Virtual Old Tsugaru 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #5 Hensho-ji Temple

 

     Priest Ryogen built a hermitage as a branch of Teisho-ji Temple in 1572.  In 1611, the hermitage moved to Hirosaki Castle Town with Teisho-ji Temple.  In 1654, the 6th priest of Teisho-ji Temple, Mukaku, retired and changed the hermitage into a temple, naming it Hensho-ji.

     Kiyosuke of Kozawa Village traveled to Kyoto and got an image of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses, from an old monk.  He built a hall for the image in the precincts of Hensho-ji Temple.

     Hirosaki Castle Town has Moto-Teramachi, namely Former Temple Town, and Shin-Teramachi, namely New Temple Town.

     Around 1644, the Teramachi area had 5 houses and 15 temples on the east side of the street and only houses on the west side.

     In 1659, the area was called Teramachi, and the west side was divided into 31 houses. There are also merchants such as merchants, carpenters, tobacco shops, and others.

     May the 3rd of the same year, a fire broke out at an abacus shop in Yokomachi, today's Higashinagamachi, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8343, and burned down 4 temples in Teramachi.  After the fire, the temples were moved to the south, and a new temple town was formed, which was named Shin-Teramachi.  The original Teramachi area was later called Moto-Teramachi.

     Kozawa Village was first documented in 1645.

Address: 107-3 Shinteramachi, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8214

Phone: 0172-32-8714

Teisho-ji Temple

Address: 108 Shinteramachi, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8214

Phone: 0172-32-1082

Kozawa Village: Kozawa, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8243