Virtual Miki County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #17 Kotaku-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Kotaku-ji Temple was founded in Ohata Village, Miki County, Harima Province.  The village appears in the Keicho Kuni-ezu, or the Keicho Maps of the Provinces.

     For your information, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616), the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, followed the example of the Toyotomi administration and 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 Keicho Kuni-ezu, or the Keicho Maps of the Provinces, and Gocho, or the Registers of Villages, are said to have been made based on this survey.  The maps and registers are believed to have been destroyed in fires in Edo Castle, and no original copies exist today.  The only copies that remain are those covering 11 provinces and one island, and are limited to Western Japan.  Some even argue the maps and registers did not cover the entire country, but was limited to western provinces as part of oppressive policies against the western outsiders daimyo.

     Ohata Village belonged to the Himeji Domain, but was transferred to the Akashi Domain in 1617.  The village was first written as Small Field but its notation was later changed as Big Field, presumably for good luck.

     To increase the number of its visitors, the temple opened Kangetsu-an (Kotakuji Udon Noodles) in its precincts, which serves Buddhist vegetarian food.

Address: 558 Yokawacho Ohata, Miki, Hyogo 673-1116

Phone: 0794-73-0169