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Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #100(?) Fujiwara-Kannon-do Temple

 

     Kansei made 2 statues of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses, from a wood in 962: one for Aota-ji Temple and the other for Kenjo-ji Temple.

     In the 17th century in Gyotoku, new rice fields were developed and Fujiwara Village was formed.    Tanaka Sanzaemon invited the Arya Avalokitesvara statue in Kenjo-ji Temple and founded Fujiwara-Kannon-do Temple in 1690.

     It is believed that you should visit the Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage thrice and then visit Fujiwara-Kannon-do Temple to make its divine blessings maximum.  Accordingly, Fujiwara-Kannon-do Temple is considered as the #100 of Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage might have compactly copied the idea to make it 100 by visiting the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, the Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, and the Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage.

Aona-ji Temple

Address: 46 Higashinotsuji, Kameoka, Kyoto 621-0029

Phone: 0771-24-0809

Kenju-ji Temple

Address: 96 Nishi, Maizuru, Kyoto 624-0937

Phone: 0773-75-0349

Address: 3 Chome−2−18 Fujiwara, Funahashi, Chiba 273-0047

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Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #33 Dairen-ji Temple

 

     Gyoki carved a Mahasthamaprapta statue, and it was enshrined along Sakai River, which ran between Nekozane and Horie Villages in Gyotoku.

     In 1544, Priest Zon'ei from Dairen-ji Temple in Odawara visited Horie Village and saw the statue.  He was charmed by the statue and founded another Dairen-ji Temple in the village.  The statue has been caught in fire several times, yet survived and retains its original shape.

Address: 4 Chome-14-2 Horie, Urayasu, Chiba 279-0041

Phone: 047-351-2533

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Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #32 Hojo-in Temple

  

     Hojo-in Temple was founded by priest Gangyo. in 1196, soon after the establishment of the Kamakura Shogunate.  It is surprising that this part of Gyotoku already had big enough population to support a temple.

Address: 4 Chome-14-1 Horie, Urayasu, Chiba 279-0041

Phone: 047-351-2382

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #31 Togaku-ji Temple

     Togaku-ji Temple was founded by Priest Joyo sometime between 1558 and 1569.

     At the beginning of the 1570's, Yohachiro lived in Horie Village.  One day, his mother picked up a doll-like something in the beach, brought it home, and kept it in a toy box.  Epidemic hit the village, and all his family but he got sick.  He visited Joko-ji Temple at Kinegawa in the same county to pray to its Bhaisajyaguru statue for his family's recovery.  The priest of the temple, however, told him that he had a Bhaisajyaguru statue at home.  He hurried back home to find a statue of Bhaisajyaguru sitting on a turtle in the toy box.  He enshrined it in Togaku-ji Temple.

Address: 2 Chome−4−27 Horie, Urayasu, Chiba 279-0041

Phone: 047-351-3274

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Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #30 Kezo-in Temple

 

     Kezo-in Temple was founded in Nekozane Village by the middle of the 14th century, and was revived by Priest Ken'yu in 1577.  Presumably, it was revived as the salt industry in Gyotoku expanded under the rule of the Takagi Family.

     In the Western half of the Kanto Plain, Iruma, Ara, Tone, and Watarase Rivers ran south into the Edo Bay.  They sometimes met one another and sometimes branched off, forming a one big estuary at the northern end of the Edo Bay between Edo Castle in the west and Gyotoku in the east.  The rivers formed mudflats, which enabled locals to build salt pans relatively easily.  As the rivers brought more sand and mud, small islands grew bigger, and some mudflats eventually became dry lands.  By span of decades, once productive salt pans became useless and should have been transferred to rice fields.  Before the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the salt workers in Gyotoku might have moved south by generation, but after its establishment, its control over the population became severe and people were supposed to keep living in the same village.  Salt workers had to change their jobs.  As the shogunate had Tone and Watrase Rivers run eastward to the Pacific to save Edo from floods, it might affected the geographical transformation of the estuary, and, of course, the shogunate changed some flows of the rivers around Gyotoku artificially to control floods.

     As alluvium expanded southward, it became impossible to do saltworks in Nekozane village by 1629.  After the middle of the 17th century, its villagers came to depend on fishing.  The conflict over fishery with Horie and Funahashi Villages nearby became serious and severe.  The conflict caused the death of 3 villagers in the 1780's, and a stone monument was built in 1889 in the precincts of Kezo-in Temple to commemorate them.

Address: 3 Chome-10-3 Nekozane, Urayasu, Chiba 279-0004

Phone: 047-351-2332

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Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #29 Zenpuku-ji Temple

 

     Zenpuku-ji Temple was founded in 1656 by Priest Eiyu.

The precincts have the grave of Tanaka Takumi, who built the Takumi Canal.  Takumi was a genius at planning a canal.  He designed the canal to run roughly from northeast to southwest through Gyotoku so as that its upper stream should work for irrigation, and its lower stream could function as a stopper of fresh water running into salt pans which laid in the southeastern part of Gyotoku.  As Gyotoku's tidal flats expanded southeastward, some salt pans became useless after years.  Then, the canal worked to drain salt from the used salt pans.

     The temple was built near its outlet after its completion.

Address: 2 Chome-6-27 Todaijima, Urayasu, Chiba 279-0001

Phone: 047-351-3019

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #28 Enmei-ji Temple

 

     Enmei-ji Temple was founded in 1596 by Priest Shin'yo, and was transferred to the Shingon Sect in 1656.

     In 1538, the Oyumi and Koga Kanto Deputy Shoguns clashed against each other in Konodai, Shimousa Province. The Oyumi Kanto Deputy Shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiaki (?-1538), was killed in battle, and Koga’s side won.

     Yoshiaki's first son, Yoshizumi (?-1538), was also killed in battle, and Yoshiaki's younger children fled to Awa Province, counting on the protection of Satomi Yoshitaka (1507-1574).  Under the pressure from the Later Hojo Clan, who proved their superiority in the Battle of Konodai, Yoshiaki's second son, Yorizumi (1532-1601) was sent to Sekido-ji Temple in Kazusa Province.  When the Later Hojo Clan was destroyed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598), Yorizumi recovered Oyumi Castle.  By having his first daughter become a concubine of Hideyoshi, Yorizumi came back to the warlord circle, and his grandson, Yoshichika (1599-1627), became the first lord of the Kiregawa Domain in Shimotsuke Province under the Tokugawa Shogunate.  However, that's another story and shall be told another time.  

     Yoshiaki's 3 daughters were sent to Taihei-ji Temple in Kamakura, Sagami Province.  They became under the patronage, or the supervision, of the Later Hojo Clan.  In 1556, the oldest daughter made a dramatic elopement with Yoshitaka's son, Yoshihiro (1530-1578).  However, that's another story and shall be told another time.  

     Let's get back to Oyumi Castle.  In 1627, Morikawa Shigetoshi (1584-1632) became the lord of the Oyumi Domain, and built an official residence in the site of the castle.

     Why didn't he build a castle?  Under the Tokugawa Shogunate, lords of domains were classified into 2 categories: those with castles and those without castles.  The latter lords were forbidden to build a castle and instead built an official residence.

     The Morikawa Family was classified into the latter category.  However, their residence proves that Oyumi Castle itself used to be no more than a residence or a fortress.  I'm sorry, but I have introduced some fortresses as castles, keeping to convention.

     In 1782, when Morikawa Toshitaka (1744-1788) was the 7th lord of the Oyumi Domain, his vassal, Kusaburo, and Ine eloped.  When they tried to cross Edo River, they were arrested by  shogunate officials for the violation of the prohibition of "guns in and women out."  They, their 2 boat operators, and even the wife of one of the boat operators were crucified.  The bodies of the latter 3 were sent to their family temple, but those of Ksaburo and Ine were buried at the spot.  The locals took pity on them and built a stone Ksitigarbha sttatue.  Mysteriously, when locals passed by the statue, they found its head fallen.  Before long, the statue was named Beheaded Jizo.

     Toshitaka's first son, Toshimori (1770-1788), died on June 6, and Toshitaka died on June 28.  Toshitomo (1779-1838), Toshitaka's nephew, succeeded to the lord of the Oyumi Domain in deathbed adoption.

Address: 1 Chome-9-2 Arai, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0144

Phone: 047-357-1527

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #27 Shinsei-ji Temple

 

     Shinsei-ji Temple was founded in 1616.

     The area which is called Arai today had newly developed salt pans.  Accordingly, locals were short of fresh water.  Priest Ogei of Hojo-ji Temple  heard of the shortage, prayed to Avalokitesvara, picked up a certain place, and dug a well.  Surprisingly, fresh water gushed out.  Locals were overjoyed, built a temple for Avalokitesvara and the priest, and named it Shinsen-ji, namely New Well Temple.  The native Japanese style reading of Shinsen was Arai, which became the place name.

     The Arai area was repeatedly hit by floods and storm surges.  Shinsen-ji Temple's 4th priest, Shuetsu, deplored disasters.  He drew characters of the Lotus Sutra on clam shells and built a mound with them.  He sat on the mound and was cremated alive on it in 1697.

Address: 1 Chome-9-1 Arai, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0144

Phone: 047-357-8319

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #26 Ryozen-ji Temple

     Ryozen-ji Temple was founded in 1468 by Yoshida Sataro, who had his fort in Ainokawa, and who respected Rennyo (1415–1499).

     In the Kanto Region, the Kyotoku War was fought since 1455 till 1483, for nearly 3 decades.

     Shinran performed missionary work in the Kanto Region from 1214 to 1234.  Sataro's ancestor, Gengozaemon, lodged Shinran, who was on his way back to Kyoto from Hitachi Province.  Shinran carved his wooden image and presented it to Gengozaemon.  The image is preserved in Zentsu-ji Temple in Kagawa Prefecture today.

     Rennyo was the 8th head priest of Hongan-ji Temple of the True Pure Land Buddhism.  In 1465, Enryaku-ji Temple attacked Hongan-ji Temple, and Rennyo fled to eastern provinces in 1468.  He visited places remembered in connection with Shinran (1173-1263), the founder of the True Pure Land Buddhism.  Sataro might have met Rennyo on the occasion.  His fort became the Kakemama Park.

     

Address: 2 Chome-12-28 Ainokawa, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0143

Phone: 047-357-2331

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #25 Genshin-ji Temple

     At the beginning of the 16th century, fur before the Takagi Family advanced to Gyotoku and about a decade before Kinkai arrived at Gyotoku, someone built Anraku-in Hermitage to enshrine an Acalanatha statue.

   The Later Hojo Clan organized their vassals in a hierarchical structure: the top 7 families, 4 second families, 20 third families, and so on.

Ise Shinkuro (1456-1519) came from Kyoto to Suruga Province to make a Warring-States-Period hero.  In 1493, he invaded Izu Province and made it his own territory, and got independent from the Imagawa Clan in Suruga Province.  Before his invasion of Izu Province, Shinkuro had organized 7 families as his vassals.  4 other families followed the invasion, and 20 families in Izu Province followed him in the progress of the invasion.  The Kano Family was one of the 20.

