Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Old Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #26 Shinpuku-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Shinpuku-ji Temple was founded in Miyanomae Village, Innami County, Harima Province.  The village was first listed in the Keicho Kuni-ezu, the map published in 1611.  The village had 4 irrigation ponds which provided water to 8 surrounding villages.  As the temple belongs to Caodong Chan School, a certain samurai could have lived in the village to rule the irrigation.

     Shinpuku-ji Temple's precincts have a stone sarcophagi which is supposed to have been made in the 7th century.

     It is unknown why the #26 membership of the Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was transferred to Shomyo-ji Temple.

Address: Miyamae-261-2 Nishikankicho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0041

Phone: 079-432-5044

Shomyo-ji Temple

Address: Honmachi-313 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0037

Phone: 079-422-2262

Trees In the Town

 

Sarashina Diary (Retold in the present tense) (1)

 

I have been raised in a remote province, a place far beyond the eastern end of the Tokaido Highway. Despite my rustic upbringing, I somehow learn of the existence of "romances" in the world and long to read them. During the long, idle hours of day and night, my elder sister and stepmother tell me fragments of these tales, including the deeds of the Shining Prince Genji. Their stories only fuel my yearning, but they can never recite the entire tales from memory as I so desperately desire.

Restless and consumed by this longing, I have a statue of the Yakushi Buddha carved, made to my own height. When I am alone, I wash my hands and steal away to my room to pray. Prostrating myself until my forehead touches the floor, I plead: "Please, let me go to the capital. There, I know I will find many tales. Let me read every one of them."

When I am thirteen, the time finally comes for us to return to Kyoto. On the third day of the ninth month, we first move to Imatate to undergo a ritual change of direction, seeking a more auspicious route according to the principles of Yin and Yang. The old house where I have played since childhood is being dismantled. At sunset, amidst a misty twilight, just as I am stepping into the carriage, I look back at the Yakushi statue—the one before which I have so often bowed. A wave of sorrow washes over me, and I secretly shed tears at the thought of leaving the Buddha behind.

Our temporary lodging is a crude, thatched house with neither fences nor shutters; we rely only on curtains and bamboo blinds for shelter. Situated on a low bluff, the house overlooks a vast plain to the south, while the sea creeps close to both the east and the west. It is a place of haunting beauty. When the morning mists descend, the scenery is so enchanting that I rise early every day just to gaze upon it, feeling a pang of regret at the thought of our departure.

On the fifteenth, under a heavy, dark rain, we cross the border of Kazusa Province and find lodging at Ikada in Shimousa. Our quarters are nearly submerged by the rain. Terrified, I can hardly sleep. In the surrounding wasteland, I see only three lonely trees standing upon a small hill.

The following day is spent drying our sodden clothes and waiting for the rest of our party to catch up.

On the seventeenth, we set out early and cross a deep river. I was told that in ancient times, a wealthy man named Mano lived there. He was said to have bleached thousands upon thousands of rolls of hemp cloth in this river, which now flows directly over the site of his former estate. Four great gateposts still remain, standing defiant in the midst of the current.

Hearing others compose poems about the site, I compose one for myself:

Had I not seen those ancient pillars gleam,

Standing defiant in the rushing stream,

I would have held the tales of his domain

As nothing but the shadows of a dream.

That evening, we lodge at Kuroto Beach. On one side rise the hills; on the other, white sands stretch toward the horizon. The pine groves are dark, and the moon shines with a brilliant clarity. The soft sighing of the wind stirs a deep sense of loneliness within me. While others are moved to compose tanka, I offer my own:

I shall not close my eyes to sleep tonight,

For if I drift away to restful peace,

I surely miss the autumn moon so bright,

Whose glory over Kuroto will not cease.

Early the next morning, we leave the place and go to the Futoi River on the boundary between Shimousa and Musashi Provinces. We lodge at Matsusato Ferry Port near the shallows upstream. All night long, our luggage is carried over by boat a little at a time.

