Izumi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage — My Last Span in My Order —

 

     I rented an electric bicycle near JR Izumi-Fuchu Station, and left eastward.  I first found the stone monument of Kannonji Fortress Site.  Kannon-ji Temple was down the hill along a winding farm road.

Izumi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #20 Kannon-ji Temple

     Kannon-ji Temple was founded at the foot of Mt. Kannonji, where the Fujiwara Clan built a fortress sometime between 729 and 749.  The foundation of the temple could go back to those days.  In the Southern and Northern Courts Period (1336-1392), the forces of Kitabatake Akiie (1318-1338) were based in the fortress to prepare against the attacks by the Northern Court Army.  The present main hall was built sometime between 1751 and 1764.

Address: 128 Kannonjicho, Izumi, Osaka 594-0065

Phone: 0725-41-2303

     After Kannon-ji Temple, I headed to, or at least tried to head toward, Hokoku-ji Temple.  Winding farm roads are chopped by rather modern prefectural roads, which are cut up by highways.  I think I cycled a couple of times more than the shortcut between the 2 temples.

Izumi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #18 Hokoku-ji Temple

     Asukabe Kuromaro was from Naka Village, Asukabe County, Kawachi Province.  He came to the land between Kamiizumi and Sakamoto Villages, Izumi County, Izumi Province, and developed Kurtori Village.  In 759, Ono Hirotachi, the then Governor of Izumi Province, reported Kuromaro's achievement to the Imperial Court, and Emperor Oi (733-765) granted part of the developed land to Kuromaro.  After his death, Kuromaro became the guardian deity of the village and was enshrined in Asuka-Furuie Shrine.  Later, the shrine was renamed Tenman-gu Tenjin-sha Shrine.

     Enpuku-ji Temple was founded as the shrine temple of Tenman-gu Tenjin-sha Shrine but was abolished presumably after the Meiji Restoration Government issued the Gods and Buddhas Separation Order in 1868.  The temple's deity was moved to Hokoku-ji Temple with the deity's hall.

Address: 6 Chome-9-35 Fuchucho, Izumi, Osaka 594-0071

Phone: 0725-41-1710

Kurotori-Tenman-gu Tenjin-sha Shrine

Address: 2 Chome-3-32 Kurodoricho, Izumi, Osaka 594-0022

     After Hokoku-ji Temple, I left Izumi City to enter Izumiotsu City, crossing JR Hanwa Line and the National Highway 26.  Seitoku-ji Temple was along another winding ex-farm road sided by private houses.

Izumi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #17 Seitoku-ji Temple

     It is unknown when Daifuku-ji Temple was founded in the east of Izumi-Anashi Shrine, but it was already an old temple in 1594.  When Izumi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was recorded in the 1680's, Daifuku-ji Temple was its #17 member temple.  The temple was located in today's 2 Chome Toyonakacho, Izumiotsu, Osaka 595-0023, in 1702.  The temple was recorded in 1722 that it had no parishioner.  It was abolished before the Meiji Restoration and its deity was moved to Seishu-ji Temple, which burned down in May, 1848.  Although it was rebuilt but was merged to Seitoku-ji Temple recently.

     It is unknown whether Daifuku-ji Temple had something to do with Izumianashi Shrine or not.  Izumianashi Shrine enshrines the couple: Oshihomimi and Takuhadachiji.

Address: 2 Chome-12-14 Toyonakacho, Izumiotsu, Osaka 595-0023

Phone: 0725-32-3677

Izumianashi Shrine

Address: 1 Chome-1-1 Toyonakacho, Izumiotsu, Osaka 595-0023

Phone: 0725-32-2610

     The area between Seitoku-ji Temple and Kannon-do Hall is laid out in a rather grid pattern.  That made me be off my guard.  Again, the old messed up alleys in an ex-fishing town are confused by the modern highway, and Kannon-do Hall is located in a long and narrow block, which is hardly detected as a block. 

Izumi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #16 Kannon-do Hall

     According to the legend of Sefuku-ji Temple, Priest Hokai, who revived Sefuku-ji Temple, recognized the image of Kannon Bodhisattva in the sea of Otsu and founded Kannon-do Hall therethe sometime between 770 and 781.

     Sometime after 1573, the temple was destroyed by fire in the battles of Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582), but was later rebuilt. Sometime between 1673 and 1681, Priest Unryu, who revived Amida-ji Temple, moved there and spent the rest of his life devoting to chanting Namo'mitabhaya Buddhaya.

     According to the temple and shrine register for the Fuchu area in 1698, it was recorded as Uda Otsu Village Kannon Hall, and Buddhist altar implements with inscriptions from that time still remain.  All in all, the temple could have been a branch of Amida-ji Temple and became independent later.

     The temple was abolished in 1875, but was revived in 1892.  It enshrines an Eleven-Faced Ekadasamukha statue.  While many temples have been maintained under the protection of powerful families or high priests of the time, this is one of the few that has continued to be protected by the faith of the local people.

Address: 8-15 Ebisucho, Izumiotsu, Osaka 595-0041

Phone: 0725-32-2464

Sefuku-ji Temple

Address: 136 Makiosancho, Izumi, Osaka 594-1131

Phone: 0725-92-2332

Amida-ji Temple

Address: 118 Onocho, Izumi, Osaka 594-1134

Phone: 0725-99-0358

     After all the fuss, I finished actually visiting all the 33 member temples of the Izumi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage,  adding it to the pilgrimages that I have already accomplished: Fukuhara 33 Kannon Pilgrimage and Osaka 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  If I were playing games, I should have gained a skill or bonus points.

Without gaining any skill or equipment, I treated myself to lunch.