Virtual Old Tsugaru 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #15 Engaku-ji Temple

 

     Taicho (682-767) was born in Asozu (namely Aso Port) in Echizen Province as the second son of Mikami Yasuzumi, the head of a local powerful family. The Mikami Family ran the water transportation along the Hino River.  Taicho-ji Temple in Fukui still has a well whose water is said to have been used for Taicho's first bath.  Taicho became a Buddhist monk at the age of 14, with his first Buddhist name Hocho.  He climbed Mt. Ochi and trained by praying to Eleven-Faced Ekadasamukha.  In 702, he was appointed by Emperor Karu (683-707) as a priest of the protection of the nation, and founded Toyohara-ji Temple in Sakai County, Echizen Province.  After that, He climbed Mt. Haku in Kaga Province in 717 and sensed Bodhisattva there.  He is said to be the first person to reach the top of Mt. Haku, and was the pioneer of mountain asceticism there.  In the same year, he founded Heisen-ji Temple in Ono County, Echizen Province.  In 719, he left Echizen Province and carried out Buddhist missionary work in various provinces presumably to spread mountain asceticism by organizing spontaneous local mountain worship.  He is believed to have visited Chichibu and founded Hosen-ji Temple.

     In 722, he prayed for the recovery from illness of Empress Hidaka (680748). It is said that, due to his success in resolving the epidemic of smallpox in 737, he was given an archbishop title, and changed his name to Taicho.

     In 783, Priest Jotei, who was a disciple of Taicho, founded Shogo-ji Temple, which was later renamed Eifuku-ji.  Jotei's youngest brother, Engaku, arrived at Fukaura, found an Eleven-Faced Ekadasamukha image there, and built a hermitage to enshrine the image.  Sometime between 1169 and 1171, someone rebuilt the hermitage for Fujiwara Motohira (1105-1157) and named it Engaku-ji.

     A Japanese flat round hollow metal slit gong was presented to the temple in 1385.  In 1506, the temple's building was rebuilt by Kasai Yorikiyo, who had been based in Daikoji Fortress but was driven out to Fukaura.

Address: Hamamachi-275 Fukaura, Nishitsugaru District, Aomori 038-2324

Phone: 0173-74-2029

Eifuku-ji Temple

Address: 71-10 Sakaicho Kibeshinbo, Sakai, Fukui 919-0536

Phone: 0776-72-0869

Daikoji Fortress Site

Address: Sanmurai Daikoji, Hirakawa, Aomori 036-0101

Fukaura Fortress Site

Address: Fukaura, Nishitsugaru District, Aomori 038-2324