Virtual Old Tsugaru 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #24 Kanita-Kannon

 

     There used to be a lagoon in Kanita Sotokuroyama, Sotogahama, Higashitsugaru District, Aomori 030-1303.  The locals enshrined Ukemochi on the top of Mount Sotokuro.

     There are 48 Ukemochi Shrines in Japan.  Ukemochi is a goddess of food and one of the oldest deities of the Shinto religion.  Inari is more popular although the development of Inari shrines began in the 9th century.  There are 2970 Inari Shrines with Inari as their main deity.  There are over 32,000 branches of Inari in the shrines with the other main deities.  Inari is basically the god of rice.

     Japanese industrial structure changed and rice cultivation became its primary industry.  Ukemochi was later confused with Inari.  Its name has often been misread Hoshoku.  Ukemochi Shrine in Sotokuro also became Inari Shrine.

     Ukemochi Shrine or Hoshoku Shrine in Sotokuroyama was probably brought either directly from the central part of Japan or indirectly from somewhere in Mutsu or Ideha Province presumably before the prosperity of Inari Shrine in the 9th century.  Later, an Avalokitesvara image was enshrined as its original Buddhist deity.

     When the lagoon was filled with earth and sand, the fishers there moved to the beach in Kanita Village with their shrines and the Avalokitesvara image.  Later, Ukemochi Shrine or Inari Shrine was brought back to Sotokuroyama and Yawata became the main deity of the shrine near the beach.  Presumably after the Meiji Restoration Government issued the Gods and Buddhas Separation Order in 1868, the image was lost.

Address: Kanita, Sotogahama, Higashitsugaru District, Aomori 030-1303

Hachiman-gu Shrine

Address: 74 Kanita Odaiyamagen, Sotogahama, Higashitsugaru District, Aomori 030-1307

Sotokuroyama-Inari Shrine

Address: 84-1 Kanita Sotokuroyama, Sotogahama, Higashitsugaru District, Aomori 030-1303