Virtual Old Tsugaru 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #33 Daien-ji Temple

 

     Mount Ajara was a sacred place for northern foreigners in the 9th century.  When Buddhism was imported, Amitabha, Acalanatha, and Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses, were enshrined on the top of the mountain.  Some say the mountain's name Ajara comes from Acalanatha.  The Amitabha statue was enshrined in Daiankoku-ji Temple.

     Daiankoku-ji Temple declined and the statue was enshrined Kohaku-ji Temple.

     Tsugaru Nobuyoshi (1619-1655), the 3rd lord of the Hirosaki Domain, moved Kohaku-ji Temple to the present location of Daien-ji Temple.

     After the Meiji Restoration Government issued the Gods and Buddhas Separation Order in 1868, Saisho-in Temple moved about 3 kilometers south to its present place, where Daien-ji Temple used to be located.  The Daien-ji Temple moved to its present place where Kohaku-ji Temple was located.  To put it in another way, Kohaku-ji Temple became Daien-ji Temple.

     Daien-ji Temple seems to have left its #33 deity of the Old Tsugaru 33 Kannon Pilgrimage to Saisho-ji Temple.

     Saisho-ji Temple’s precincts have the Kannon-do hall which enshrines the statue of Cintamanicakra, who usually has 6 arms and holds chintamani (a wish-fulfilling jewel) in one of the six, but it is unknown whether the statue is #33 deity of the Old Tsugaru 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  The pilgrimage was organized in the 17th century, while the hall was built in 1864.  If the statue was newly presented by Ichinohe Usaburo, the Cintamanicakra statue can’t be the #33 deity.  Anyway, the previous (original?) Cintamanicakra statue was missing and a new one was presented on April 8th, 2007.

Address: Muraoka-12 Kuradate, Owani, Minamitsugaru District, Aomori 038-0212

Phone: 0172-48-2017

Ajarayama

Address: Tsukidatemori Owani, Minamitsugaru District, Aomori 038-0211

Kohaku-ji Temple Site

Address: Jinoka-32-16 Kuradate, Owani, Minamitsugaru District, Aomori 038-0212

Saisho-in Temple

Address: 63 Doyamachi, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8196

Phone: 0172-34-1123