New Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

 

     It is unknown when Innami County was organized in Innami County, Harima Province.

     The Kuninomiyatsuko system was established in the 5th century and lasted till the end of the 6th century, when the Kori system was introduced to replace Kuninomiyatsuko.  The Kori system was soon replaced by the province-and-county system in the 7th century.

     The Innami County area was ruled by Akashi Kuninomiyatsuko.  We can find no document mentioning Akashi Kori.  Nihonshoki, the Chronicles of Japan, whose editing was finished in 720, writes about Harima no Inabi no Ooiratsume as the mother of Yamato Takeru, who could have existed in the 4th century.  Her name suggests she is from Innami.  The Innami area could have existed a century before the Kuninomiyatsuko system was introduced.  Then, the area must have been conquered by Akashi Kuninomiyatsuko.  The place name Innami was first documented in 726.  Innami County was first documented in 767.  All in all, Innami County could have been organized in the 8th century.

     Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage has 3 resources which list the pilgrimage: 

Innami Gun Shi, or the Innami County Topography, was published in 1906.  When its enlarged edition was published in 1916, it listed the Innami 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  When Kyodo Shi No. 18 was published in 1952, it listed the pilgrimage, with some member temples replaced.  The 36 years experienced World War II.  Let me call the former the Old Innami 33 Kannon Pilgrimage and the latter one the New Innami 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.