     Kano Yasumitsu (?-1590) first worked and fought for Hojo Ujiyasu (1515-1571).  In 1560's, he was assigned to Hachioji Castle to work and fight for Ujiyasu's 3rd son, Ujiteru (1542-1590).  In 1582, he stayed in Fukaya Castle, the front line against Takigawa Kazumasu (1525-1586), a vassal of Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582).  When Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598) attacked the Later Hojo Clan, Maeda Toshiie (1538-1599) and Uesugi Kagekatsu (1555-1623) seized Hachioji Castle.  Yasumitsu defended the castle and was either killed in battle or killed himself.  Yugi Toshishige (?-1590) was also killed in battle there.

     About 2 decades after the death of Yasumitasu and Toshishige, Yasumitsu's son, Shin'emon (?-1629) and Toshishige's son, Priest Jisho (1544-1620), jointly changed Anraku-in to Genshin-ji Temple in 1611.

     In 1620, Shin'emon worked together with Tanaka Takumi to build an irrigation canal from Okashiwa River through Gyotoku to Todai-jma for 15 kilometers.  The canal was called either Takumi-hori, after Tanaka Takumi, or Joten-hori, after Shin'emon's posthumous Buddhist name.

     Shin'emon's daughter, whose posthumous Buddhist name was Jushin, built a grave for Shin'emon and his wife in Genshin-ji Temple, and she also built 5 Ksitigarbha stone statues.  One of the 5 was to pray for the comfort of late Shin'emon in the other world and another was to pray for the comfort of herself in the other world.  It was built when she was still alive.

     Shin'emon cultivated barrens and developed fields and paddy fields.  That somewhat contradicted the Tokugawa Shogunate's protectionism over the salt industry in Gyotoku.  He was a genuine negotiator.  He made good use of Jisho's priesthood in Zojo-ji Temple, the Tokugawa Clan's family temple.  The canal had another problem.  For people around its outlet, the canal was just needless.  Shin'emon designed the canal to be used as waterway between the developed land and its outlet.  The people around the outlet benefitted from the water transport of salt and rice.  Takumi was also genius.  He designed the canal to run roughly from northeast to southwest through Gyotoku so as that its upper stream should work for irrigation, and its lower stream could function as a stopper of fresh water running into salt pans which laid in the southeastern part of Gyotoku.  As Gyotoku's tidal flats expanded southeastward, some salt pans became useless after years.  Then, the canal worked to drain salt from the used salt pans.

Address: 1 Chome-16-26 Kandori, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0141

Phone: 047-357-2423

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Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #24 Zensho-ji Temple

 

     Zensho-ji Temple was founded in 1625 by Aoyama Masasada, who invited Chozui as its priest.  Masasada was the 4th son of Iesada.  When Odawara Castle fell, the Aoyama Family tried to flee to Awa Province, but unexpected winds washed their boats to Minato Village, Gyotoku, Shimousa Province.  As Masasada's grandfather was too old to move again, they settled in the village.

Address: 18-20 Minato, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0131

Phone: 047-357-2232

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Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #23 Enmyo-in Temple

 

     Enmyo-in Temple was founded by Priest Kakugen in 1560.

     In the middle of the 16th century, Takagi Taneyoshi (1501-1565) moved his base from Negiuchi Castle to Kogane Castle, which commanded Edo, Naka, and Ara Rivers.  Accordingly, Taneyoshi controlled the inland waterway between Edo Bay and the northern part of the Kanto Region.  Taneyoshi also owned Gyotoku Saltern, the largest saltworks in the Kanto Region.  Under the Takagi Family, Gyotoku’s salt industry grew, its population increased, and thus the number of temples also multiplied.

     On August 25, 1856, a big typhoon hit the Kanto Region with the death toll of 100,000.  The flood washed away all the temple's documents.  The temple gate was built in 1738, and it is the oldest building in Gyotoku.

Address: 11-21 Minato, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0131

Phone: 047-357-1643

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #22 Hoden-ji Temple

      Hoden-ji Temple was founded in 1568 by Priest Kanryu.

Takagi Taneyoshi (1501-1565) moved his base from Negiuchi Castle to Kogane Castle, which commanded Edo, Naka, and Ara Rivers.  Accordingly, Taneyoshi controlled the inland waterway between Edo Bay and the northern part of the Kanto Region.  Taneyoshi also controlled Gyotoku Saltern, the largest saltworks in the Kanto Region.  Taneyoshi's son, Tanetoki (1537-1583), succeeded the head of the family by 1564.  In November, 1568, the alliance among the Kai, Suruga, and Sagami Provinces broke down.  The perfunctory ancien regime in the Kanto Region collapsed and the situation became more unstable and liquid.

     In 1780's, storm surges hit Gyotoku and the temple lost some documents.  On August 25, 1856, a big typhoon hit the Kanto Region with the death toll of 100,000.  The flood washed away all the other documents.

Address: 7-1 Minato, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0131

Phone: 047-357-2341

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #21 Korin-ji Temple

     Korin-ji Temple was founded by Priest Sonryo (?-1544)  sometime between 1532 and 1544, and was supported by Tadokoro Nobuyoshi.

     In those days, Takagi Taneyoshi (1501-1565) moved his base from Negiuchi Castle to Kogane Castle, which commanded Edo, Naka, and Ara Rivers.  Accordingly, Taneyoshi controlled the inland waterway between Edo Bay and the northern part of the Kanto Region.  He also ruled the saltworks in Gyotoku, the largest in the Kanto Region.  All in all, he became independent from the Chiba and Hara Families.  It is unknown whether Nobuyoshi was for the advance of the Takagi Family or against it.

     On August 25, 1856, a big typhoon hit the Kanto Region with the death toll of 100,000.  The flood washed away the documents the temple had kept.

Address: 12-20 Oshikiri, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0107

Phone: 047-357-2381

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Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #20 Seigan-ji Temple

 

     In the middle of the 16th century, Takagi Taneyoshi (1501-1565) moved his base from Negiuchi Castle to Kogane Castle, which commanded Edo, Naka, and Ara Rivers.  Accordingly, Taneyoshi controlled the inland waterway between Edo Bay and the northern part of the Kanto Region.  Taneyoshi also owned Gyotoku Saltern, the largest saltworks in the Kanto Region.  Under the Takagi Family, Gyotoku’s salt industry grew, but, even at the beginning of the 17th century, the Isejuku area was still wild and barren.  Only apparitions roamed around.  Priest Chuzan (?-1671) was concerned about the situation, and founded Seigan-ji Temple in 1610, when Gyotoku was already under the Tokugawa Clan.  Chuzan died in Seigan-ji Temple at the age of 97.

     On August 25, 1856, a big typhoon hit the Kanto Region with the death toll of 100,000.  The flood washed away the documents the temple had kept.

Address: 4-8 Isejuku, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0106

Phone: 047-357-2415

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #19 Tokuzo-ji Temple

 

     Tokuzo-ji Temple was founded in 1575 by Priest Joi.  Its precincts have many stone statues of Cintamanicakra, who usually has 6 arms and holds chintamani (a wish-fulfilling jewel) in one of the six.

     At the beginning of the Warring States Period (1467-1590), the Takagi Family was subject to the Hara Family, and the Hara Family was subject to the Chiba Family.  In 1560's, Takagi Tanetoki (1537-1583) succeeded to the head of the family.  In 1566, when Uesugi Kenshin (1530-1578)attacked the Chiba Family and seized Moto-Sakura Castle in Shimousa Province, Tanetoki drove off the Uesugi army.  Tanetoki married with a daughter of Chiba Katsutane (1471-1532), the lord of Moto-Sakura Castle.  In the mean while, the Hara Family thought of nothing but to protect their base, Usui Castle.  In 1570's, the hierarchy of the 3 families collapsed, and they all became vassals of the Later Hojo Clan.  For Tanetoki, that meant the independence from the Chiba and Hara Families.

     Under the Takagi Family, Gyotoku’s salt industry grew, and its population increased.  By the end of the Warring States Period, there emerged 7villages: Tokagi, Owada, Tajiri, Koya, Kawara, Myoden, and Hon-Gyotoku.  Thus, new temples were founded.  Between the middle of the Warring States Period and the beginning of the Tokugawa Period, 33 temples were founded in Gyotoku.

Address: 8-10 Sekigashima, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0105

Phone: 047-357-1460

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #18 Hosho-ji Temple

 

     Hosho-ji Temple was merged by Tokuzo-ji Temple in 1956.  The temple's history is unknown.  Tokuzo-ji Temple's precincts have a stone lantern dated 1831 and the Acalanatha statue box,  which were both presented by the Awayuki-ro Inn nearby.

Address: Sekigashima, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0105

Tokuzo-ji Temple

Address: 8-10 Sekigashima, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0105

Phone: 047-357-1460

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #17 Kyozen-ji Temple

 

     Kyozen-ji Temple was founded in 1569 by Priest Zuigan.

     At the beginning of the Warring States Period (1467-1590), the Takagi Family was subject to the Hara Family, and the Hara Family was subject to the Chiba Family.  In 1560's, Takagi Tanetoki (1537-1583) succeeded to the head of the family.  In 1566, when Uesugi Kenshin (1530-1578)attacked the Chiba Family and seized Moto-Sakura Castle in Shimousa Province, Tanetoki drove off the Uesugi army.  Tanetoki married with a daughter of Chiba Katsutane (1471-1532), the lord of Moto-Sakura Castle.  In the mean while, the Hara Family thought of nothing but to protect their base, Usui Castle.  In 1570's, the hierarchy of the 3 families collapsed, and they all became vassals of the Later Hojo Clan.  For Tanetoki, that meant the independence from the Chiba and Hara Families.

     Under the Takagi Family, Gyotoku's saltworks grew, population increased, and thus new temples were founded.

     The temple was burned in fire caused by air raid on January 25, 1945, was merged with Shingyo-ji Temple nearby, and became Kyoshin-ji on August 31, 1948.

Kyoshin-ji Temple

Address: 38-18 Hongyotoku, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0103

Phone: 047-357-1279

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Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #16 Shingyo-ji Temple

 

     Shingyo-ji Temple was founded in 1570 by Priest Junko.

     At the beginning of the Warring States Period (1467-1590), the Takagi Family was subject to the Hara Family, and the Hara Family was subject to the Chiba Family.  In 1560's, Takagi Tanetoki (1537-1583) succeeded to the head of the family.  In 1566, when Uesugi Kenshin (1530-1578)attacked the Chiba Family and seized Moto-Sakura Castle in Shimousa Province, Tanetoki drove off the Uesugi army.

     Tanetoki married with a daughter of Chiba Katsutane (1471-1532), the lord of Moto-Sakura Castle.  In the mean while, the Hara Family thought of nothing but to protect their base, Usui Castle.  In 1570's, the hierarchy of the 3 families collapsed, and they all became vassals of the Later Hojo Clan.  For Tanetoki, that meant the independence from the Chiba and Hara Families.

