Virtual Kesen 33 Kannon Pigrimage #3 Koya Kannon-do Hall

 

     It is unknown when a Kannon-do hall was built in Koya Hamlet, Kesen Village, Kesen County, Mutsu Province.  Originally, a 5-centimeters-tall golden image of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses, was enshrined.  As it was stolen, a wooden image is enshrined, and is taken care of by the Yoshida Family, whose house name is O-Koya, literally Big Koya.  Presumably, their ancestors were samurai, and they fought with the original image in their helmet.  If so, the hall was built after the Warring States Period to enshrine their guardian Buddhist image.

Address: Koya, Kesencho, Rikuzentakata, Iwate 029-2204