Virtual Upper Tada Manor 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #16 Shomyo-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Shomyo-ji Temple was founded in Tochihara Village, Kawabe County, Settsu Province.

     The central part of Inagawa-cho used to be called Yanai-zu, which is called Ki-zu (literally Wood Port) today, and which might have been a point to gather wood and to send them out through the river.  Gyoki (668-749), who helped build Todai-ji Temple, is said to have built Yanaizu-in Temple there, whose successor could be Tentaku-ji Temple today.  When the Tada Silver and Copper mines supplied copper to build the Great Buddha of Todai-ji Temple, they might have provided some wood to the mines.

     Yanai-zu was listed in the Wamyo Ruijusho, namely Japanese Names for Things Classified and Annotated, which was a Japanese dictionary compiled in 938, and which lists Japanese place names from south to north.

     Komoo Village, which was located in the south of Tochihara Village and in the north of Kizu, was first documented in 1368.  Hachiman Shrine was founded in Tochihara Village in 1490.  Tochihara Village could have been organized during the Kamakura Period or later.

Ina River runs from north to south, and has carvatures just before it reaches Kizu.  Each carvature has place name with -mawari, which literally means to turn: Inuimawari Hayashita, Inagawa, Kawabe District, Hyogo 666-0226; Donomawari Tochihara, Inagawa, Kawabe District, Hyogo 666-0221; and Tanakamawari Tochihara, Inagawa, Kawabe District, Hyogo 666-0221, from north to south.  Each carvature has a hill.  Kuromanpu Tunnel was dug between Inuimawari and Kizu in 1881, and Akamanpu Tunnerl was dug through Donomawari in 1909.  Akamanpu Tunnel was filled and a cut was dug beside the tunnel decades ago.

     Anyway, Shomyo-ji Temple was founded in one of the hardest parts for water transportation through the Ina River.  After those difficult parts, wood might have been gathered in Yanaizu and was forwarded to the sea.

Address: Donomawari-1-1 Tochihara, Inagawa, Kawabe District, Hyogo 666-0221

Phone: 072-768-0036

Hachiman Shrine

Tanakamawari-23 Tochihara, Inagawa, Kawabe District, Hyogo 666-0221

Kuromanpu Tunnel

Address: Minamiyama, Hayashita, Inagawa, Kawabe District, Hyogo 666-0226

Phone: 072-766-8707

Akamanpu Tunnel Site

Address: Tochihara, Inagawa, Kawabe District, Hyogo 666-0221

Phone: 072-766-8707