon, Awa Bando 33 Kannon, and Awa Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimages constituted Awa 100 Kannon Pilgrimage.  The Awa people used to love Kannon pilgrimages.  No wonder, it was Yamamoto Raku (1845-1927), who was born, grew up, and worked in Awa Province, that newly organized the 33 Kannon pilgrimage all across Hokkaido in 1913, after she retired from her successful business.

Chuugoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     The Japanese phrase "Chugoku" has 2 meanings.  Globally, it refers to China, and, domestically, the Chugoku Region covers Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Shimane, and Tottori Prefectures.  Chugoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in 1982 across the 5 prefectures in Japan, and has been very active in interacting with Kannon temples abroad, sending tis members to Mount Putuo in China, which is one of the four major sacred mountains in China along with Mount Wutai, Mount Jiuhua, and Mount Emei, and which is renowned for their Guanyin  (the Chinese pronunciation for Kannon in Japanese) worship, and to the member temples of New Korea 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.

Chugoku Longevity 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Chugoku Longevity 33 Kannon Pilgrimage covers 5 prefectures and extends for 1,550 kilometers.  Most of the member temples enshrine their glittering golden or bronze Kannon statues outside.

Chita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Chita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in 1770 by Priest Chizan in Iwaya-ji Temple.

Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage

     About 2 decades after the organization of Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized on March the 18th, 1234.  Although some of the Kannon statues of the 34 temples were normally hidden from public view, all the Kannon statues were to be displayed to the public every 12 years since 1234.  The last simultaneous display was performed in 2014, and, accordingly, the next one will be carried out in 2026.

Bicchu Province 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Yoshioka Akisada (?-1667) worked and fought for the Toyotomi Clan, which was destroyed by the Tokugawa Clan in 1615.  The Toyotomi Clan was besieged in Osaka Castle, and when the castle fell, Akisada escaped west with a gold-guilt bronze statue of Holding-Fish-Cage Avalokitesvar.  Thanks to the statue, he escaped through raging flames in safe.  To show his gratitude, he or his son, Nobumoto (?-1695), offered the statue to Anyo-ji Temple, which is located at 178 Shinga, Kasaoka, Okayama, today.  Nobumoto also organized Bicchu Province 33 Kannon Pilgrimage in 1687.

Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     After Emperor Go-Shirakawa (1127-1192) organized Rakuyo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, the first copy of Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, the second copy was planned by Minamoto Yoritomo (1147-1199), the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate and the political rival against Emperor Go-Shirakawa, and was actually organized by Minamoto Sanetomo (1192-1219), the third shogun, who was unluckily assassinated by his nephew.

Bicchu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Bicchu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized by Yanai Kanzaemon Shigenori in the late 18th century.  The Yanai Family used to belong to the Fujiwara Clan and live in Kanto Region until the end of the Kamakura Period.  At the beginning of the Muromachi Period in the middle of the 14th century, they moved to Yanai, Suo Province, and since then called themselves Yanai.  Before the second half of the 16th century, they moved to Matsuyama (Takahasi City today), Bicchu Province.  Since those days, they started producing dan paper, the most high-grade quality paper with the crepe texture made from paper mulberries.  Under the guidance of Kobori Masakazu (1579-1647), who is better known as Kobori Enshu, a notable artist, the family improved their papermaking.  Yanai Kanzaemon Shigetsugu (1590-1641) offered dan paper to the third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu (1604-1651), in 1626, was titled Mino-no-jo (the third provincial officer in Mino Province) by Empres Meisho (1624-1696) in 1633, and established the privilege position in producing dan paper in Bicchu Province.  Since his days, the heads of the Yanai Family succeeded to the hereditary name Kanzaemon.

Ayabe 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Ayabe 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was first organized as Ikaruga County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage by the end of 16th century.  In 1984, it was revived and changed its name to Ayabe 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.

Awajishima Island 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Awajishima Island 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in 1475 by Hosokawa Shigeharu (1433-1485), who was the Guardian Samurai of Awaji Province.

Awa Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage

Awa Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage is, as tis middle name shows, the copy of Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage, which organized 34 Kannon temples, not usual 33 Kannon temples, to make it 100 together with Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage and Musashi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  Awa Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage seems to have organized 34 Kannon Temples to make it 100 together with Eastern Awa 33 Kannon Pilgrimage and Awa Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, not with Western Awa 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  Why?  Could there be any geopolitical reasons?

Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage inclines tower a mountain religion, and its 34 Kannon temples are located in the hills. As Awa Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage is also in the mountainous area, that might have been the reason they copied Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage.

     Anyway, the Awa people must have loved Kannon pilgrimages.  No wonder, it was Yamamoto Raku (1845-1927), who was born, grew up, and worked in Awa Province, that newly organized the 33 Kannon pilgrimage all across Hokkaido in 1913, after she retired from her successful business.

