Virtual Kesen 33 Kannon Pigrimage #21 Toun-ji Temple

 

     Genki-in Temple was founded at the foot of the Acalanatha Waterfall in Kesen County, Mutsu Province, presumably in the 8th century with Akasagarbha as its main deity and the statues of Empress Nukatabe (554-628) and Prince Shotoku (574-622) standing on either side of it.  The temple was revived as Toun-ji in 1560 by Priest Jogen with the support of Chiba Moritsuna, who was based in Nejiro Fort, in whose site Nejiro Hachiman Shrine is located.  Its area was later called Tomioka Hamlet, Ikawa Village.  

     When he was a baby, Jogen was found by Priest Jusho in the precincts of Daiko-ji Temple.  Jogen grew up to be the 10th priest of the temple, and later founded Fumon-ji and Toun-ji Temples.

     In 1591, the head of the Cjiba Family was brutally murdered in Sue, Monou County, Mutsu Province, by Date Masamune(1567-1636).

     In the middle of the 17th century, Ikawa Village was documented, and Inakozawa, Hachiman, and Tomioka Hamlets composed Ikawa Village in the 1710's.

     The replicas of the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage were presented to the temple in 1750.  Tradition says that the temple was included in the Kesen 33 Kannon Pilgrimage because of the 33 Buddhist images, but the tradition is incompatible with the organization of the pilgrimage in 1718.  The temple should have had an image of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses, before 1718.

Address: Utsunosawa-20 Sakaricho, Ofunato, Iwate 022-0003

Phone: 0192-26-2517

Nejiro Hachiman Shrine

Address: Tateshita-2-42 Sakaricho, Ofunato, Iwate 022-0003

Daiko-ji Temple

Address: Dai 23 Chiwari-1 Ishidoriyacho Daikoji, Hanamaki, Iwate 028-3181

Phone: 0198-45-5579

Fumon-ji Temple (The Kesen 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #29)

Address: Jitakesawa-181 Yonesakicho, Rikuzentakata, Iwate 029-2206

Phone: 0192-55-2034