Virtual Old Akita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #7 Koya-ji Temple

 

     Every village or town whose name is Ono has a legend or two about Ono Komachi, who is supposed to have lived about from 825 to 900.  Because of her legendary beauty, there are as many as 17 candidates for her grave across Japan.

     Anyway, her 17 tanka poems were included in the Kokin Wakashu, the Collection of Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times, which was compiled in the 10th century, and whose compilation was finished in 905.  She exchanged her tanka poems with Arihara Narihira (825-880), Fun'ya Yasuhide (?-885), and Priest Henjo (816-890).  The Selection of Ono Komachi's Tanka Poem was compiled in the latter half of the 9th century.  Her tanka poem is included in the Hyakunin Isshu, a classical Japanese anthology of one hundred Japanese tanka poems by one hundred poets, whose collection was finished in the first half of the 13th century:

Charms of a flower

Have gone

As I look out over the world.

     All in all, her existence is highly plausible.  It is, however, up to you which legend or tradition you believe:

     Ono Yoshizane was a county officer in Ideha Province.  He founded Koya-ji Temple in 807 as their family temple.  Ennin (794-864) stayed in the temple sometime between 859 and 877.  Before her death at the age of 92, Komachi stayed in Iwaya-do Cave, carved her own image, and presented it to the temple:

My body, which is temporarily mine,

And whose looks change,

Should be handed back.

     The temple used to be located on the left bank of Omono River at the foot of Iwaya-do Cave, but was moved to its present place.

     Now, let's get back to our original matter of interest: Why did Urabe Yasumasa choose Koya-ji Temple as #7 of the 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, which he organized?  As Komachi's legend suggests, Iwaya-do Cave could have been used for a kind of sepulture without burying bodies under the ground.  That means the cave was a holy place since prehistoric times.  Yasumasa wanted to involve the holy place into the syncretism of local goddesses/gods and Buddhism.  Was he interested in Komachi a century after her death?  I don't think so.  The Komachi boom is very modern.

Address: Ono-138 Ono, Yuzawa, Akita 019-0205

Phone: 0183-52-3773

Komachi-do Hall

Address: Komachi-48-17 Ono, Yuzawa, Akita 019-0205

Iwaya-do Cave

Address: Betsusuirin Ono, Yuzawa, Akita 019-0205

Phone: 0183-52-2200