Virtual Shimokita 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #3 Jigan-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Jigan-ji Temple was founded.  Bannin-do Hall was built in 1668 by Kumagai Genmu in the temple's precincts to enshrine an image of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of other 6 metamorphoses.  The Arya Avalokitesvara sitting-in-the-half-lotus-position image had been curved by Enku (1632-1695), who traveled through provinces and who is estimated to have curved over 120 thousand Buddhist images.

https://www.aham.jp/exhibition/past/enku/

     In January 1666, Enku was driven out of the castle town of Hirosaki Domain.  According to the entry for January 29th, 1666, in the "Tsugaru-han Nikki" and the inscriptions on the backs of Enku Buddha statues found in Hokkaido, Enku traveled to the Matsumae Domain via Aomori in the spring of that year.  The inscriptions on the statues in Owari and Mino Provinces tell us that he returned to the provinces in 1669.  He could have visited Genmu in Shimokita either before his travel to Hokkaido or after.

     After the Meiji Restoration, Jigan-ji Temple was abolished.  Maybe it belonged to Shugen-do or the Japanese Mountain Asceticism.  Bannin-do Hall was moved to Jonen-ji Temple, and the Arya Avalokitesvara image was moved to Osorezan Bodai-ji Temple.  Jigan-ji Temple's precincts have become Mutsu Pension Office.

Jonen-ji Temple

Address: 4-8 Tanabucho, Mutsu, Aomori 035-0034

Phone: 0175-22-1891

Osorezan Bodaiji Temple

Address: Usoriyama-3-2 Tanabu, Mutsu, Aomori 035-0021

Phone: 0175-22-3825

Mutsu Pension Office

Address: 2 Chome-7-30 Kogawamachi, Mutsu, Aomori 035-0071

Phone: 0175-23-7955