Virtual Old Akita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #1 Shirataki-Kannon

 

     Shirataki, namely White Waterfall, has been a holy place since ancient times.  As early as in the 7th century, mountain ascetics arrived at Shrataki from Kumano, Kii Province.  Ippen (1234–1289), who was enlightened in Kumano, and who traveled throughout Japan with a band of followers, made sure of the trace of Kumano belief in Shirataki in 1286.

     The Avalokitesvara belief arrived at Shirataki in the latter half of the Heian Period (794-1192), and Urabe Yasumasa brought one of his 33 Avalokitesvara images to Shirataki sometime between 1040 and 1043.

     Today, we can find the image of Cintamanicakra, who usually has 6 arms and holds chintamani (a wish-fulfilling jewel) in one of the six, but that does not necessarily mean the original Avalokitesvara image was that of Cintamanicakra.  All we can find today were made in the Edo Period (1603-1867).  The present Cintamanicakra image is made of stone and is located at the basin of the waterfall.  The area wasn't prohibited to women, which was unusual for holy places of mountain asceticism.

     Shirataki-Kannon is also regarded as the inner sanctuary of Shioyuhiko Shrine, which is believed to have been founded in 672, 24 years after Iwafune Fortress was built in today's Iwafune, Murakami, Niigata 958-0000, as the northernmost forefront of the Imperial Army against northern foreigners.

Address: 1 Kannonzawa, Sannaiomatsukawa, Yokote, Akita 019-1101

Shioyuhiko Shrine

Address: 3 Mitakesan, Sannaiomatsukawa, Yokote, Akita 019-1101

Phone: 0182-32-1418