Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #22 Hosho-ji Temple

 

     Hosho-ji Temple was a shrine temple of Shirahige Shrine in Karatake.  The Gods and Buddhas Separation Order was issued by the Meiji Restoration Government in 1868.  Hosho-ji Temple might have been abolished then.

     On July 26, the shrine hold a festival annually, and the 1000-armed Sahasrabhuja statue is shown to public on the day.

     When Tang China and Silla destroyed Gogulyeo in 668, more than 200,000 Gogulyeo people were taken to China as prisoners of war and about 7,000 were to Silla.  Some escaped to Japan.  In 716, those who had settled in Suruga, Kai, Sagami, Kamiusa, Shimousa, Hitachi, and Shimotsuke Pprovinces, 1799 of them, were removed to Musashi Province and they established Koma County in the province.  It is unknown whether the re-settlement accorded to the wills of ex-Gogulyeo people or caused by the alternation of Japanese immigration policies.  When they settled in the county, they founded 28 Shirahige Shrines in the county.  Why the shrines were named Shirahige is unknown.  Some argue the name came from Silla, but considering the fact that Gogulyeo was destroyed by Silla, it is highly improbable.  Shirahige Shrine in Karatake Village keeps a bamboo cane, which is said to have been owned by the king of Gogulyeo.  Because of this bamboo cane, the village was called Kara Take, literally Gogulyeo Bamboo.

Let me check other Shirahige Shrines in Koma County.

     It is unknown when Nagata-Shirahige Shrine was founded.  It used to have the upper shrine and the lower shrine, which was merged into the upper in 1880.  Its annual festival is held on September 29.

     Kusumi-Shirahige Shrine was invited by a mountain asceticism priest, Kyojun, to the present place in the 1350’s, so it is quite new.  In the eastern part of the precincts, there is a big rock, and the main hall has a stone column and 2 stones.  The precincts were a holy place for rock worship since earlier times.

     It is unknown when Kawasaki-Shirahige Shrine was founded.  Fumon-ji Temple, the Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #4, used to be its shrine temple, and the shrine was located in the temple’s precincts.  The temple was founded in 806, so the shrine could be as old as the temple.  As the Gods and Buddhas Separation Order was issued by the Meiji Restoration Government in 1868, the shrine was, ironically, moved to the present place, and its Shirahige statue is still kept in the temple.

     Iwasawa-Shirahige Shrine was said to have been founded either in 716, when the ex-Goguryeo people settled in Koma County, or later at the turn of the 9th century.  Presumably, some offsprings of the ex-Goguryeo people re-re-emigrated to Iwasawa Village, which had suitable fields to grow rice, after a couple of generations.

     Ochiai-Shirahige Shrine was founded in 1632.  It was quite new.  The area is a gentle slope, so they needed the skills to construct terraced paddy fields to grow rice.

     Teratake-Shirahige Shrine was founded in 716, when the ex-Goguryeo people settled in Koma County.  It was revived by Taira Yukinaga, who emigrated to Koma County and started calling his family Kaneko in 962.  One of his descendants, Kaneko Ietada (1138-1216), was a member of the Murayama Corps.  Who were the Murayama Corps?

     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 then were sent to Musashi Province, and engaged in the stock farming.  That stimulated people there, 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.  The Murayama Corps was one of the 7.

     Anyway, Ietada built a main hall for Teratake-Shirahige Shrine, and Kaneko Iesada rebuilt it in 1572.

     Noda-Shirahige Shrine was invited by Miura Yoshizumi (1127-1200).

     It is unknown when Negishi-Shirahige Shrine was founded, but its shrine temple, Myoko-ji Temple, was founded in 962, so the shrine must be as old as the temple.

     It is unknown when Sasai-Shirahige Shrine was founded, but its shrine temple, Sasai-Kannon-do Temple, was founded in 807, so the shrine must be as old as the temple.  The shrine used to be called Koma Shrine.

     Kasahata-Shirahige Shrine was founded in 716, when the ex-Goguryeo people settled in Koma County.  Some of them settled in Kasahata and founded the shrine.

     Lastly, Yoshida-Shirahige Shrine was said to be one of 28 Shirahige Shrines, which were founded when the ex-Goguryeo people settled in  Koma County in 716.

     It seems not all the 28 Shirahige Shrines have lasted, and that some Shirahige Shrines have been added.  Anyway, we have 2 mysteries:  First, as I’ve mentioned above, why are they called Shirahige?  Second, why do they all enshrine Sarutahiko as their main deity, when Sarutahiko is a local god who “lived” in the upper reaches of Ise Shrine?  Did Goguryeo  people have a god whose name somewhat sounded like Shirahige or Sarutahiko?

Address: 81-4 KaratakeHanno, Saitama 357-0127