Virtual Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #30 Kozo-ji Temple

 

     Kozo-ji Temple was founded by Priest Tokugi along the upper stream of Yana River in the 580's, just after Umakuta Country was annexed and was included in Kazusa Province.  Takekoro's son, Fukakawaomi, was appointed as the head of the annexed country.

     Umakuta Country became Moda County, and its county government office was located along the lower stream of Yana River.  Moreover, about 1 kilometer northwest from Kodai-ji Temple.  There lie the Futaeyama ruins, which functioned as an iron industrial zone in ancient times.  Chiba Prefecture, or the Boso Peninsula, is known for its iron sand even today.  The Imperial-Court power or forces set their eyes on the mineral resources, and spread the iron manufacturing from Kashima Shrine, their strong hold to invade the northeastern part of Honshu.  They started the manufacturing in the latter half of the 7th century in the northern part of the peninsula, the Wakabayashi Site (Fujigaya, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0931), which was located in a hill along the south shore of the Katori Sea, for example, and introduced it to Futaeyama at the turn of the 8th century.  The Futaeyama Site had a smelter to refine sand iron, a blacksmith to make iron plates, and a charcoal kiln to supply charcoals to the smelter and blacksmith.  The site is located on the south dry hillside.

     According to  the Great Mirror (Okagami in Japanese), which is a Japanese historical tale written in around 1119 by an unknown author, and which covers the period 850 to 1025, Nakatomi Kamatari (614-669), the founder of the Fujiwara Clan, was born in Kashima County, Hitachi Province, not in Yamato Province as commonly accepted.

     The head of Yana Village in Kazusa Province had no child at the age of 40.  He prayed to the image of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses, in Kozo-ji Temple, and had a baby girl, Shiyokan.  The girl grew up but didn't have any partner.  When she heard of the story about her birth, she prayed to the Arya Avalokitesvara image.  She dreamed Arya Avalokitesvara told her to visit Kashima County and pray to the Sun God.  There, she became pregnant and had a baby boy, who grew up to be Nakatomi Kamatari.  Kashima Shrine was officially considered and actually worked as the gateway for the Imperial army to invade the Tohoku Region, the northeastern part of Honshu, which was later called Mutsu Province, or to subdue and rule Emishi, who were not subject to the Imperial central government, whose head, the Emperor, was believed to be the offspring of the Sun God.  The Nakatomi Family is presumed to have advanced to Hitachi Province in the first half of the 6th century.  Shiyokan’s partner might have been a member of the family.  Anyway, iron manufacturing was introduced to Futaeyama almost 2 centuries after the pregnancy of Shiyokan.

     All in all, did Kozo-ji Temple function to support the colonization policies of the Imperial Court and to enlighten local people?

Address: 1245 Yana, Kisarazu, Chiba 292-0812

Phone: 0438-52-2675