Virtual Hachinohe Castle Town 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #22 Nejo-Sumino-Kannon-do Hall

 

     Sumino-Kannon, or Corner Avalokitesvara, was enshrined to pray the fatalities from Inoshishi-Kegazu, or the Wild Boar Famine.

     The Wild Boar Famine hit the Hachinohe domain in the latter half of the 1740's.  The famine was so named because the poor harvests caused by a series of bad weather from 1749 to 1751 damage was exacerbated by the excessive reproduction of wild boars.

     The damage caused by wild boars had become noticeable from around 1746.  In May 1747, at least 42 wild boars were captured.  An article dated June 27th of the year describes a plan to exterminate boars, with the domain's inspector as commander-in-chief and 500 samurai, foot soldiers, and laborers.

     In 1749, the damage caused by wild boars reached its peak, with crops being eaten up and devastating damage being caused, especially in villages in the mountains which had few rice fields.

     In 1749, the agriculture production of the Hachinohe Domain decreased by 62.5%.  According to the journal of the inspector of the Hachinohe Domain, the production decreased by 83.3% in comparison to the official production.  The journal also frequently mentioned wild boars rampaging, destroying soybeans, millet, barnyard millet, and other grains planted in the spring in the mountainous areas.  When the time came for the crops to ripen, the wild boars ate the grains, and nobody could stop them. Boars turned the fields into wasteland.

     According to the written record of the religion registration, the population of the domain was 71,852 in 1749.  The number of people who died of starvation in the famine was estimated to be around 4,500 to 4,600, according to the religion registration in the spring of 1750.  In 1751, the people who had fled to other domains returned home, and the actual number of people who died of starvation was estimated to be around 3,000 in the religion registration in 1752.

Address: 8 Chome-14 Nejo, Hachinohe, Aomori 039-1166