Virtual Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #31 Kasamari-Temple

 

     The Ijimi Family was a powerful local family in the central part of the Boso Peninsula.  The family and their territory were annexed by the Imperial Court in the 5th century.  Part of the territory was offered to Empress Kasuganoyamada by Ijimi Wakugo in 534.  In those days, Buddhism was brought to Japan.

     A giant rock in the territory had been a holy place even since the prehistoric days.  In the 8th century, Buddhism was brought to the territory.  Buddhists carved an eleven-faced Ekadasamukha statue out of a camphor tree, and enshrined the statue by the rock.

     Emperor Reizen (950-1011) had a illegitimate son, Prince Gojo.  Gojo was appointed as an officer in Kazusa Province.  He made a sister of Kiyomitsu, a local official, his local mistress.  She became pregnant, but Gojo returned to Kyoto.  She gave birth to a baby girl, who grew up to be beautiful, and always prayed to the Ekadasamukha statue to see her father.

     The wife of Emperor Ichijo (980-1011), Sadako (977-1001), died after giving birth to her second daughter, Bishi (1001-1008).  After her death, the subjects of the Emperor looked for beauties in remote provinces to console the Emperor.  The girl, Kiyomitsu's niece, became a concubine.  She won the emperor's favor, and was asked about her hometown one night.  She talked about the Ekadasamukha statue and asked the emperor to build a hall for it.  The Emperor built a hall supported with 61 pillars in order to cover the rock.  Its structure is very unique and it is unknown whether its design was based on the Emperor's idea or the concubine's.

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