My wet nurse has lost her husband and has given birth to their child at the boundary of the provinces. She must go up to Kyoto separately. I long for my wet nurse and want to go to see her. I am brought there by my elder brother, Sugawara Sadayoshi (1002–1065), in his arms. Our temporary lodging, however temporary it may be, is covered with curtains to block the wind, but my nurse’s, as there is no man to take care of her, is crudely built and covered only with reeds. She lies in her red dress.

The moonlight comes in, lighting up everything. In the moonlight, she looks fair although she belongs to the commons. I find her very white and pure. She weeps and caresses me, and I am loath to leave her. My brother pulls me away, with my heart lingering behind with her. Her image remains with me, which makes me sad. I am not interested in the moon, feel depressed, and just lie down to sleep.

The next morning, we cross the river in a ferryboat with our carriage firmly fixed in it. Those who have come thus far in their carriages to see us off return to Kazusa Province from the bank. We, who are going up to Kyoto, stay on the opposite bank for a while to watch them leave. Both those who return to Kazusa Province and we, who stay on the bank, weep and grieve. To my childish eyes, the scene looks sorrowful.

Now, we are in Musashi Province. The province has no charming sights. The sand of the beaches is not white, but like mud. The province’s fields are celebrated in poetry for their legendary purple dyes, yet we find only rank reeds and overgrown silver grasses growing so high that we can hardly see the bows of our horsemen who force their way through the tall grasses. Going through these reeds and tall grasses, we see a ruined temple called Takeshiba-dera. There are also the foundation-stones of the corridors.

"What place is this?" I ask, and they answer:

"Once upon a time, there lived a boy at Takeshiba. He was offered to the Imperial Palace by the Governor as a guard to watch the fire. He was once sweeping the garden in front of a Princess's room and singing:

Ah, me! My weary doom to labour here in the Hall,

My seven good wine-jars, and three more in all.

Where they stand, I hung gourds of the finest and best,

And they turn to the West when the East wind blows,

They turn to the East when the West wind blows,

They turn to the North when the South wind blows,

They turn to the South when the North wind blows,

While here I sit, missing their turning, my gourds and my jars!

"He was singing this alone, but just then a Princess, the favourite daughter of Emperor Nimmyo (810–850), was sitting alone behind the blinds. She came near the blinds, and, leaning against the doorpost, listened to the man singing. She was very curious to know what gourds looked like and how wine-jars were turning. She pushed up the blinds, and called the guard, saying, 'Man, come over here!' With great reverence, he drew near the balustrade. 'Let me hear once more what you have been singing.' And he sang again about his wine-jars. 'I must go and see them, I have my own reason for saying so! Royal Princesses are supposed to live without being married, but I refuse to live a life boxed in by such dynamic chains!' declared the Princess.

"He felt great awe, but he made up his mind, and went down towards the Eastern Province. He feared that men would pursue them, and, that night, placing the Princess on the other side of Seta Bridge, broke a part of it. With the Princess on his back, he arrived at Musashi Province after a seven days' and seven nights' journey.

"The Emperor and Empress were greatly surprised when they found the Princess lost, and began to search for her. Someone said that an Emperor's guard from Musashi Province, carrying something of exquisite fragrance on his back, fled towards the East. So, they searched for the guard, and he was not found. They said, 'Without a doubt, the man must have gone back to his home province.' The Imperial Government sent messengers to pursue him. When they got to the Seta Bridge, they found it broken, and they could not go farther. After three months, the messengers arrived at Musashi Province and searched for the man. “The Princess gave audience to the messengers and said:

“'It must be my destiny that I yearned for this man's home and made him carry me here; so he has carried me. If the man were punished and killed, what should I do? This is a very good place to live in. It must have been settled before I was born that I should leave my descendants in this province. Go back and tell the Emperor so!' So, the messengers could not refuse her, and went back to tell the Emperor about it.

"The Emperor said, 'It is hopeless. Even if I punish the man, I cannot get back the Princess nor bring her back to Kyoto.' He gave the order that, as long as that man of Takeshiba lived, Musashi Province was trusted to him, and his taxes and labor duties were exempted.

