Virtual Arima County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #8 Ensho-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Ensho-ji Temple was founded in Onada Village, Arima County, Settsu Province.

     Onada Village was recorded in Keicho Kuni-ezu, or the Keicho Maps of the Provinces.  Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616), the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, conducted a land survey of the distribution and rice yields of the feudal lords' territories and the lands of temples and shrines across Japan in September, 1605.  He appointed Nishio Yoshitsugu (1530-1606) as magistrate in charge of Eastern Provinces and Tsuda Hidemasa (1546-1653) as magistrate in charge of Western Provinces.  The maps are said to have been made based on this survey.  The village was the territory of Arima Toyouji (1569-1642).  It is unknown when the village was divided into Kami-Onada, namely Upper Onada, and Shimo-Onada, namely Lower Onada, Villages.

     Near the temple, there is the site of Sanjo Kokaji Munechika's workshop.

Munechika is said to have been a swordsmith from the late 10th century.  Kanchiin-bon Meizukushi has the section under the heading of Reign of Emperor Ichijo (980-1011).  The section writes that Munechika is known as the blacksmith of Sanjo.  He made the sword Ukimaru for Emperor Gotoba (1180-1239), and the Kogitsune for Fujiwara Michinori (1106-1160).  He is known as a master swordsmith from the period when Japanese swords were changing from straight ones to curved ones.  His forging of Ichijo's sword, Kogitsunemaru, is mentioned in the Noh play Kokaji.  There are no swords dating from this period, and with no other corroborating evidence.  He is treated as almost a legend.

     Munechika is widely believed to have lived and worked at Sanjo in Kyoto, and was called Sanjo Munechika.

     Hata Shrine, however, claims that it keeps wakizashi made by Munechika.  Munechika worshiped the shrine and donated a Japanese sword known as Nihon-ichi, or Japan's No. 1.  The Settsu Meisho Zue, or the Illustrated Guide to Famous Places in Settsu Province, which was first published in 1796, also lists Munechika's former residence as being located near the shrine.  The shrine houses a wakizashi with Munechika's name inscribed, another wakizashi with the inscription "donated by Munechika" on its white scabbard, and the other wakizashi said to have been donated by Munechika.  The authenticity of all of the 3 items is uncertain.

     Meizukushi is supposed to have been written in 1316.  The one kept in Kanchi-in Temple was copied in 1423.  It lists the names of swordsmiths from the mythical times, including the names of swordsmiths, illustrations of their swords, and genealogies of swordsmith schools.

     Anyway, it is probable that Munechika mastered his sword making technique in the Hata Manor, where craftsmanship had been handed down from prehistoric time when the Hata Clan moved in from or through the Korean Peninsula.  He then might have moved to Kyoto to maximize his potential and profits.

Address: Kamionada-2372 Hatacho, Kita Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-1354

Phone: 078-952-1331

Sanjo Kokaji Munechika Residence Site

Address: Kamionada-1667 Hatacho, Kita Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-1354

Kanchi-in Temple

Address: 403 Kujocho, Minami Ward, Kyoto, 601-8473

Phone: 075-691-1131