     Under the Takagi Family, Gyotoku's saltworks grew, its population increased, and thus new temples were founded.

The temple was burned in fire caused by air raid on January 25, 1945, and was merge with Kyozen-ji Temple nearby on August 31, 1948.

Kyoshin-ji Temple

Address: 38-18 Hongyotoku, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0103

Phone: 047-357-1279

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Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #15 Jokan-ji Temple

 

     Jokan-ji Temple was founded in 1626 by Priest Chin'yo.

     Chin'yo wrote to show his gratitude to the acting governor of Gyotoku, Ina Han'ichiro.  Who was Ina Han'ichiro?  He was Ina Tadaharu (1606-1653), whose nickname was Hanjuro.  How can Han'ichiro and Hanjuro be the same man?  Han meant half, ichi was 1, and Ju was 10.  He first nicknamed himself Han'ichiro, an immature man, with modesty.  When he achieved something, he called himself Hanjiro.  As ji meant 2, a half of 2 made 1.  He became mature.  When he achieved another task, he added 1 to his nickname.  Later, he became an expert of river management, and had 5 people's manpower.

     To save Edo from floods, Tadaharu first stopped Aino River, a bypass river of Tone River.  In 1621, he finished digging a canal to make Tone River flow into Watarase River, and started separating Kinu and Kobai Rivers.  In 1629, he made Ara River flow into Iruma River, and New Kinu River started running.  In 1630, New Kobai River started running.  In 1635, he started building New Edo River and finished it in 1641.  Do you follow what I have said?  I wonder how many people understood his ultimate end.  Finally in 1654, 1 year after his death, Tone river ran east directly to the Pacific Ocean.  After the mid 17th century, the floods of Tone River never hit Edo.

Address: 23-34 Hongyotoku, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0103

Phone: 047-357-1324

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Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #14 Hozen-ji Temple

     Kawamoto Yozaemon (?-1641) was a vassal of Katagiri Katsumoto (1556-1615), who was an important vassal of the Toyotomi Clan.  On September 15, 1600, the Battle of Sekigahara broke out between the Toyotomi and Tokugawa Clans, in which the latter won.

     Even after the battle, Katsumoto kept working for the Toyotomi Clan as a messenger between the 2 clans.  However, Yozaemon left for the Kanto Region, and settled in Gyotoku by the end of the year.  He developed wasteland along the beach, and taught locals how to build salt pans.

     In 1627, 12 years after the collapse of the Toyotomi Clan and the death of Katsumoto, he became a priest and founded Hoen-ji Temple, which locals nicknamed Shioba-dera, namely Salt Pan Temple.  The temple was succeeded by Yozaemon's offspring.  As salt manufacture grew, the temple became too small, and was moved hundreds meters southwest to its present place at the turn of the 18th century.  In those days, this part of  Gyotoku came to be called Honshio, namely Real Salt.  Yozaemon and his offspring must have known how to make good salt.

     Katsumoto handled military logistics since 1586 for the Toyotomi army.  It might have been in those days that Katsumoto employed Yozaemon as a salt expert.  After Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) moved to Edo, especially after the conflict against the Toyotomi Clan became bitter, Ieyasu was worried over the self-sufficiency of salt and supported the development of salt production in Gyotoku.  It is unknown whether Ieyasu invited Yozaemon or he spontaneously found a business opportunity there.

Address: 1-25 Honshio, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0104

Phone: 047-357-2943

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #13 Hosen-ji Temple

 

     Hosen-ji Temple was founded in 1570 by Priest Eko.

     At the beginning of the Warring States Period (1467-1590), the Takagi Family was subject to the Hara Family, and the Hara Family was subject to the Chiba Family.  In 1560's, Takagi Tanetoki (1537-1583) succeeded to the head of the family.  In 1566, when Uesugi Kenshin (1530-1578)attacked the Chiba Family and seized Moto-Sakura Castle in Shimousa Province, Tanetoki drove off the Uesugi army.  Tanetoki married with a daughter of Chiba Katsutane (1471-1532), the lord of Moto-Sakura Castle.  In the mean while, the Hara Family thought of nothing but to protect their base, Usui Castle.  In 1570's, the hierarchy of the 3 families collapsed, and they all became vassals of the Later Hojo Clan.  For Tanetoki, that meant the independence from the Chiba and Hara Families.

     Under the Takagi Family, Gyotoku was growing.  The population there increased and new temples were founded one after another.

Address: 9-8 Hongyotoku, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0103

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #12 An'yo-ji Temple

     Kaigan-san An'yo-ji Temple was founded in 1534.  As its sango Kaigan (Seashore) shows, the Edo Bay used to be just in front of the temple.

     In the middle of the 16th century, Takagi Taneyoshi (1501-1565) moved his base from Negiuchi Castle to Kogane Castle, which commanded Edo, Naka, and Ara Rivers.  Accordingly, Taneyoshi controlled the inland waterway between Edo Bay and the northern part of the Kanto Region.  Taneyoshi also owned Gyotoku Saltern, the largest saltworks in the Kanto Region.  Under the rule and management of the Takagi Family, the salt industry in Gyotoku grew.  The population there multiplied and the number of temples also increased.

Address: 2 Chome-16-35 Koya, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0013

Phone: 047-327-1066

Trees In the Town

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #11 Ryokyoku-ji Temple

     A fortune-teller, Awasuke, lived in Fushimi, Kyoto.  He realized life was transient, listened to the sermon of Honen (1133-1212), and became his follower.  Awasuke volunteered to spread the repetition of Namomitabhaya Buddhaya.  Honen granted his wish, had his follower draw his portrait, checked it with his reflection in water, and gave it to Awasuke.

     Awasuke started his enlightenment tour with Honen's portrait.  One day, he arrived at Ukishima Village in Gyotoku.  the village had only 7 families, who were farmers and fishers.  He stayed with Isogai Shinbe, a farmer, and made sermons to the villagers.  Shinbe was impressed with the sermons, and accompanied Awasuke's enlightenment tour in eastern provinces.  After half a year, they arrived at Chuson-ji Temple in Mutsu Province.  Awasuke sat up straight westward in front of Honen's portrait, put both palms together, and passed away.  Following Awasuke's wish, Shinbe toured around Mutsu and Dewa Provinces.  After the tour, Shinbe returned to Ukishima Village, built a hermitage, enshrined Honen's portrait as its main deity, repeated Namomitabhaya Buddhaya, and died at the age of 80 on December 25, 1275.

     Ukishima literally meant Floating Island, which used to be located at today's Koya, which namely means High Valley.  Ryokyoku-ji Temple's sango, Kaichu-zan literally means Mountain in the Sea.  The temple was located at the slightly higher place in the estuary of the Edo River.

     Priest Yokaku changed the hermitage to a temple sometime between 1558 and 1569 and named it Ryokyoku-ji.  In the middle of the 16th century, Takagi Taneyoshi (1501-1565) moved his base from Negiuchi Castle to Kogane Castle, which commanded Edo, Naka, and Ara Rivers.  Accordingly, Taneyoshi controlled the inland waterway between Edo Bay and the northern part of the Kanto Region.  Taneyoshi also owned Gyotoku Saltern, the largest saltworks in the Kanto Region.

     The Tokugawa Shogunate protected Gyotoku Saltern to increase the self-sufficiency rate in the Kanto Region for salt.  They employed a kind of food security policy.  In 1686, they dispatched Priest Yuten (1637-1718) to Ryokyoku-ji Temple to hold a Buddhist memorial service on the 549th anniversary of Honen's death.  Yuten drew a symbolic stupa of a long thin wooden board in memory of Honen.  Yuten was such a well-known psychic that people shaved the stupa, which they believed to be a cure-all.  The leftover of the stupa is still kept in the temple.

Address: 2 Chome-16-4 Koya, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0013

Trees In the Town

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #10 Fukuo-ji Temple

     Fukuo-ji Temple was founded in 1431 by Priest Ryoko.

     Ashikaga Harutora was born on June 13, 1394.  At the age of 9, he entered Seiren-in Temple, on June 21, 1403.  On March 4, 1408, he became a priest, and was named Gien.  Ashikaga Yoshikazu (1407-1425) and Yoshimochi (1386-1428) died of a disease one after the other, and the shogunate became vacant.  Chief vassals assembled at Iwashimizu-Hachiman-gu Shrine and decided the next shogun by lot on January 17, 1428.  Gien became the sixth shogun, Yoshinori (1394-1441). Ashikaga Mochiuji (1398-1439), the 4th Kanto Deputy Shogun, wasn't satisfied with the decision and though he should be the 6th Shogun.  Uesugi Norizane (1410-1466) and Chiba Tanenao (1419-1455) were trying to stop Mochiuji.

     Priest Yudo merged Ryogon-ji Temple to Fukuo-ji Temple and renamed it Sorin-ji.

     It is interesting that both Ryogon-ji and Fukuo-ji Temples were founded in the first half of the 15th century in the estuary of Edo River.  The estuary might have changed from mudflats to dry enough land to settle in.  Human greediness sometimes brought development, and sometimes caused political strife.

     About a century later, in 1527, Kinkai immigrated from Ise Province with some sand from Ise Shrine.  He taught locals various skills including how to extract salt from sea water.

Address: 3 Chome-10-2 Tokagi, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0024

Phone: 047-377-1243

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #9 Ryugon-ji Temple

 

     Ryugon-ji Temple was founded in 1450 by Yoyo.

     When Ashikaga Yoshinori (1394-1441), the 6th Shogun of Muromachi Shogunate, forced Ashikaga Mochiuji (1398-1439), the 4th Kanto Deputy Shogun, into suicide, Chiba Tanenao (1419-1455) was on Yoshinori's side.  Yuki Ujitomo (1402-1441) sheltered Mochiuji’s 2 sons, Shun'o-maru and Yasuo-maru, in his castle, and rebelled against Yoshinori in March, 1440.  On July 29, Yuki Castle was surrounded by the overwhelming strength of the shogunate army, which Tanenao joined.  The outcome was self-evident from the very beginning.  Yet, the Yuki Family held the castle for nearly a year.  On April 16, 1441, the castle finally fell.  Ujitomo and his son were killed in fighting.  Shun'o-maru and Yasuo-maru were arrested and were to be transferred to Kyoto.  On their way, at Tarui, Mino Province, however, they were killed and left their death poems:

“Summer weeds,

Their flowers blooming in Aono Field

Who knows their future?” (Shuno-maru)

“Who knows the future?

Our lives are to be limited today

Here away from home.” (Yasuo-maru)

     Mochiuji’s youngest son, Eiju-maru, survived, became the 5th Kanto Deputy Shogun in 1449, and was given an adult name Shigeuji.  Tanenao supported Shigeuji this time.

     Ryugon-ji Temple used to be located where New Edo River runs today.  When they built the drainage canal, Priest Yudo merged it to Fukuo-ji Temple and renamed it Sorin-ji.

