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.