Virtual Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

      Hachioji 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in 1754.  It is ultimately a micro-tourism.  All the 33 temples are located within the medium-sized city, Hachioji.  The city is located along Asa River, one of the tributaries of Tama River.  That is, I’m virtually walking deep into Musashino Plateau, which is supposed to be one of the birthplaces of samurai.

     The most part of Musashi Province was plateaus deeply covered with volcanic-ash soil, which was suitable for stock farming, not for rice growing.  In ancient times, many of the naturalized Silla people were sent to Musashi Province, and engaged in the stock farming.  That stimulated local people around them, and many stock farms were set up, including 6 imperial stock farms.  The custodians of those farms later formed small-scale samurai families.  By marriage, those samurai families composed 7 corps on the plateaus in the province: the Musashi Seven Corps.