Sorin-ji Temple

Address: 3 Chome-10-2 Tokagi, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0024

Phone: 047-377-1243

Trees In the Town

Virtual Gyotoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #8 Yofuku-in Temple

 

     Yofuku-in Temple was founded in 1550 by Priest Jukai.

     Takagi Taneyoshi (1484-1565) moved from Negiuchi Castle to Kogane Castle in 1537 and was actually ruling the left-bank area of the Edo River.  Under the Takagi Family, saltworks in Gyotoku grew and its population might have increased.  That is, more temples were needed.

     In 1919, a drainage canal was built for the Edo River.  Kawara was located at the fork of the Edo River and the canal, and Yofuku-in Temple was moved to its present place.

Address: 16-22 Kawara, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-0101

Trees In the Town

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage (revised)

     I’m virtually visiting the Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  As its name may suggest, it has something to do with the Ancient Korean country, Goguryeo or later Goryeo. 

     The Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized sometime between 1716 and 1736 in Koma County, Musashi Province.

     Koma County was established in 716 by 1,799 immigrants from Gogulyeo.  Gogulyeo had been destroyed by Tang China and Silla in 668.  The immigrants had first settled in 7 provinces in Tokaido Region: Suruga, Kai, Sagami, Kamiusa, Shimousa, Hitachi, and Shimotsuke Provinces.  The first governor of the county was Yagwang.

     Yagwang first visited Japan in 666 as a vice leader of a diplomatic mission dispatched from Gogulyeo.  He seemed to have come into exile in Japan after the collapse of Gogulyeo.  As he was given the Konikishi title by the Japanese government in 703, he was a member of the royal family of Gogulyeo.

     After Yagwang’s death, Priest Seungle (?-751) planned to build a temple to enshrine the Vighnesvara statue, which he had brought from Gogulyeo, and to pray for the comfort of Yagwang in the other world.  However, he died in 751 before realizing the plan.  It was Yagwang's 3rd son, Seong’un, who founded Shoraku-ji Temple, Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #32 with the assistance of his nephew, Hong’in, who was a son of Yagwang’s elder brother, Gajung.  Both Seong’un and Hong’in were apprentices of Seungle.

     Although the pilgrimage was organized a millennium after the death of Yagwang and the foundation of Shoraku-ji Temple, I am anticipating finding something unique here.

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #1 Chikan-ji Temple

     Chikan-ji Temple was founded by Nakayama Takenobu sometime between 877 and 885.  The Nakayama Family belonged to the Tan Corps.  Who were the Tan Corps?

     Most of Musashi Province is plateaus covered deeply with volcanic-ash soil, which was suitable for stock farming, not for rice growing.  In ancient times, ex-Goguryeo people were moved to Musashi Province.  Later, many of the naturalized Silla people were sent to the province, and engaged in 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 Tan Corps was one of the 7.

       In the Northern and Southern Courts Period (1336-1392), the Tan Corps fought for the Southern Court, the loser.  When Uesugi Ujinori (?-1417), the Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate, rebelled against Ashikaga Mochiuji (1398-1439), the 4th Kanto Deputy Shogun, in 1416, the Tan Corps fought for Ujinori, the loser.  Accordingly, the corps weakened, and Chikan-ji Temple declined.

     Sometime between 1504 and 1521, Priest Chokaku revived the temple.

     Ise Shinkuro (1456-1519) moved from Kyoto to Suruga Province to become a Warring-States-Period hero.  In 1493, he invaded Izu Province and made it his own territory, gaining independence from the Imagawa Clan in Suruga Province. From there, he moved eastward and seized Sagami Province by the end of 1510’s.  Even before the unification of the province, Shinkuro was capturing Musashi Province castle by castle.  His son, Ujitsuma (1487-1541), was based in Odawara Castle.  In 1518, Ujitsuna succeeded Shinkuro.  In 1521, he started building and rebuilding big shrines and temples to show that he was not just an upstart.  His vassals followed his example, building small shrines and temples in their own territories.

     Priest Chokaku rode the current to expand his business.

     As Chikan-ji Temple survived, so did the Nakayama Family.

     Hojo Ujiteru (1542-1590) was the lord of Hachioji Castle.  When Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) seized Odawara Castle, Ujiteru held it.  It was Nakayama Ienori (1548-1590) who held Hachioji Castle, which was seized by Maeda Toshiie (1539-1599) and Uesugi Kagekatsu (1556-1623).  Toshiie proposed surrendering the castle and in exchange for sparing Ienori’s life.  Ienori refused and was killed in battle.  His principle and bravery paid.  His sons, Terumori (1570-1634) and Nobuyoshi (1577-1642), were employed by Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616).  When Hachioji Castle fell, however, nearly 3,000 people, including women and children, committed mass suicide.  Were their offsprings or descendants, if any, rewarded?  Or was the success of a general just built on the sacrifice of countless soldiers?

     Nobuyoshi became a chief retainer of the Mito Domain.  We can find the grave of the 6th head of the Mito-Nakayama Family, Nobutoshi (1679-1711), and the scroll of a poem composed and drawn by his wife (?-1711) in the temple.  She was said to have been a daughter of the Bojo Family, which was a noble family in Kyoto and whose family business was to edit history.  She might have been either a daughter of Toshimata (1609-1662) or of Toshihiro (1626-1702).  Toshihiro’s successor was Toshikata (1662-?).  Toshikata’s successor was Toshikiyo (1667-1743).  Toshikiyo’s successor was Toshimasa (1699-1749).  Toshimasa’s successor was Toshisugu (1727-1773).  Toshisugu’s successor was Toshichika (1757-1800).  Tshichika’s successor was Toshiaki (1782-1860).  Toshiaki’s successor was Toshimichi (1808-1810).  Toshimichi’s successor was Toshikatsu (1802-1865).  Toshikatsu’s successor was Toshitada (1826-1881).  Toshitada’s successor was Toshiaya (1843-1906).  Toshiaya’s successor was Toshinori (1889-1911).  Toshinori’s successor was Toshinaga (1893-1966), the chief priest of Ise Shrine.  Toshinaga’s successor was his 1st son, Toshitami (1917-1990), a scholar of Japanese literature.  Toshitami’s successor was Toshinaga’s 4th son, Toshikane (1927-2011), a businessman in the TV broadcasting industry.  Toshikane’s successor was his 1st son and the head of the family today, Toshinaru (1962-), who is an architect and has been a reciter, for 23 years, in the Utakai Hajime, the First Tanka Poetry Reading, held annually on January 1 at the Tokyo Imperial Palace.

     The temple also has a calligraphic work drawn by Donggao Xinyue (1639-1696), a Chan priest from China.  The possession of the work also tells the tie between the temple and the Mito Domain.

     Donggao Xinyue was born in Pujiang County, Jinhua Prefecture, Zhejiang Province. When he was eight years old, he shaved his hair in Baoen Temple in Suzhou, and traveled around Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces. At the age of 20, he was taught by Juelang Daosheng of the Shouchang Sect of the Caodong Denomination. After Daosheng passed away, he went to Chongguang Temple and learned from Kuotang how to become a good writer. After Kuotang passed away, he stayed in Yongfu Temple, Hangzhou. Although he was a monk, he still participated in the anti-Qing rebellion in Zhejiang and Fujian Provinces in 1674, in response to Wu Sangui, only to fail.

     In 1676, he was invited by Chengyi Daoliang, the master priest of Kofuku-ji Temple in Nagasaki.  He traveled east from Hangzhou to Japan under the false names of Du Duoquan and Yue Dudu.  Although he did not belong to the Linji Sect of Chengyi Daoliang, he had to pay tribute to Chengyi Daoliang and his followers in order to enter the country. He arrived in Zhoushan in December, and got to Kyushu on the 30th of the same month. Finally, he reached Nagasaki on January 10,1677.  Due to Japan’s foreign exclusion order, he stayed in Nagasaki, a place reserved for foreigners, from January, 1677, to December, 1679.  In the summer of 1679, he met Imai Hirosumi (1652-1689), who was the messenger of Tokugawa Mitsukuni (1628-1700) and who was a student of Zhu Shunsui (1600-1682).  Mitsukuni intended to invite Xinyue to Mito  Leaving Nagasaki in May 1680, he went to Manpuku-ji Temple near Kyoto to celebrate the 70th birthday of Mu'an Xingyao (1611-1684), wrote a book to praise and even flatter Mu'an, and asked Mu'an for help.  It was, however, unsuccessful.  Later, he went to Edo in the pretext of visiting Zuikei-ji Temple, but was eventually suspected to be a spy, and forced to return to Nagasaki.

     During his years in Nagasaki, Donggao Xinyue was very active in the fields of religion and art. He used Zen and art to make friends with the officers of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Finally, he was helped by Tokugawa Mitsukuni again, and Xinyue moved to Kotai-ji Temple, Nagasaki, in 1682. He left Nagasaki in June of the same year, and then stayed in the villa of Mitsukuni in Mito. During the period, he met celebrities from all walks of life and taught them Guqin. In 1691, he stayed at the Tentoku-ji Temple (now Gion-ji Temple) in Mito, and he officially preached his first sermon in October, 1692. In 1695, he passed away in September and was later regarded as the founder of Gion-ji and Daruma-ji Temples.

     On May 23, 1868, the Battle of Hanno broke out as a part of the Boshin War (1868-1869), the civil war at the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate.  Shibusawa Seiichiro (1838-1912) organized the 1,500 strong Shinbu Army, based it in Nonin-ji Temple (Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #13) and Kodo-ji Temple (Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #15) as well as Chikan-ji Temple, fought against the 3,500 strong Meiji Revolutionary Army, and lost within a couple of hours.  The temples burned down.  It was not recorded how many were killed in the battle.  After the Meiji Restoration, Seiichiro became a successful businessman.  Again, was the success of a general just built on the sacrifice of countless soldiers?

     The temple keeps a Vajra, which used to belong to Priest Tankai (1629-1716).  A Vajra is a Buddhist ritual weapon symbolizing the properties of a diamond (indestructibility) and a thunderbolt (irresistible force).

     Tankai was born in Ise Province.  After practicing Buddhist religious austerities without eating for 7days in Mt. Atago, Kyoto, he moved to Edo in 1646 and learned from Priest Shuko at Eitai-ji Temple.  He was a devoted disciple of Nandikesvara.  When Eitai-ji Temple burned down in 1683, his religious performance raised money. 

Address: 520 Nakayama, Hanno, Saitama 357-0006

Phone: 042-972-3552

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #2 Hozo-ji Temple

     Hozo-ji Temple was founded by Kaji Sadatsugu (?-1396).  The Kaji Family belonged to the Tan Corps, one of the Musashi Seven Corps.

     Most of Musashi Province is plateaus covered deeply 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 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.

     In the Northern and Southern Courts Period (1336-1392), the Tan Corps fought for the Southern Court, the loser.  Accordingly, the Tan Corps and the Kaji Family weakened, and Hozo-ji Temple declined.

     As the Kaji Family declined, Oishi Nobushige (1336-1424) came to rule the surrounding areas.  His second son, Shigenaka, managed Nakai Village and revived Hozo-ji Temple, which still keeps the Buddhist memorial tablet of Shigenaka.  The tablet tells us that he died at the age of 47.

