Virtual Old Mutsu 33 Kannon Pigrimage #12 Heitaku-ji Temple

        

     We can find no Hirasawa-dera or Heitaku-ji Temple on the route of the Old Mutsu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.

     In the Warring States Period, the Yanada Family was based in Hirasawa Village, Shiwa County, Mutsu Province, and their fortress used to be where Kotaku-ji Temple is.

     Shiwa County was organized in 811, when the Old Mutsu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized.  Presumably, Hirasawa-dera or Heitaku-ji Temple was founded before the organization of the pilgrimage in the area where Hirasawa Village was later developed.

     Hirasawa was located about 5 kilometers south of Tokutan Fortress, which was built in 812 because Shiwa Fortress, which had been built in 803, was damaged in flood.  Hirasawa is also on the northern bank of Takina River, and Shiwa-Inari Shrine was founded in 1057 along its upper stream.  On January 9th, 802, Sakanoue Tamuramaro (758-811) was dispatched to northern foreigners' land to build Isawa Fortress.  On the 10th, 4000 jobless people from Suruga, Kai, Sagami, Musashi, Kazusa, Shimousa, Hitachi, Kozuke, and Shimotsuke Provinces were ordered to go to Isawa to build the fortress.  The Mutsu Provincial Government was located in Taga Fortress, but its Military Government was moved to Isawa Fortress in 802.  Some farmer-soldiers could have advanced further north to supply military provisions to Shiwa Fortress and then to Tokutan Fortress.  All in all, farmer-soldiers of the Imperial Army might have “developed” the area.  The question or problem was how they found their partners.  Soldiers resided in shifts, but farmer-soldiers settled permanently.  Depending on their manners, friction or even conflict arose between the farmer-soldiers and the local northern foreigners.

Kotaku-ji Temple

Address: Tate-73 Hirasawa, Shiwa, Shiwa District, Iwate 028-3308

Phone: 019-676-6255