Virtual Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #6 Bokuun-ji Temple

 

     Zaogongen Shrine on the top of Mt. Buko used to enshrine the statue of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses.  It was moved to Ogino-do Hall in Yokoze Village, and was moved to Bokuun-ji Temple in 1760.

Bokuun-ji Temple itself was founded by Monk Shundo (?-1638), supported by Shimada Yozaemon.

     A volcanic island in the south around today's Hawaii ceased its activity and was eroded and covered with coral reefs.  The seamount, laden with coral-formed limestone, were pushed north by plate movements and dragged deep into a trench.  It was pressed against the continental plate, was peeled off from the ocean plate, and eventually rose and appeared on the surface of the earth.  It was called Mt. Buko.  As it top had a cave and a flat ground surrounded with limestones, it became a holy place for mountain worship, and Zao-gongen Shrine was founded there in unknown date before the Kamakura Shogunate (1185-1333).

     The limestone of Mt. Buko is one of the largest deposits of high quality in Japan, with an estimated reserve of 400 million tons.  Since the northern slope of the mountain exposes limestone, it has long been mined as a raw material for plaster and other products.  Modern mining began in the Meiji Era (1868-1912) as a raw material for cement.  After the Chichibu Lime Industry started its operations in 1940, large-scale mining has progressed and the mountain has lost its old appearance.

     In 1900, the mountain's altitude was recorded as 1,336 meters.  The area around the original summit was even blasted for mining.  In 1977, the altitude was reported as 1,295 meters.

Address: 1430 Yokoze, Chichibu District, Saitama 368-0072

Phone: 0494-24-6236