Virtual Old Mutsu 33 Kannon Pigrimage #30 Onidomari Iwaya Kannon-do Hall

 

     Tradition says that an Avalokitesvara image was washed ashore at Sarira Beach, Horozuki Village, Tsugaru County, Mutsu Province, sometime between 824 and 834, a decade or two too late to be organized to be #30 deity of the Olad Mutsu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, which was organized in 811.  Anyway, the locals enshrined it in a small cave near the beach.

     As the cave was too near the beach, Priest Teiden (1690-1731) moved the image to Honkaku-ji Temple, which belongs to Obaku-shu or Obaku School of Chan Buddhism in Japan, after he became the head priest of the temple in 1718.

     The locals built Horozuki Kaiundo Syakado Hall in 1880's to pray for the safety and security in the sea, getting the Avalokitesvara image back from Honkaku-ji Temple.  Locals, however, wanted an Avalokitesvara image in the original place and revived Onidomari Iwaya Kannon-do Hall in 1950's.  As a result, #30 of the Old Mutsu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage has 2 holy places.

     Between Onidomari Iwaya Kannon-do Hall and Horozuki Kaiundo Syakado Hall, there is Inari Shrine, which however enshrines Goddess Ukemochi.

     There are 48 Ukemochi Shrines in Japan.  Ukemochi is a goddess of food and one of the oldest deities of the Shinto religion.  Inari is more popular although the development of Inari shrines began in the 9th century.  There are 2970 Inari Shrines with Inari as their main deity.  There are over 32,000 branches in the shrines with the other main deities.  Inari is basically the god of rice.

     Japanese industrial structure changed and rice cultivation became its primary industry.  Ukemochi was later confused with Inari, which is often thought to take the shape of a fox.  Its name has often been misread Hoshoku.  Even as for gods and goddesses, life has its ups and downs.

     Inari was good at reading the trends of the times.  In the middle of the Edo Period, Japanese society was shifting from an agriculture-based economic system to mercantilism.  Inari became a god of business.  As trading ships waited for better winds around Horozuki, their shipowners presented picture tablets of their ships and/or stone lanterns to Horozuki-Inari Shrine.

     Those suggest how the area functioned when the Old Mutsu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized.  In 1755, 234 Ainu people lived in the 8 villages including Horozuki along the western coast of Mutsu Bay.

Address: Horomuramoto 98-1, Horozuki, Imabetsu, Higashitsugaru District, Aomori 030-1515

Sarira Beach

Address: Horomuramoto, Horozuki, Imabetsu, Higashitsugaru District, Aomori 030-1513

Honkaku-ji Temple

Address: 119 Imabetsu, Higashitsugaru District, Aomori 030-1502

Phone: 0174-35-2076

Horozuki Kaiundo Syakado Hall

Address: Horomuramoto-100 Horozuki, Imabetsu, Higashitsugaru District, Aomori 030-1513

 Inari Shrine

Address: Horozuki, Imabetsu, Higashitsugaru District, Aomori 030-1513