Virtual Adachi Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #29 Kannon-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Kannon-ji Temple was founded in Kinoshita Village, Adachi County, Musashi Province.  The village used to have fields on the riverbed of the Ara River.  Such fields yield no crops in a rainy year, but better crops in drought.

     The Kyoho Reforms were introduced by the Tokugawa Shogunate between 1722 and 1730 to improve its fiscal standing.  In the Kanto Region, the Magistrate of Finance, Kamio Haruhide (1687-1753), tried to "develop" rice fields on river beds.  That actually meant just imposing taxes on the fields on riverbeds, which were estimated at 100 square kilometers.  The "development" policy  was opposed not only by farmers but also by the lords of territories in the region.  Haruhide is believed to have said, "The more sesame is squeezed, the more oil comes out, and the same is true for peasants."  Thanks to his efforts, in 1744, the Tokugawa Shogunate raised the largest tax revenue ever in the Tokugawa Period (1603-1867).  In April, 1745, however, about 20 thousand farmers from Settsu and Kawachi Provinces marched to the Imperial Palace and submitted a petition to give the shogunate a message to decrease taxes.  In October, Tokugawa Yoshimune (1684-1751), the 8th Shogun, resigned.

     Kannon-ji Temple’s gate has 2 Vajrapani stone statues.  We can rarely find a stone Vajrapani statue.

Address: 1671 Takagi, Nishi Ward, Saitama, 331-0071