     Priest Gen’itsu (?-1604) converted the temple to the Soto Chan School.

     The precincts also have an old itabi dated October 1267.  The unknown builder died 3 months before the Mongol Empire invaded Japan.

Address: 100 Nakai, Hanno, Saitama 357-0002

Phone: 042-974-3115  

  

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #3 Ensen-ji Temple

     Tradition says that Ensen-ji Temple was founded by Kukai when he visited the Kanto Region sometime between 824 and 834.  Priest Keishu revived the temple sometime between 1716 and 1735.

     Bad weather started at the end of 1731.  In 1732, the rainy season lasted for 2 months, and that caused a cold summer.  Harmful planthoppers bred on rice plants.  In 46 domains, their rice harvest was reduced to 27 percent of normal yields.  969,900 people died of hunger.  In the Kanto Region, tax increases imposed by Tokugawa Yoshimune (1684-1751) had weakened the resilience of peasants.  In 1733, the price of rice soared in Edo.  1,700 people assaulted the building of Takama Denbe, a rice dealer, and threw his household goods and straw bags in a river.  After the famine, Aoki Kon’yo (1698-1769) devised planting sweet potatoes as famine food.  He was nicknamed Dr. Sweet Potato. 

     The precincts have Myoken Shrine, where Sudrsti is enshrined.  Sudrsti was the deity of the deification of the northern pole star and/or the Big Dipper.  Tradition says that the Sudrsti statue was brought back from Kyoto by Taira Masakado (903-940), who was a hero in the Kanto Region and was a villain in Kyoto.  When Masakado was defeated by Tawara Tota, Watanuki Toyohachi, Masakado’s vassal, hid himself in Hiramatsu Village, concealed the statue, and prayed to it at home.  Generations later, Watanuki Isuke obtained approval to enshrine the statue in the precincts of Ensen-ji Temple in 1847.

Address: 376 Hiramatsu, Hanno, Saitama 357-0014

Phone: 042-973-5716

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #4 Fumon-ji Temple

     Tradition says that Fumon-ji Temple was founded in 806, 90 years after the establishment of Koma County, when Emperor Ote (774-824) appointed 6 auditors for the Tokaido, Hokurikudo, San’indo, San’yodo, Nankaido, and Saikaido Regions to inspect local administrations, and especially to reduce burdens on local people.  In other words, local administrators had been busy feathering their nests.

     Fumon-ji Temple’s precincts used to have Kawasaki-Shirahige Shrine, which was one of the 28 Shirahige Shrines which were founded by ex-Goguryeo people.  

     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 sent to Silla.  Some escaped to Japan.  In 716, those who had settled in Suruga, Kai, Sagami, Kamiusa, Shimousa, Hitachi, and Shimotsuke Provinces, 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.

     3 or 4 generations after the establishment of Koma County, some descendants of ex-Goguryeo people could have removed and settled in the Kawasaki area, and might have founded Kawasaki-Shirahige Shrine with Fumon-ji Temple as its shrine temple.

     Priest Sonkei revived the temple sometime between 1249 and 1256, when Hojo Tokiyori (1227-1263) was the 5th Regent of the Kamakura Shogunate.

     Hojo Tokiyori (1227-1263) was a very popular statesman who built a welfare-warfare shogunate.  He shortened regal proceedings and ensured fairness.  Ordinary samurai were to guard either Kyoto or Kamakura for half a year, but he shortened the term to 3 months.  He also protected ordinary people’s livelihood.  He invited Priest Lanxi Daolong (1213-1278) from Yuan China. Daolang had been born in Shu Province (present-day Sichuan Province), China. Due to the Mongol Conquest of the Song Dynasty in China in 1246, he sailed to Japan to preach Chan Buddhism, and founded Kencho-ji Temple in Kamakura in 1253. Tokiyori also invited Wuan Puning (1197-1276).  Wuan is pronounced “gottan” in Japanese.  He made such difficult lectures that they were troublesome for his students.  We came to use the Japanese phrase “gotagota” for something troublesome after Wuan’s troublesome lectures.  Meanwhile, he destroyed his rivals such as Miura Yasumura (1184-1247) and Chiba Hidetane (?-1247).

     Tokiyori's popularity helped inspire the Noh play, Hachinoki:

  At dusk with snow falling heavily, a traveling monk appeared at the hermitage on the outskirts of Sano Village and asked for a night’s lodging. The resident samurai refused at first.  He was too poor to entertain him.  But he let the monk in, who was suffering from the snowy road.  He served a small meal. His name was Sano Genzaemon.  He said that he formerly owned more than 30 villages, but that he was deprived of everything by the embezzlement of his relatives and fell down to his current condition. As he talked, the fire was about to go out, but there was no firewood to add. Genzaemon brought three pots of pine, plum, and cherry, which were his proudest possessions that had been collected in the old days when he had prospered.  He found them useless now, and used them as firewood.  He broke them and put the pieces on the fire. Although he had lost everything, he still kept his armor, naginata (a Japanese halberd) and an old horse.  He said that once he was summoned from Kamakura, he would ride on his horse and rush to Kamakura with his naginata as soon as possible and fight to his death.

  In the New Year, spring came, and suddenly Kamakura made an emergency call. Genzaemon put on his old armor, carried a rusty naginata on his back, and rushed to Kamakura on a thin horse.  When he arrived in Kamakura, he was summoned before Hojo Tokiyori. While the generals were lined up, Tokiyori said to Genzaemon who prostrated in torn armor, "Do you remember the monk traveling in the snowy night? That was actually me.  I'm glad that you've come so early."  Tokiyori not only returned Genzaemon his former territories, but also gave him three territories (the territory of Umeda Manor in Kaga Province, Sakurai Manor in Ecchu Province, and Matsuida Manor in Kozuke Province) as new prizes. Genzaemon gratefully withdrew and returned to Sano Village cheerfully.

     Fumon-ji Temple was founded and revived when people enjoyed better government.

Address: 300 Kawasaki, Hanno, Saitama 357-0011

Phone: 042-972-5891     

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #5 Hozo-ji Temple

     Nothing is known about Hozo-ji Temple.

Address: 201 Oyazawa, Hidaka, Saitama 350-1222

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #6

Joen-ji Temple

     Itagaki Nobukata (1489-1548) was known as one of the "Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen” and had 2 sons.  The elder, Nobunori (1523-1557), was incompetent and was either fired by Shingen (1521-1573) or killed by Hongo Hachirozaemon.  The younger son, Masamitsu (1527-1575), was adopted by Shui Masamoto, and Masamitsu's son, Masayoshi (1575-1617 or 1619), worked and fought for Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616).

     Shui Masayoshi lived in Koma County, Musashi Province, and died of illness.  He founded Joen-ji Temple sometime between 1596 and 1615, and invited Keitetsu (?-1629), who revived Chotoku-ji Temple, Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #7.  The temple was named after the posthumous Buddhist name of Itagaki Nobukata.

     Joen-ji Temple used to be a shrine temple of Tsurugi Shrine in Umahikizawa Village.

Address: 166 Umahikizawa, Hidaka, Saitama 350-1225

Phone: 042-989-3619 

    

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #7 Chotoku-ji Temple

     Chotoku-ji Temple was founded by Priest Sonken (?-1457), and was revived by Priest Keitetsu (?-1629).  Its main deity, the 21-centimeter-tall sitting statue of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of other 6 metamorphoses, was said to have been carved by Gyoki (668-749).

     In 1455, the Kyotoku War broke out.

The Kyotoku War lasted for 28 years from 1454 to 1482.  During the war, Ashikaga Shigeuji (1438-1497), the Kanto Deputy Shogun in Kamakura, relinquished Kamakura and moved to Koga in 1457.  In 1458, the Muromachi Shogunate in Kyoto sent out another deputy shogun, Ashikaga Masatomo (1435-1491), from Kyoto for Kamakura, but he couldn’t enter Kamakura and stayed in Horikoshi, Izu Province.  From then on, there was a Koga Kanto Deputy Shogun and a Horikoshi Kanto Deputy Shogun in the Kanto Region.  On October 14, 1459, the 2 camps had a big battle in Ota Manor, Musashi Province. That was the start of the Warring States Period in the region.

     Sonken founded Chotoku-ji Temple on one of those days.

     Tokugawa Iemitsu (1604-1651), the third shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, dissolved many clans to strengthen the power of the shogunate.  This increased the number of masterless and jobless samurai and destabilized society.  To restabilize society, he strengthened the danka system.  Every citizen was supposed to belong to a Buddhist temple.  That was a business opportunity for would-be priests.  Keitetsu took full advantage of the opportunity.

     The foundation and the revitalization of Chotoku-ji Temple seem to have been supported by samurai who didn’t feel stable and sought emotional support in the temple.

Address: 607 Noda, Iruma, Saitama 358-0054

Phone: 04-2932-0516

    

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #8 Shujo-ji Temple

     Shujo-ji Temple was founded by Priest Ryokei (?-1611), was revived by Priest Hohen (?-1715), and was revived again by Priest Shuden (?-1736).  The temple has a 36-centimeter-tall sitting statue of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of other 6 metamorphoses.  The statue is enshrined in a Kannon-do hall and was said to have been carved by Unkei (1150-1223).  The statue is much older than Shujo-ji Temple.

     In 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) won the Battle of Sekigahara, a decisive battle between the Tokugawa and Toyotomi Clans.  Shujo-ji Temple was founded when the Tokugawa Shogunate was laying its foundation.  After the establishment of the shogunate, they enjoyed the Pax Tokugawa for over 2 centuries.

     Then, why did Hohen have to revive the temple?  There were earthquakes in 1677, 1703, and 1707, the temple might have been destroyed in one of them.

     What about Shuden’s case?  The biggest flood ever to hit the Kanto Region was in 1742.  However, it was 6 years after Shuden’s death and probably about a decade after the second revival of the temple.  So, there might have been a fire or an unrecorded disaster sometime before 1736.

Address: 515 Namiyanagi, Hanno, Saitama 357-0021

Phone: 042-972-3511

  

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #9 Joshin-ji Temple

     Joshin-ji Temple was founded by Priest Iton (?-1616), who died 5 months and 9 days after the death of Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616).

     The 6th priest, Ryoken, built a Vaisravana hall in 1782, and Priest Taigan built a Bhaisajyaguru hall.

Address: 222 Yaoroshi, Hanno, Saitama 357-0042

Phone: 042-972-3937

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #10 Kannon-ji Temple

     It is unknown when Kannon-ji Temple was founded.  Its main deity, the statue of Cintamanicakra, who usually has 6 arms and holds chintamani (a wish-fulfilling jewel) in one of the six, was said to have been carved by Kukai (774-835).

     The temple also keeps a drawing of Looking-at-Cascade Avalokitesvara, which was said to have been drawn by Kao, who was a famous painter in the 14th century.  However, it hasn’t been identified who Kao was.

