Virtual Iruhi Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #9 Shinko-ji Temple

     The Suzume River is a branch of the Ara River.  It is about 6 kilometers long, and its river basin's size is about 8.7 square kilometers.  People started living in its upper reaches about 7,000 years ago.  The area is surrounded with hills and is shady all day long.  The area came to be called Hikage, literally Shade.  According to the Wamyo Ruijusho (Japanese names for things, classified and annotated), which is a dictionary compiled by Minamoto Shitago (911–983) from 934 to 938, Hikage belonged to Doga Village, Hiki County, Musashi Province.  However old the area might be, it wasn't geopolitically important after the arrival of rice cultivation with its shady weather and scarcity of flat land.

     Shinko-ji Temple was founded in Hikage Village by Priest Han'etsu, financially supported by Hatakeyama Shigetada (1164-1205).  The temple might have declined in the Warring States Period (1467-1568), and was revived by Priest Shundo (?-1646).  It was registered in 1649.  No priest lives in the temple now, and it has only 8 supporting families.

Address: 1001 Hikage, Tokigawa, Hiki District, Saitama 355-0344