Virtual Tama Aqueduct Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #2 Gyoho-in Temple

 

      According to the shrine's legend, Okunitama Shrine was established near the Musashi Provincial Government's office on May 5th, 111.  The 6 gods in the province were grouped together in the precincts.  The 6 gods were invited to Otsukayama, Kitatani Village, Tama County, Musashi Province, in 889 and the shrine was called Rokusho-gu, namely 6 Local Shrine.  In 1550, Tama River flooded, its precincts subsided, and the shrine moved to its present place.  Sometime, Gyoho-in Temple was founded as its shrine temple.  After the Meiji Restoration, the shrine was renamed Izumi Shrine, and Gyoho-in Temple was abolished.

     The 6 gods were believed to be local manifestations of Eleven-Faced Ekadasamukha, whose statue, which was said to have been carved by a legendary Buddhist sculptor, Kasuga, was presented to the shrien by Ishigaya Tetsunojo.

     Kasuga is said to have worked in Kawachi Province.  Legend has it that he carved Buddhism images and statues day and night.  One day, the villagers noticed him carving something other than Buddhism images.  It became a big crane statue.  Next morning, the villagers found nobody in his house, but a big bird flying to the east in the morning glow, with something or someone on its back.  It is unknown whether Kasuga carved the statue in Kawachi Province or in Musashi Province.

     The Ishigaya Family was from Ishigaya Village, Sano County, Totomi Province.  The village’s name, namely Rock's Valley, was from 9 big rocks in the valley.  Ishigaya Masakiyo (1503-1574)  was first subject to Imagawa Yoshimoto (1519-1560).  After Yoshimoto was killed by Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582), he became subject to Yoshimoto’s son, Ujimasa (1538-1615).  However, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) started invading Totomi Province in the 1560’s and Masakiyo was subject to Ieyasu in 1569.  Masakiyo was buried in Senryu-ji Temple, the #3 temple of the Tama Aqueduct Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, in Izumi Village, Tama County, Musashi Province, under the Tokugawa Shogunate.

     As the Ii Family was also from Totomi Province, they also presented some money and rice to the shrine as well as the Ishigaya Family annually on September 20th.

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