     Some suggest that he was a painter of the Takuma School with the name Jinga, who belonged to the line from Takuma Shoga at the beginning of the 12th century to Takuma Eiga at the end of the 14th century.  He was given the suffix “ga” as an important member of the school.

     The others argue that the Kao was another career of Kao Sonen (?-1345), a monk of Chan Buddhism, who went to Yuan Dynasty China in 1320, studied under Zhongfeng Mingben (1263–1323) and Gulin Qingmao (1262-1329), and returned to Japan in 1326.  Back in Japan, he stayed and studied in Sofuku-ji, Manju-ji, Kencho-ji, and Nanzen-ji Temples.  No contemporary written documents, however, talked about his painting.  Anyway, his style somewhat resembled that of Liang Kai (1140-1210) in Southern Song Dynasty China.

     Tosa Hidenobu published Butsuzo-zui (Illustrated Compendium of Buddhist Images) in 1783.  In the compendium, he listed 33 popular subjects of Buddhism Avalokiteshvara drawings and paintings: #1 Holding-Willow-Spray Avalokitesvara, #2 Naga Avalokitesvara, #3 Holding-Buddhism-Scripture Avalokitesvara, #4 Halo Avalokitesvara, #5 Sitting-on-Cloud Avalokitesvara, #6 Pandara Vasini Avalokitesvara, #7 Sitting-on-Lotus-Leaf Avalokitesvara, #8 Looking-at-Cascade Avalokitesvara, #9 Listening-to-Stream Avalokitesvara, #10 Holding-Fish-Cage Avalokitesvara, #11 Brahman (Virtuous-Lord) Avalokitesvara, #12 Looking-at-Reflected-Moon Avalokiteshvara, #13 Sitting-on-Leaf Avalokitesvara, #14 Blue-Headed Avalokitesvara, #15 Great Commander Avalokitesvara, #16 Life-Prolonging Avalokitesvara, #17 Relief-from-Ruination Avalokitesvara, #18 In-Cave-with-Venom Avalokitesvara, #19 Wave Reduction Avalokitesvara, #20 Anavatapta Avalokitesvara, #21 One-Knee-Drawn-Up Avalokitesvara, #22 Leaf-Robe Avalokitesvara, #23 Holding-Lapis-Lazuli-Censer Avalokitesvara, #24 Tara Avalokitesvara, #25 Sit-in-in-Clam Avalokitesvara, #26 Twenty-Four-Hour Avalokitesvara, #27 Universal-Benevolence Avalokitesvar, #28 Celestial Beauty Avalokitesvara, #29 Brahmani Avalokitesvara, who put palms together, #30 Controlling-Thunderbolt Avalokitesvar, #31 Peaceful-Vajrapani Avalokiteshvara, #32 Holding-Lotus-Flower Avalokitesvara, and #33 Sprinkling-Purified-Water Avalokitesvara.

     Some subjects came directly from the Lotus Sutra Chapter XXV, some were based on folklore in China, and others had been created in Japan.  He put stronger emphasis on the number 33, and might have embellished a couple of subjects to increase the number to 33.  He also might have considered the 33 subjects to be artistically more meaningful manifestations of Avalokitesvara than those from the Lotus Sutra, at least in Japan.

     Kannon-ji Temple was said to be revived by Priest Choyo (?-1735).  It might have been abandoned during the great famine in the 1730’s.

     Bad weather started at the end of 1731.  In 1732, the rainy season lasted for 2 months, and that caused a cold summer.  Harmful planthoppers bred on rice plants.  In 46 domains, their rice harvest was reduced to 27 percent of normal yields.  969,900 people died of hunger.  In the Kanto Region, tax increases imposed by Tokugawa Yoshimune (1684-1751) had weakened the resilience of peasants.

     The temple has a Dakini statue.  Dakini is a type of sacred female spirit in Hinduism and Buddhism and was disseminated to Japan through Shingon Buddhism.  It became linked to the Inari God with the fox iconography.

Address: 5-17 Yamatecho, Hanno, Saitama 357-0031

Phone: 042-973-1331

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #11 Ensho-ji Temple

     It is unknown when Ensho-ji Temple was founded, but its precincts have 9 old blue itabi.  One is dated May 16th, 1254.  Its epitaph was composed by "a dutiful son", presumably, for his late parent.

     The second oldest is dated November 23rd, 1256, with its epitaph composed by Tanji Yasuie.  He composed another epitaph for an itabi in Raigo-ji Temple.  The itabi is dated February 23rd in the same year.  The third oldest is dated January 13th, 1270.  The itabi was built for Tanji Yasuie by his son, Tanji Muneyasu, who also built a stone statue in Mt. Koya.

     The 4th oldest is dated August 2nd, 1305.  The 5th oldest is dated May 22nd, 1333.  The 6th oldest is dated September 5th, 1368.  The 7th oldest is dated August 16th, 1489.

     The 8th oldest is dated August 15th, 1354.  Its epitaph was composed by Kaji Morisue.

     The other is just unreadable.

     The Tanji and Kaji Families belonged to the Tan Corps, one of the Musashi Seven Corps.

     Most of Musashi Province is plateaus covered deeply 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 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 Tan Corps was one of the 7.

       In the Northern and Southern Courts Period (1336-1392), the Tan Corps fought for the Southern Court, the loser.  When Uesugi Ujinori (?-1417), the Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate, rebelled against Ashikaga Mochiuji (1398-1439), the 4th Kanto Deputy Shogun, in 1416, the Tan Corps fought for Ujinori, the loser.  Accordingly, the corps weakened.

     The itabi in Ensho-ji Temple seem to have been built before the downfall of the Tan Corps.

Address: 158 Noda, Iruma, Saitama 358-0054

Phone: 04-2932-0829

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #12 Saiden-ji Temple

     Saiden-ji Temple was founded by Priest Honkai (?-1662) in 1653.

     Tokugawa Iemitsu (1604-1651), the third shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, dissolved many clans to strengthen the power of the shogunate.  This increased the number of masterless and jobless samurai and destabilized society.  To restabilize society, he strengthened the danka system.  Every citizen was supposed to belong to a Buddhist temple.  That was a business opportunity for would-be priests.  Honkai took full advantage of the opportunity.

     On May 23, 1868, the Hanno Battle broke out as a part of the Boshin War (1868-1869), the civil war at the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate.  Shibusawa Seiichiro (1838-1912) organized the 1,500 strong Shinbu Army, based it in Nonin-ji Temple (Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #13) and Kodo-ji Temple (Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #15) as well as Chikan-ji Temple, fought against the 3,500 strong Meiji Revolutionary Army, and lost within a couple of hours.  The temples burned down.  Nonin-ji Temple (Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #13) was temporarily moved to Saiden-ji Temple.  After Nonin-ji Temple moved back, Saiden-ji Temple was abolished in 1868, and its Avalokitesvara statue was moved to Nonin-ji Temple.

Address: 698 Hanno, Hanno, Saitama 357-0063

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #13 Nonin-ji Temple

     Nonin-ji Temple was founded by Nakayama Iekatsu as a hermitage to practice Chan Buddhism.  Iekatsu’s son, Ienori (1548-1590), changed it to a temple in 1573.

     Hojo Ujiteru (1542-1590) was the lord of Hachioji Castle.  When Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) seized Odawara Castle, Ujiteru held it.

     It was Nakayama Ienori (1548-1590) who held Hachioji Castle, which was seized by Maeda Toshiie (1539-1599) and Uesugi Kagekatsu (1556-1623).  Toshiie proposed surrendering the castle in exchange for Ienori’s life.  Ienori refused and was killed in battle.  His principles and bravery paid off.  His sons, Terumori (1570-1634) and Nobuyoshi (1577-1642), were employed by Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616).  When Hachioji Castle fell, however, nearly 3,000 people, including women and children, committed mass suicide.  Were their offspring or descendants, if any, rewarded?  Or was the success of a general just built on the sacrifice of countless soldiers?

     The Nakayama Family was a branch family of the Kaji Family, which belonged to the Tan Corps.

     Most of Musashi Province is plateaus covered deeply 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 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 Tan Corps was one of the 7.

     At the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Nonin-ji Temple was used as the headquarters of the Shinbutai Army.  On May 23, 1868, the Hanno Battle broke out as a part of the Boshin War (186801869), the civil war at the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate.  Shibusawa Seiichiro (1838-1912) organized the 1,500 strong Shinbu Army.  He based the army in Nonin-ji Temple (Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #13), Kodo-ji Temple (Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #15), and Chikan-ji Temple.  The army fought against the 3,500 strong Meiji Revolutionary Army, and lost within a couple of hours.  The temples burned down.

Address: 1329 Hanno, Saitama 357-0063

Phone: 042-973-4128

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #13 Manpuku-ji Temple

     It is unknown when Manpuku-ji Temple was founded.  In the 1520’s and 1530’s, the front line between the Uesugi Clan and the Later Hojo Clan moved back and forth in Musashi Province.  The temple might have declined in those days.

     In 1542, Chigi Ujiyoshi financially supported the revival of Manpuku-ji Temple.

In 1560, famine and an epidemic spread across the Kanto Region.  Taking advantage of it, Uesugi Kenshin (1530-1578) invaded the region and attacked the Later Hojo Clan. Manpuku-ji Temple seemed to have declined again in those days.

     Priest Choi revived Manpuku-ji Temple for the second time by having the temple join the network of Negoro-ji Temple in Kii Province.  Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) started battling against Negoro-ji Temple in 1583, and destroyed it in 1585.  As Toyotomi Hideyoshi destroyed the temple, Manpuku-ji Temple declined again.  Choi also died in those days.

     It was Priest Ryueki who revived the temple for the third time by changing it to a branch of Goji-in Temple in 1697.  Goji-in Temple had been founded by Tokugawa Tsunayohi (1646-1709), the 5th shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, in 1688 by inviting Priest Ryuko (1649-1724).

     Ryuko was born to the Kawabe Family in Yamato Province.  He became a Buddhist monk in 1658, and studied at Hase-dera and Toshodai-ji Temples in the province.  He further studied esoteric Buddhism at Daigo-ji Temple in Kyoto.  In 1686, he was ordered by Tsunayoshi to work in Edo.  After Tsunayoshi’s death in 1709, he was disgraced and forced to go back to Yamato Province, where he died.

     Some argue that it was Ryuko who proposed the policies and edicts against cruelty to all living things, the Law Prohibiting Cruelty to Animals.  The edicts included a large number of proclamations and ordinances issued from 1682 to 1709, when Tsunayoshi died.  If Ryuko was responsible for these policies, he proposed his ideas to the shogunate from Kyoto and was hired by the shogunate for the proposal.  Was he? 

     As Ryueki shared “Ryu” with Ryuko, Ryueki might have been a leading disciple of Ryuko.  In other words, Manpuku-ji Temple was revived by joining the new network of Goji-in Temple.

     Manpuku-ji Temple has declined several times due to external conditions, and has revived each time.  If it ever declines again, will its statue of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of other 6 metamorphoses, revive the temple again?

