Virtual Quasi-Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage

      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.  The 33 precincts were called Saigoku 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 as Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage by Minamoto Sanetomo (1192-1219), the third shogun, who was unluckily assassinated by his nephew.

   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.

     The number 34 was manipulated to make it 100 together with Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage and Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.

     Thereafter, any other Kannon pilgrimage was organized as the copy of either one of the three: Saigoku33 Kannon Pilgrimage, Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, or Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage.  Awa Province, Tokushima Prefecture today, in Shikoku Island, for example, has Awa 33 Kannon Pilgrimage as the copy of Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, Awa Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage as the copy of Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, and Awa Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage as the copy of Chichibu 34 Kannon pilgrimage.  In all, Awa Province copied whole the manipulation.  Every and any copied Kannon pilgrimage has the location name but one: Quasi-Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage, which was organized by 1810, and which overlaps the area of Kozukue 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, which was organized in 1732.  Can there be another 33 Kannon pilgrimage in the area to make it 100?