Virtual Yokohama City 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #33 Gumyo-ji Temple

     Gumyo-ji Temple was founded in 1044, but the precincts had had its prehistory. 

     Emperor Hirokunioshitakekanahi (466-536) established Inukahi Be (dog breeder families) and added 41 Imperial manors during his reign.  How?

     In 534, Kasahara Omi and his cousin, Kasahara Oki, competing for the hegemony in Musashi Province.  Omi was afraid that Oki would kill him, with help from Oguma in Kozuke Province.  Omi flew to the central capital, and asked the central government for help.  The government destroyed Oki.  Omi offered 4 manors including the one in Kuraki County, Musashi Province.  The emperor must have been good at maneuvering local powerful families into conflicts.  And it was far before the days when Imperial armies were equipped with horses which were raised by those who came from the Korean Peninsula and by those who were transferred from the northern part of Japan.

     In 720, Subhakarasimha (637-735) visited Kuraki Imperial Manor in Kuraki County, Musashi Province.  Who is he?

He was born in India as the oldest son of Buddhakara.  He ascended to the throne as king when he was thirteen years old.  He, however, turned over his position to his brother and entered the monastic life.  He  settled in Nalanda, where he met the master Dharmagupta.  After several years, Subhakarasimha was told by Dharmagupta to go further east to China to teach Buddhism.

     When Subhakarasimha arrived in China, he was already eighty years old.  Upon his arrival, he became favored by Emperor Xuanzong (685-762) of the Tang Dynasty.  In China, he translated several works of Esoteric Buddhism.  He is believed, in Japan, to have come further east to the country.  He first arrived at Hakata Port in Kyushu.  There he hitchhiked onto a big turtle, which later turned into a big stone.  In 717, he visited Tango Province and put up the statue of Sahasrabhuja, who has 1,000 arms.  In 718, he visited Ecchu and Yamato Provinces.  In 720, he visited Kuraki Imperial Manor and found a holy place.  He set 7 boundary stones to designate the sacred area.  Today, you can find them all together within the precincts of Gumyo-ji Temple, although they used to be distributed in and around the precincts.  One of the 7 was named Biryo, the hole which lies at the bottom of the ocean to supply sea water all the time.

     The 735–737 Japanese Smallpox Epidemic caused Gyoki to tour around Japan.  In 737, he built a hermitage in the sacred place set up by Sahasrabhuja, and carved the statue of Ekadasamukha, who has 11 faces.  As he chiseled once, he made 3 prayers.

     In 814, Kukai (774-835) visited the sacred place.

     On March 10, 1044, Priest Koe built a temple in the sacred place, and named it Gumyo-ji.  Scientifically, the main deity, the Ekadasamukha statue, was carved at the time, although it has been largely believed to be the one carved by Gyoki.

Address: 267 Gumyojicho, Minami Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 232-0067Phone: 045-711-1231