Address: 395 Nagata, Hanno, Saitama 357-0062

Phone: 042-972-3336     

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #14 Manpuku-ji Temple

     It is unknown when Manpuku-ji Temple was founded.  In the 1520’s and 1530’s, the front line between the Uesugi Clan and the Later Hojo Clan moved back and forth in Musashi Province.  The temple might have declined in those days.

     In 1542, Chigi Ujiyoshi financially supported reviving Manpuku-ji Temple.

In 1560, famine and an epidemic spread across the Kanto Region.  Taking advantage of it, Uesugi Kenshin (1530-1578) invaded the region and attacked the Later Hojo Clan. Manpuku-ji Temple seemed to have declined again in those days.

     Priest Choi revived Manpuku-ji Temple for the second time by having the temple join the network of Negoro-ji Temple in Kii Province.  Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) started the battles against Negoro-ji Temple in 1583, and destroyed it in 1585.  As Toyotomi Hideyoshi destroyed the temple, Manpuku-ji Temple declined again.  Choi also died in those days.

     It was Priest Ryueki who revived the temple for the third time by changing it a branch of Goji-in Temple in 1697.  Goji-in Temple had been founded by Tokugawa Tsunayohi (1646-1709), the 5th shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, in 1688 by inviting Priest Ryuko (1649-1724).

     Ryuko was born to the Kawabe Family in Yamato Province.  He became a Buddhist monk in 1658, and studied at Hase-dera and Toshodai-ji Temples in the province.  He further studied esoteric Buddhism at Daigo-ji Temple in Kyoto.  In 1686, he was ordered by Tsunayoshi to work in Edo.  After Tsunayoshi’s death in 1709, he was disgraced and forced to go back to Yamato Province, where he died.

     Some argue that it was Ryuko who proposed the policies and edicts against cruelty to all living things, the Law Prohibiting Cruelty to Animals.  The edicts included a large number of proclamations and ordinances issued from 1682 to 1709, when Tsunayoshi died.  If Ryuko was responsible for these policies, he proposed his ideas to the shogunate from Kyoto and was hired by the shogunate for the proposal.  Was he? 

     As Ryueki shared “Ryu” with Ryuko, Ryueki might have been a leading disciple of Ryuko.  In other words, Manpuku-ji Temple was revived by joining the new network of Goji-in Temple.

     Manpuku-ji Temple has declined several times due to external conditions, and has revived each time.  If it ever declines again, will its statue of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of other 6 metamorphoses, revive the temple again?

Address: 395 Nagata, Hanno, Saitama 357-0062

Phone: 042-972-3336  

   

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #15 Kodo-ji Temple

     All the documents that had been kept in Kodo-ji Temple were reduced to ashes in the Battle of Hanno on May 23rd, 1868, at the end of the Edo Period.

     The precincts, however, still have an old itabi, which is dated 1338, one year after the start of the Northern and Southern Courts Period.

     The Supervisor of Temples and Shrines of the Tokugawa Shogunate kept the document about Kodo-ji Temple, which is dated 1649.  The document tells us that the temple was founded in 1376, when Ashikaga Ujimitsu (1359-1398) was the Kanto Deputy Shogun, and when it was relatively peaceful.  The precincts were, accordingly, a holy place even before the foundation of the temple.

     Priest Shoshun (?-1561) revived Kodo-ji Temple.  In 1546, Hojo Ujiyasu defeated Ashikaga Haruuji (1508-1560), the 8th Kanto Deputy Shogun, Uesugi Norimasa (1523-1579), who was the Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate and was the last head of the Yamauchi-Uesugi Clan, and even killed Uesugi Tomosada (1525-1546), the last head of the Ogigaya-Uesugi Clan, in the Siege of Kawagoe.  The victory, however, cost Ujiyasu a lot.  His territory was exhausted, and many farmers abandoned their villages and farms.  To get the situation under control, Ujiyasu standardized the taxation system in his territory and reduced taxes in 1550.

     Did Shoshun revive the temple to pray for the comfort of those who had been killed in the battles over Kawagoe Castle?  Or to religiously and psychologically relieve farmers?  Or to dodge taxes, taking advantage of tax exemption for temples?

     Priest Iton (?-1616) revived it again.  Iton also founded Joshin-ji Temple, the Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #9.

Address: 16-5 Hachimancho, Hanno, Saitama 357-0033

Phone: 042-974-4124

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #16 Chosen-ji Temple

     Chosen-ji Temple was founded by Priest Iton (?-1616) in 1602.  Iton also founded the Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #9 Joshin-ji Temple.

Address: 174 Koiwai, Hanno, Saitama 357-0066

Phone: 042-972-1443    

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #17 Hosen-ji Temple

     Hosen-ji Temple was founded by Priest Sonju (?-1644).

     Tokugawa Iemitsu (1604-1651), the third shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, dissolved many clans to strengthen the power of the shogunate.  This increased the number of masterless and jobless samurai and destabilized society.  To restabilize society, he strengthened the danka system.  Every citizen was supposed to belong to a Buddhist temple, and every temple was to belong to a Buddhist sect or school.  That was a business opportunity for Buddhist sects and schools as well as for would-be priests.  The Soto Chan School and/or Sonju took full advantage of the opportunity.

     There might have been 3 possibilities:

The first possibility was that there used to be no temple in Koiwai Village, and the Soto Chan School sent in Sonju to widen their network.  The second was that Sonju was a masterless jobless samurai and became a priest, came to the village to find no temple there, started a temple, and joined the school.  The third was that Soju was a villager and made good use of the religious tax exemption system of the Tokugawa Shogunate, supported by other villagers.

     The temple burned down in 1849.  It was rebuilt later, but was downsized in 1912 by tearing down part of it.

Address: 557 Koiwai, Hanno, Saitama 357-0066

Phone: 042-974-1130 

  

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #18 Iwashita-do Temple

     Locals believe that the tomb at the foot of the stone ladder to Iwashita-do Temple is the grave for Okabe Tadaszumi (?-1197).

     The Okabea Family was a branch family of the Inomata Corps.

     Most of Musashi Province is plateaus covered deeply 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 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 Inomata Corps was one of the 7.

     Okabe Tadazumi first fought for Minamoto Yoshitomo (1123-1160) in the Hogen Rebellion in 1156 and in the Heiji Rebellion in 1160.  Yoshitomo was assassinated 3 days after he was defeated in the Heiji Rebellion.

     After the defeat, Tadazumi returned to his homeland, Okabe, Hanzawa County, Musashi Province.  When Yoshitomo’s son, Yoritomo (1147-1199), raised an army against the Taira Clan, Tadazumi joined the army.  He fought for Yoritomo in countless battles and fights, and died a natural death in 1197.  Officially, he was buried in his homeland, and it is unknown why the Kosedo locals believe that he was buried in Kosedo.

Address: 548-4 Kosedo, Hanno, Saitama 357-0067

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #19 Saiko-ji Temple

     The farmers in Ochiai Village planned to have their own temple and asked Priest Gen’itsu in Nonin-ji Temple, the Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #12.  He had founded Saiko-ji Temple in 1603, when Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616) became a shogun, so he was supposed to be the right man.  He founded Saiko-ji Temple at the turn of the 17th century.

Address: 316 Ochiai, Hanno, Saitama 357-0047

Phone: 042-972-5646    

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #20 Haraichiba-Tsuji-do Temple

     Haraichiba-Tsuji-do Temple is located in a private lot.  Its main deity, the Arya Avalokitesvara statue, is just looking at the outside world through the small window.

Address: 593 Haraichiba, Hanno, Saitama 357-0124

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #21 Io-ji Temple

     Io-ji Temple was founded by Priest Eikan (?-1597) sometime between 1532 and 1554.

     In 1546, Hojo Ujiyasu defeated Ashikaga Haruuji (1508-1560), the 8th Kanto Deputy Shogun, Uesugi Norimasa (1523-1579), who was the Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate and who was the last head of the Yamauchi-Uesugi Clan, and even killed Uesugi Tomosada (1525-1546), the last head of the Ogigaya-Uesugi Clan in the Siege of Kawagoe.  The victory, however, cost Ujiyasu a lot.  His territory was exhausted, and many farmers abandoned their villages and farms.  To get the situation under control, Ujiyasu standardized the taxation system in his territory and reduced taxes in 1550.

     Did Eikan founded the temple to pray for the comfort of those who had been killed in the battles over Kawagoe Castle?  Or to religiously and psychologically relieve farmers?  Or to dodge taxes, taking advantage of tax exemption for temples?

Address: 1032 Haraichiba, Hanno, Saitama 357-0124   

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 holds a festival annually, and the 1000-armed Sahasrabhuja statue is shown to the public on that 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 sent to Silla.  Some escaped to Japan.  In 716, those who had settled in Suruga, Kai, Sagami, Kamiusa, Shimousa, Hitachi, and Shimotsuke Provinces, 1799 of them, were moved to Musashi Province and they established Koma County in the province.  It is unknown whether the re-settlement accorded to the wills of ex-Goguryeo 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 has a bamboo cane, which is said to have been owned by the king of Goguryeo.  Because of this bamboo cane, the village was called Kara Take, literally Goguryeo 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 its 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 offspring 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 has 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?

     Most of Musashi Province is plateaus covered deeply 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 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 of 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

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #23 Hikage-Tsuji-do Temple

     It is unknown when Hikage-Tsuji-do Temple was founded.  It used to be called Josei-den Hall, so it must have been a building in a larger temple.

Address: 187-4 Akazawa, Hanno, Saitama 357-0128

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #24 Chofuku-ji Temple

     Chofuku-ji Temple was founded by Ryoseki (?-1720).  It has been abolished, and its main building is used as a community center named Kinki-kan Hall, namely Golden Turtle (which is known for its longevity) Hall.

     What was it like when the temple was founded?

     In 1695, Ogiwara Shigehide (1658-1713) became an official responsible for finance, which is almost equivalent to the Minister of Finance today.  In those days, the Tokugawa Shogunate faced a financial crisis.  To solve the problem, Shigehide took advantage of the fact that Japanese society at large was going to experience deflation because the production of gold and silver was declining and gold and silver were flowing out of Japan due to the trade deficits.  Shigehide believed that as long as the Tokugawa Shogunate enjoyed popular confidence, the currency supplied by the shogunate would keep in circulation.  That belief in his mind, he started re-minting gold and silver coins and reduced the content of gold and silver.  That caused the shortage of copper, and he made copper coins thinner.  Jin Yoshi reported that Shigehide said, “Currency is what the state provides.  Even debris will circulate.”  He realized the annual inflation rate of 3 percent.  Wealthy merchants and wealthy samurai were afraid that their savings would effectively decrease, and invested the capital.  He stimulated the economy by increasing the money supply.  In other words, he realized reflation In the 17th century.

     The official temple name, Kinki-san Chofuku-ji, literally meant Golden Turtle Long Happiness, which must have sounded very bubbly.

