Virtual Old Awa 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #1 Nago-ji Temple

     Empress Yamatonekotakamizukiyotarashi (680-748) succeeded Empress Ahe (661-721) in 715.  In 717, Gyoki (668-749) was visiting Awa Province, and happened to find a piece of foreign wood in the sea.  He picked it up and carved a statue of Sahasrabhuja, who has 1,000 arms, out of it.  By coincidence, Empress Yamatonekotakamizukiyotarashi was having illness, which was cured when Gyoki carved the statue and made prayers to it by chance.  The empress ordered that a temple should be built for the statue.

     The temple used to be located on the top of the hill, but collapsed in the 1703 Genroku Great Earthquake on November 23.  It was rebuilt on the hillside in 1759 with Okamoto Hyoe as the leader of the reconstruction.

     Pilgrims from Edo used to sail across the sea to Nago Port and started their visiting the pilgrimage.

Address: 1125 Nago, Tateyama, Chiba 294-0055

Phone: 0470-27-2444