Virtual Ueno Oji Komagome 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #6 Jokan-ji Temple

     There used to ba Anraku-ji Temple in Dazaifu, Tsukushi Province.  A monk of the temple traveled around Japan, stayed in Takinogawa Village, Toshima County, Musashi Province, built a hermitage, and named it Anraku-in.

     Years later, in the Edo Period, Yamakawa Jokan was a kind of a doctor in general or a practitioner in acupuncture and moxibustion in particular.  When Tokugawa Iemitsu (1604-1651) caught a disease, Jokan prayed to Hiratsuka-myojin Shrine.  Iemitsu recovered, and Jokan renewed the shrine and also revived the hermitage as a shrine temple of the shrine in 1634.  In 1640, Iemitsu did falconry in Takinogawa Village and came to know the story.  He was impressed, presented Jokan rice fields, and ordered him to name the temple Jokan-ji.  Anyway, Jokan-ji Temple has something to do with healing and curing. 

     The Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #6 Minami-Hokke-ji Temple, or popularly known as Tsubosaka-dera Temple, was famous with its Sahasrabhuja statue, which was believed to have the power to heal and cure eye diseases.

     The belief spun off a piece of Joruri music:

     Sawaichi became blind due to cataracts.  One day, he realized his wife, Osato, left home at dawn.  He suspected that she had a lover, and pressed her to tell the truth.  She told him that she had been to Tsubosaka-dera Temple to pray for the heal and cure of his eye disease.  He was ashamed of his groundless suspicion, and started visiting the temple with her.  When the term of their vow ended, he, however, realized that he would ruin her life and threw himself in the basin of a waterfall.  Alas, Osato knew his death, and threw herself into the waterfall too.  Sahasrabhuja realized the depth of their love, saved their lives, and cured Sadaichi's illness.

     The organizers of the Ueno Oji Komagome 33 Kannon Pilgrimage focused their attention on the healing power of the 2 temples' deities.

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