Virtual Kubota Castle Town 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #8 Gugan-in Temple

     Gugan-in Temple was founded somehwere between Saisho-ji and Joko-ji Temples in Kyokuhokuteramachi, Akita, 010-0924, in 1628.  It burned down in fire after 1663, and was moved in 1696 to its present place, where Mukai Shokuro's sub-residence on the outskirts of the Kubota Castle Town.

     The Mukai Family was from Hida Province.  Mukai Nobumasa (1560-1618) was expelled from his homeland and went into exile in Hitachi Province with his followers such as the Ushimaru brothers: Shigekatsu and Hisanaga.  The 3 were hired by Satake Yoshinobu (1570-1633) there.  When Yoshinobu was demoted to Akita County, Dewa Province, Nobumasa, Shigekatsu, and Hisanaga followed him.  The Mukai Family provided 6 chief retainers of the Kubot Domain in the Edo Period (1603-1867).

     As Saisho-ji and Joko-ji Temples exist in their original places and a road runs between them, Gugan-in Temple might have been moved to make a firebreak.

     For your information, we can verify that Shigekatsu's descendants lasted for 5 generations.  Hisanaga married the widow of Ajima Uneme, a vassal of the Satake Family.  He had Nobutsugu, the son-in-law, and Hisayoshi.

     Noborimachi also has Akita Brewery, which was founded in 1919.  The founder, Kobayashi Koichi, was the toji brewer under Sato Uhe (1795-1845) at Aramasa Sake Brewery when yeast No. 6 was discovered in 1930.  In 2001, Koichi's grandson, Tadahiko, moved the brewery to a modern building.

     He is not only the owner of the brewery but also works as a toji there.  Since switching all brewing to small-capacity daiginjo tanks, they produce only high-quality junmai sake in small batches.

Address: 1-6 Narayama Kyowamachi, Akita, 010-0028

Saisho-ji Temple

Address: 2−17, Kyokuhokuteramachi, Akita 010-0924

Phone: 018-864-9155

Joko-ji Temple

Address: 4-16 Kyokuhokuteramachi, Akita, 010-0924

Phone: 018-823-2327