Virtual New Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #7 Jingu-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Jingu-ji Temple was founded as a shrine temple of Fukudomari Shrine, which is believed to have been founded in the Heian Period (794-1185).

The Mystery of Kara Port: From Gyoki’s Five Ports to the Legend of Okinagatarashi

     The Buddhist priest Gyoki (668–749) is credited with establishing the "Five Ports of Settsu and Harima": Muro, Kara (also read as Kan), Uozumi, Owada, and Kawajiri. These correspond to modern-day Tatsuno, Himeji, Akashi, Kobe, and Amagasaki, respectively. Among them, Kara Port (Kara-domari) is widely believed to be the predecessor of what was later known as Fuku Port (Fuku-domari).

     Historical records provide vital clues about its location. In a petition dated April 28, 914, the scholar Miyoshi Kiyoyuki (847–919) presented "Twelve Opinions" to Emperor Daigo, mentioning Kara Port as a crucial maritime hub situated a one-day journey from both Murotsu to the west and Uozumi to the east. The port also appears under the name Kara Port in a draft imperial decree by Emperor Fushimi in 1289, after which the name seems to have vanished from the records.

     It remains unclear whether "Kara Port" simply underwent a name change to "Fuku Port," or if it was entirely replaced by it. One compelling theory suggests that heavy siltation at the original Kara Port forced the construction of a new harbor (Fuku). If this is the case, the original site of Kara Port may have been located at the foot of Minato Shrine—the name Minato itself literally meaning "port."

     This location is also steeped in ancient legend. The Empress Okinagatarashi (traditionally 170?–269?) is said to have stopped at the site of Minato Shrine during her military expedition to Silla. While traditional myths frame this as a heroic conquest, Korean records from the Three Kingdoms period (Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla) document 14 organized raids by "Wa" (Japan) by the late 4th century. It is possible that the legend of the Empress’s expedition reflects one of these historical maritime incursions.

     Jingu-ji Temple might have been abolished after the Meiji Restoration Government issued the Gods and Buddhas Separation Order in 1868.

Fukudomari Shrine

Address: Fukudomari-402 Matogatacho, Himeji, Hyogo 671-0112

Minato Shrine

Address: Matogata-1249 Matogatacho, Himeji, Hyogo 671-0111

Phone: 079-254-0613