Address: 373 Haraichiba, Hanno, Saitama 357-0124

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #25 Kinshaku-ji Temple

     Gu Xinjing (?-1366) came from Yuan China to Japan in 1318, settled in Akasawa Village, developed the precincts, and named it Hebei Chanlin in 1324.  He founded Kinshaku-ji Temple in 1327.

     In Yuan China, Gegeen Khan (1302-1323), succeeded to the throne of Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty in 1320. He was the 5th Emperor of Yuan China as well as the ninth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire.

     Despite the Emperor's aim to reform government based on the Confucian principles, or because of his aim, he was assassinated in 1323, and the dynasty started declining. Xinjing might have sought refuge from the storm at the end of the dynasty.

Address: 258 Akazawa, Hanno, Saitama 357-0128

Phone: 042-977-0746

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #26 Noguchi-Tsuji-do Temple

     Noguchi-Tsuji-do Temple was founded by Noguchi Chuzaemon, whose name sounds like that of a farmer, in 1716.  Chuzaemon’s ancestor was Noguchi Hidefusa (?-1629), whose name sounds like that of a samurai.  Hidefusa was a vassal of the Mita Family.  The family was destroyed by the Later Hojo Clan in the 1560’s.  The clan was destroyed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) in 1590.  The Toyotomi Clan was destroyed by Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) in 1615.  The Noguchi Family became farmers sometime in those days, and Hidefusa made a Buddhist memorial tablet of his last lord, Mita Tsunahide, in 1627.

     The Noguchi Family’s contemporary member is Noguchi Kaoru, who sells seeds.  He has compiled a comprehensive family tree.  The Mita Family’s contemporary member is a writer with the pen name Mita Danjo.  Danjo, his pen name, was one of the most popular names among samurai.  He has written a novel about the Mita Family in the Warring States Period.  What these 2 contemporary men have done are helpful for me, but isn't it overly sensitive to be obsessed with their own family histories?

     Chuzaemon’s wife copied Chapter 25 of Lotus Sutra, which is known as the Avalokitesvara Sutra, from 1721 and 1731, and presented them to Noguchi-Tsuji-do Temple in 1743.

Address: 232 KosedoHanno, Saitama 357-0067     

https://noguchiseed.com/hanashi/3dai/index.html

https://mypage.syosetu.com/181460/

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #27 Chonen-ji Temple

     Chonen-ji Temple was supposed to have been founded in the 13th century since its precincts have an old itabi dated 1299.

     The Northern and Southern Courts Period lasted from 1337 to 1392.  The Northern Court was led by the Ashikaga Clan.  However, on November 30th, 1351, the battle between Ashikaga Takauji (1305-1358) and his younger brother, Tadayoshi (1306-1352), broke out around the Satta Pass in Suruga Province.  On January 5th, 1352, Tadayoshi surrendered to Takauji, was confined to Jomyo-ji Temple in Kamakura, and died suddenly on February 26th.  It is unknown whether Tadayoshi died of a disease or was poisoned as “Taiheiki” (“Chronicle of Great Peace”, a Japanese historical military epic written in the late 14th century) writes.

     The Southern Court took full advantage of the breakup of the Ashikaga Clan, and occupied Kamakura on Leap February 15th.  A series of battles were fought in Musashi and Sagami Provinces, and finally Takauji regained Kamakura on March 12th.

     In July 1353, Takauji returned to Kyoto and left Kamakura to Ashikaga Motouji (1340-1367), the first Kanto Deputy Shogun.  Motouji pitched camp along the Iruma River, a strategic line to defend Kamakura.  He had to stay there for 9 years to fight against the Southern Court.  As the Iruma River ran near Koma County, the county became under the direct control of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate, and Chonen-ji Temple became a focal temple in the area.

     Generation by generation, the Kanto Deputy Shogunate declined, so Chonen-ji Temple was forgotten.

     It was Oishi Sadahisa (1491-1549) who revived Chonen-ji Temple.  He was the lord of Takiyama Castle and his daughter, Hisa (?-1590), was married to Hojo Ujiteru (1542-1590).  Hisa was said to have killed herself when Hachioji Castle fell in 1590.

     In 1598, Priest Genitsu (?-1603) converted the temple to the Soto Chan School.

Address: 260 Shirako, Hanno, Saitama 357-0205

Phone: 042-978-2062

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #28 Ryusen-ji Temple

     Ryusen-ji Temple was founded in 1024, and its Kannon-do Hall was built in 1025.

     Matsuda Samasuke packed Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra in a wooden box and presented them to Ryusen-ji Temple when the Later Hojo Clan was destroyed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598) in 1590.

     Previously, when the Later Hojo Clan held Odawara Castle against Hideyoshi, Samanosuke joined them with his father, Norihide, and his brother, Masaharu.  In the castle, Norihide and Masaharu had secret communications with Hideyoshi, and Samanosuke informed Hojo Ujinao (1562-1591), who killed both of them in the castle.  After Odawara Castle fell, Ujinao moved to Mt. Koya and Samasuke followed him.  He remained loyal to his master at the cost of the lives of his family.  His loyalty paid.  After Ujinao’s death, he was hired by the Maeda Clan with a high salary.

     Samanosuke changed his name twice.  First, Ujinao gave his “nao” to him, and Samanosuke combined “nao” with his father’s “hide” and called himself Naohide.  At Mt. Koya, he adopted his father’s nori instead of “hide” and called himself Naonori.

     East Asia, especially China, Vietnam, and Korea, had the custom of generation names.  The generation name is one of the 2 Chinese characters in a traditional Chinese, Vietnamese, or Korean given name.  The custom is called "generation name" because members of one generation share the same Chinese character.  Japan didn't import that custom as it was but in a modified way.  In Japan, an aristocratic or a samurai family used to share one Chinese Character for generations.  Let me call this custom a hereditary or descended name.

     However, the custom of generation name worked in another way in Japan: a warlord gave a part of his name, his non-hereditary or descended name, to his important vassals to have them take a pledge of brotherhood, or to make them a kind of blood brother or sworn brother.  The vassals put the given character at the beginning of their name to show their respect to their lord. Japan, in other words, imported the generation name custom in a rather modified way, as is often the case when Japan imported a custom from China.

Address: 79-1 Yokote, Hidaka, Saitama 350-1257

Phone: 042-982-1682

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #29 Choju-ji Temple  

     Choju-ji Temple was revived by Priest Shuden (?-1736).

     Presumably, the temple and the community which had supported the temple were damaged by the Great Kyoho Famine.

     Bad weather started at the end of 1731.  In 1732, the rainy season lasted for 2 months, and that caused a cold summer.  Harmful planthoppers bred on rice plants.  In 46 domains, their rice harvest was reduced to 27 percent of normal yields.  969,900 people died of hunger.  In the Kanto Region, tax increases imposed by Tokugawa Yoshimune (1684-1751) had weakened the resilience of peasants.

     When was the temple founded?  No one knows.  The temple enshrines a horse-headed Hayagriva statue.

Address: 247 Komahongo, Hidaka, Saitama 350-1251

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #30 Shoon-ji Temple

     Shoon-ji Temple was founded by Priest Kyuan Soka (?-1396), who studied under Priest Muge Myoken, who studied in Yuan China under Zhongfeng Mingben (1263–1323).

     Mamiya Kotonobu (1777-1841) said that Soka also studied in Yuan China for 10 years by the order of his father, Uesugi Norimasa (?-1366).  Norimasa died earlier than his father, Noriaki (1306-1368), who became the Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate under the first Kanto Deputy Shogun, Ashikaga Motouji (1340-1367).  Accordingly, Noriaki was succeeded by his nephew, Tomofusa (1335-1391), who also became the Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate.  It is unknown why Soka chose to live as a priest when he was the only son of Norimasa.  Kotonobu wrote in his New Chronology on Musashi Province that Soka died at the age of 78.  Then he was born in 1319, when his grandfather was just 14 years old.  It’s absurd.

     Who was Soka and why again didn’t he become a samurai?

Address: 184 Kuritsubo, Hidaka, Saitama 350-1245

Phone: 042-985-4589

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #31 Nyoirin-do Temple  

     Nothing is known about the history of Nyoirin-do Temple, which is maintained by the Nyoirindo Conservancy.  This means it has no priest nor belongs to any Buddhist sect or school.  Next to the temple, there is Yasaka Shrine, which has no Shinto priest to take care of it and which enshrines the head for the lion dance.

Address: 460 Takaoka, Hidaka, Saitama 350-1247

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #32 Shoden-in Temple

     Shoden-in Temple was founded in 751.

     Koma County was established in 716 by 1799 immigrants from Gogulyeo, which had been destroyed by Tang China and Silla in 668.  The immigrants had first settled in 7 provinces in Tokaido Region: Suruga, Kai, Sagami, Kamiusa, Shimousa, Hitachi, and Shimotsuke Provinces.  The first governor of the county was Yagwang.

     Yagwang first visited Japan in 666 as a vice leader of a diplomatic mission dispatched from Gogulyeo.  He seemed to have gone into exile in Japan after the collapse of Goguryeo.  As he was given the Konikishi title by the Japanese government in 703, he was a member of the royal family of Gogulyeo.

     After Yagwang’s death, Priest Seungle (?-751) planned to build a temple to enshrine the Vighnesvara statue, which he had brought from Gogulyeo, and to pray for the comfort of Yagwang in the other world.  However, the priest died in 751 before realizing his plan.  It was Yagwang's 3rd son, Seong’un, who founded Shoraku-ji Temple, the #32 temple of the Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, with the assistance of his nephew, Hong’in, who was a son of Yagwang’s elder brother, Gajung.  Both Seong’un and Hong’in were apprentices of Seungle.

     Sometime between 1624 and 1645, the temple burned down, and was later revived by Priest Shukai, who also changed the temple from the East Asian Yogacara School to the Chisan Sect of Shingon Buddhism.

     The precincts have 2 old itabi.  One is dated 1244 and the other 1289.  The temple also keeps an old copper bell which is dated 1261.  Presumably, the temple flourished under the Kamakura Shogunate.

Address: 990-1 Niihori, Hidaka, Saitama 350-1243

Phone: 042-989-3425

Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #33 Shofuku-ji Temple

     It is unknown when and by whom Shofuku-ji Temple was founded.

     Shofuku-ji Temple is priest-less and the neighborhoods manage the temple under a rotation system for 3 years.  Buddhist ceremonies which are related to Shofuku-ji Temple are held in Reigen-ji Temple.

     It is also unknown when the temple became priest-less and why.

Address: 200 Yaenda, Hidaka, Saitama 350-1236

Reigan-ji Temple

Address: 740 Niihori, Hidaka, Saitama 350-1243

Phone: 042-989-0528

     I have virtually walked up the Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage to find a few signs of the prototype samurai, the Musashi Seven Corps.  On my way, I stopped off at some Shirahige Shrines as well.  Did ex-Goguryeo people have something to do with the formation of the corps and, accordingly, with the birth of samurai?  Let me explore the Musashi Plateau a little bit more, to the Buso 48 Kannon Pilgrimage.  Why 48?  That’s another intriguing question.