Virtual Kesen 33 Kannon Pigrimage #10 Shogaku-ji Temple

 

     Shogaku-ji Temple was founded in Yukinosawa, Yahagi Village, Kesen County, Mutsu Province, in 1577.

     There used to be Yukisawa Gold Mine in Yukisawa, Yahagicho, Rikuzentakata, Iwate 029-2201.  The mine was developed sometime between 729 and 749, and enjoyed its golden age from 1592 to 1615.  Thousands of people lived in Yukinosawa in those days.  In Yukinosawa, Jodo-ji Temple was the head temple and Shogaku-ji Temple was one of its branch temples.

     As the gold mine declined, Jodo-ji and Shogaku-ji Temples left Yukinosawa and moved to Takekoma Village in 1714.  Shogaku-ji Temple's gold-foiled 55-centimeters-tall statue of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses, and the temple's sango Sekitaku-san, remind us of Yukinosawa's good old days.  Sekitaku is another pronunciation of Yukinosawa.  The temple's precincts have a gold slag, the waste product of smelting gold ores.  In 1725, Jodo-ji Temple moved to Takata Village.

Address: Nakanosawa-24 Takekomacho, Rikuzentakata, Iwate 029-2203

Phone: 0192-54-4490

Jodo-ji Temple

Address: Horanosawa-26 Takatacho, Rikuzentakata, Iwate 029-2205

Phone: 0192-54-4490