Awa Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Kannon-do (which is located at 372-5 Hinoki, Fukui, Annan City), the inner shrine of Byodo-ji Temple, is #1 of Awa Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  Kannon-do is quite far from the main building of Byodo-ji Temple.

     Surprisingly enough, Awa Province had more 33 Kannon pilgrimages: Western Awa 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, Eastern Awa 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, and Awa Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage.  Eastern Awa 33 Kannon, Awa Bando 33 Kannon, and Awa Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimages constituted Awa 100 Kannon Pilgrimage.  The Awa people must have loved Kannon pilgrimages.  No wonder, it was Yamamoto Raku (1845-1927), who was born, grew up, and worked in Awa Province, that newly organized the 33 Kannon pilgrimage all across Hokkaido in 1913, after she retired from her successful business.

Arima 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     A written records says Arima 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was revived in 1912.  That means it was organized sometime before the year.  As Arima was mentioned as Arima County, the organization might have been after the Meiji Restoration.  A guidebook was published in 2007 to re-revive the pilgrimage.

Ako Town 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     In March, 1774, Maekawa Saburoemon went on Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  He brought back 33 pinches of the sand of all the 33 temples.  In 1777, he enshrined the sands at the 33 temples in Ako.  Whether the 33 temples were member temples of Ako Town 33 Kannon Pilgrimage or those of Ako County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage is unknown.

Ako County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     In March, 1774, Maekawa Saburoemon went on Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  He brought back 33 pinches of the sand of all the 33 temples.  In 1777, he enshrined the sands at the 33 temples in Ako.  Whether the 33 temples correspond to those of Ako County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage or those of Ako Town 33 Kannon Pilgrimage is unknown.

Akashi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Akashi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in 1685.

Aizu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

     Aizu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in 1643 by Hoshina Masayuki (1611-1673), the first lord of the Aizu Domain in the Edo Period.  He was worried over the outflow of a large amount of money caused by his people’s going on Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.

     Masayuki was also a patron of Yamazaki Ansai(1619-1682), one of the Japanese Neo-Confucianism scholars during the Edo Period, and together with him wrote the Aizu House Code, which included a direct injunction to be loyalty to the Tokugawa Shogunate, which later led the domain to the disastrous defeats at the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Deep Tada-sho 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

Ryoku (?-1710), a Buddhist priest whose Buddhist memorial tablet is kept in Ten’nyu-ji Temple, organized Deep Tada-sho 33 Kannon Pilgrimage on May 18, 1694.  3 centuries later, Ikeda Shigeyoshi rediscovered the pilgrimage, and published a book on it in 1994.

In the southern part of Inagawa-cho Town, the Tamba Belt, which was composed 150-250 million years ago, is exposed.  In the northern half, the Arima Belt, which was formed with volcanic ashes and lava caused by the volcanic activities 70-75 million years ago, covers the Tamba Belt.  When the lava contacted or penetrated the Tamba Belt, they formed hydrothermal deposits which became the veins of the Tada Silver and Copper Mine.  Before humans arrived, both the belts were densely covered with forests.  Accordingly, the main human industries there have been forestry and mining.

In the mythical times, the god of Sumiyoshi Shrine incarnated as a young man, and sent wood through the Ina River to build the shrine building.  His brilliant figure charmed the goddesses of the Rivers Ina and Muko.  The two fought hard to be his wife.  The Ina Goddess threw stones against the Muko Goddess, defeated her, and extracted all the dropwort along the Muko River.  Hence, the Ina River has dropwort but no big stones, and the Muko River has big stones but no dropwort.  The legend suggests that the Ina River was used to send wood even from the prehistoric times.

In legendary times, Okinagatarashi, a legendary empress, was said to have made a military expedition to Silla in the Korean Peninsula.  A historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea (Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla) recorded 14 organized piracies by Wa, the Japanese kingdom, by the end of the 4th century, and Okinagatarashi’s expedition to Silla might have been one of those piracies.  For her expedition, Okinagatarashi counted on the arts of shipbuilding and those of navigation of the people living along the north coast of today’s Osaka Bay. When she was going to leave Japan, she followed the suggestion of the local people living around today’s Amagasaki City and built warships with Japanese cedars in the upper reaches of today’s Ina River.  It could have been with the ceder trees in the Tada area that Okinagatarashi had built her warships.

The central part of Inagawa-cho used to be called Yanai-zu, which is called Ki-zu (literally Wood Port) today, and which might have been a point to gather wood and to send them out through the river.  Gyoki (668-749), who helped building Todai-ji Temple, is said to have built Yanaizu-in Temple there, whose successor could be Tentaku-ji Temple today.  When the Tada Silver and Copper mines supplied copper to build the Great Buddha of Todai-ji Temple, they might have provided some wood to the mines.  

In the 8th century, there lived the Yanaizu-muraji Family, who governed the forestry there.  The wood was sent presumably through the Ina River to Itami, and was processed by the Ina-be Family there.

Even today, the forests cover 80% of Inagawa-cho.

