Virtual Old Akita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #17 Kozen-ji Temple

 

     Kozen-ji Temple was founded at the foot of Mt. Takadera in 718.  Takadera-Kannon-do Hall was built in 897 at the top of the mountain.

     In 709, Ideha County was established at the northern end of Koshi Province.  Ideha Fortress was supposedly built around that time at the estuary of Mogami River.  Ideha County was separated from Koshi Province and was promoted to province in 712.  Afterwards, more than 800 farmer soldiers were immigrated from Koshi Province and some eastern provinces.  The Imperial Court continued to expand the area where the county system was implemented, relying on migrated farmer-soldiers.  In 733, Ideha Fortress was relocated north, or advanced, to Akita at the estuary of Omono River at about 100 kilometers from its original place.

     Kozen-ji Temple seems to have been founded in the above mentioned process.

     Yamamoto County, which was later renamed Senboku County, was first documented on December 8th, 870, in Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku, literally the True Record of Three Reigns of Japan, which is a history text officially mandated by Emperor Uda (867-931) to compile. It was compiled by Fujiwara Tokihira (871-909), Sugawara Michizane (845-903), Okura Yoshiyuki (832-921), and Mimune Masahira (853-926), and covers the years from August 27th, 858, to August 26th, 887, corresponding to three imperial reigns: Seiwa (850-881), Yozei (869-949), and Koko (830-887). The compilation was completed in 901.

     Koden-ji Temple was founded before the organization of Yamamoto County, and Takadera-Kannon-do Hall was built after the organization.  What does that imply?  We have seen a couple of temples founded in the sites of ancient watchtowers.  In those cases, the towers watched Yokote Basin and the people, presumably the northern foreigners who had surrendered.  Koden-ji Temple and Takadera-Kannon-do Hall is located where Omono River runs out of the basin.  Presumably, they were built as a checkpoint and a watchtower, from which the Kiyohara Family's soldiers surveilled the intruders from the Sea of Japan through and/or along Omono River.  

     Urabe Yasumasa, who might have served the Kiyohara Family, might have thought it important to include the temple and its hall.

Address: Takadera 28, Kyowamineyoshikawa, Daisen, Akita 019-2431

Takadera Kannon Hall

Address: Kyowamineyoshikawa, Daisen, Akita 019-2431