Virtual Okitama 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #12 Tosho-ji Temple

 

     Priest Sonkaku, who lived from the end of the Kamakura Period (1185-1333) to the Southern and Northern Courts Period (1336-1392), kept his diary and named it Sode-Nikki, which means Margin Diary.  Komatsu Village was first documented in the diary.

     Sato Sakube brought an image of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses, from the top of Mount Wakamatsu, Aizu County, Iwashiro Province, to his land in Komatsu Village, Okitama County, Dewa Province, sometime between 1688 and 1704.

     Sakube also founded Komatsu Kotai Shrine in 1668 to pray to Ise Shrine from his hometown.

     Komatsu Kotai Shrine was taken care of by the Kurata Family, its Shinto priests.  The family was also a vassal of the Uesugi Clan, who ruled Okitama County in the Edo Period (1603-1867).

     The Kurata Family first immigrated to Echigo Province as a ramie merchant as well as a Shinto priest of Ise Shrine, which expanded its religious network throughout Japan in the Warring States Period (1467-1568) to cover the loss of its manors to warlords.  Dispatched Shinto priests had, accordingly, economic missions too.

     Ramie is one of the oldest fiber crops, having been used for at least 6,000 years, and is principally used for fabric products such as industrial sewing thread, packing materials, fishing nets, and filter cloths.

     The Uesugi Clan ruled Echigo Province in the Warring states Period, but was moved to Aizu County and then to Okitama County, reducing their income.  The Kurata Family moved with the Uesugi Clan.  Why did Sakube support Buddhism and Shinto?  Because of nostalgia?  Did he have any other economical motivation?

Address: 1621-3 Akayu, Nanyō, Yamagata 999-2211

Phone: 0238-43-2457

Komatsu Kotai Shrine

Address: 3099 Kamikomatsu, Kawanishi, Higashiokitama District, Yamagata 999-0121

Phone: 0238-42-3048