In Japan, the local administration system with provinces and counties was organized under the central government in the 7th century.  At first, there only used to be Kawabe County under Settsu Province.  In the 8th century, Nose County got independent from Kawabe County.  It was those days that copper mines were developed in the area.

In 708, the first copper was mined in Chichibu, Musashi Province.  Only a couple of decades later, before the middle of the century, copper mining started in Tada.  Legend says it that the copper mined in Tada was used for the Great Buddha of Todai-ji Temple.  Legend has it that Minamoto Mitsunaka (?-997) started living in Tada, and also mined copper there.  The oldest written records date back only to 1037, when the mining-copper office was organized at Noma, Nose County, Settsu Province.  They started keeping books there.

The mine workers and refining manufacturers formed a town in Ginzan-cho.  The life expectancy of mine workers in the Edo Period was said to be a little over thirty because of mine cave-in and flash flood accidents.  They placed their faith and devotion on Kanro-ji and Kannon-ji Temples in the town.  The town used to have a samurai office, a theater, a high-class restaurant, a kimono fabric shop, a fishmonger's, and 4 guard boxes.

In the middle of the 13th century, Jizo Bodhisattva appeared in the dream of Taira Masahira (?-1272), and said, "Make a bell and a bell tower for Mibu-dera Temple as it doesn't have any."  Masahira collected donations from men and women, from the rich and the poor, and from the high-ranking and the low-ranking.  To answer his asking, Tada Silver and Copper Mines contributed 10 kilograms of copper.  The bell and the bell tower was built in 1262.

Why Mibu-dera Temple in Kyoto?   There used to be a government position called Mibu Kanmuke (or Mibu Secretariat).  Since the 8th century, the Otsugi Clan had succeeded the position until the Meiji Restoration.  Mibu-dera Temple is known as the headquarter of Shinsengumi, or the Newly Selected Squad, at the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate, but it also has 2 graves for Mibu Kanmuke.

In the late 16th century, the mines came to produce silver as well as copper, and became under the direct control of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598).  They also output  lead, azurite, and cinnabar.  Those days, azurite was equivalent to gold.  Kano Sanraku (1559-1635) was awarded the concession to mine the pigment from Hideyoshi, and the permission letter with a red seal put on it has been passed down in the town.  The mines produced 76 kilograms of silver in 1598.  Under the Tokugawa Shogunate, however, the mines produced 5.6 tons of silver in the 17th century.  The huge difference of the annual silver production has aroused suspicion among some treasure hunters.  They have believed that the Toyotomi Clan hid huge amount of silver somewhere deep in the mines and galleries to support their future revival.  Anyway, the area claimed to have 3,000 households, although there might have been some exaggeration.  Although the time, the place, and the social class were different, the average population of each samurai family in the Sendai Domain was 5.2 in 1869.  More than 15,000 people lived in the area?  The population of Japan has increased 4.9 times since then, and then there should be more than 73500 people living in Inagawa-cho Town today.  Instead, there are only 31,38.  In 1973, the mines were closed.

In the summer of 1772, Hiraga Gennai (1728-1779) visited the mines.  He was a naturalist and an inventor.  He was famous with his electriciteits.  He helped improve the drainage in the mines.  A century later, Akiyama Yoshinosuke (1819-?), a mine officer, still had electriciteit at home.

The mines came to produce less minerals.  In 1768, there were 86 houses including 36 rental houses, with the population of 309, 165 males and 144 females.  The town still bustled with 3 smelters, 5 secondhand shops, 2 rice stores, 2 liquor stores, 2 pawnshops, 2 blacksmiths, 2 hardware menders, 2 fishmonger’s, a haberdashery, an umbrella shop, and a doctor.

The Akiyama Family started working for the Tada Silver and Copper Mines in 1693, when Akiyama Takiemon was named appointed as a mining officer together with Fujii Katsuzaemon and Ichida Sakuzaemon.  Their job responsibilities?  In 1799, the Tada Silver and Copper Mines had more than 3,000 galleries including disused ones.  Yoshinosuke was an 8th descendant of Takiemon.  He started keeping a diary in 1865, which became important historical materials.

In the mean time, the production in the mines had decreased:  about 84 tons of copper at the beginning of the 18th century, and about 36 tons of copper in the 1710’s.  As the mines became less important, the Tokugawa Shogunate transferred the mineral right to the Takatsuki Domain in 1840.  After the Meiji Restoration, the concession was sold off to private sector.  Finally, in 1973, the mines were closed.

What does the forestry and mining have to do with the 33 Kannon pilgrimage there?  During the Edo Period, as the life of ordinary citizens improved, each province or domain came to have their own 33 Kannon pilgrimages.  Rich cities such as Edo, Osaka, and others came to have their own 33 Kannon pilgrimages.  Although the Inagawa-cho area was just part of Kawabe County, they still had their own, Deep Tada-sho 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, in such a remote mountainous area.