"In this way, a palace was built there in the same style as the Imperial Palace, and the Princess was placed there. When she died, they changed the palace into a temple and named it Takeshiba-dera. The descendants of the Princess received the family name of Musashi. After that, the guards of the watch-fire were women."

We pass hills and fields, forcing our way through the reeds and tall grass. There is the Asuda River along the border of Musashi and Sagami Provinces, where Ariwara Narihira (825–880) composed his famous poem about capital birds at the ferry port—though in the private collection of Narihira’s poems, the river is called the Sumida River:

If you are true to your illustrious name,

O birds of the capital, let me enquire:

Does she whom I love, in that distant domain,

Still live with her heart and her beauty entire?

We cross the river in a boat, and we are in Sagami Province. From Nishitomi, the mountain range looks like folding screens painted with beautiful pictures. On the other side, we see a very beautiful beach with waves coming and going.

In Indian-millet Field, we journey along the seashore with wonderfully white sands for two or three days. "In summer, Japanese pinks bloom here and make the field like pale and deep brocade. As it is autumn now, we cannot see them," says a man. I see some pinks blooming lovely, scattered about like dots. The man continues, "It is funny that Japanese pinks are blooming in the Indian-millet field," and everyone other than me laughs.

A mountain called Ashigara is covered with thick woods, which extend for four or five days' journey. Even before we enter the mountain, we can only catch an occasional glimpse of the sky. The woods spread beyond description and look terrifying. We lodge in a hut at the foot of the mountain. It is a dark, moonless night. I feel myself swallowed up and lost in the absolute darkness, when three female singers come from nowhere. One is about fifty years old, the second about twenty, and the third about fourteen or fifteen. We let them sit in front of our lodging, and a large paper umbrella is spread over them. My servants light a fire so that we can see them clearly. They say that they are the descendants of Kohata, a legendary singer of old. They have very long hair, which falls along their cheeks from their foreheads. They look fair and remarkably stylish. People are deeply impressed, whispering, "They seem more like maids serving in noblemen's families." The singers have clear, sweet voices, and their beautiful singing seems to reach the very heavens. Everyone is completely charmed and invites the singers to come closer. Someone says, "The singers of the Western Provinces are not nearly as good as them." At this, the singers brilliantly sing an impromptu reply:

If we are compared to those of Naniwa,

Whose fame at the bay is so grand,

We might be but shells on the shingle,

Yet we sing for the lords of the land!

They are pretty, with voices of rare beauty. As they vanish back into this fearful mountain, people deeply miss them; even tears come to their eyes. My childish heart is utterly unwilling to leave the shelter that these wondrous singers visited.

At the next break of dawn, we cross over Mount Ashigara. Words cannot express my terror in the midst of the mountain; we even step over clouds. Halfway across, there is an open space with three trees. Here, we see three mallows blooming. People are deeply touched by them, whispering, "In this mountain, so far removed from the human world, the very same sacred plants as those at Kamo Shrine are growing." We encounter three rivers within the mountain.

We cross the mountain with great difficulty and stay at Sekiyama. Now, we are in Suruga Province. We pass the Yokobashiri Checkpoint. Near the checkpoint in Iwatsubo—namely, the Rock Pot—there is an exceptionally large, square rock with a hole, through which extremely clear, ice-cold water comes rushing out.

Mount Fuji is located in this Suruga Province. In Kazusa Province, where I was brought up, I used to see Mount Fuji far to the west. The silhouette of the mountain is truly unique. This extraordinary peak towers into the sky, painted in a deep indigo, and covered with eternal snow. The mountain looks as if it wears a gown of deep violet with a white veil draped over its shoulders. From the small, level plateau at the summit, smoke rises into the air. In the evening, we even see fires flaring from the top.

At Kiyomi-ga-seki Checkpoint, the sea spreads on our left. The barrier consists of many buildings, and its fences stretch even into the waves of the sea. We see the mountain smoke drifting and the sea shrouded in haze. The checkpoint is washed by high, crashing waves. The scene is endlessly fascinating.

We make a detour aboard a boat around Tago-no-ura Seashore, which is washed by high waves.

We come to the ferry port of the Oi River. I find the torrent remarkable; its water is chalky white, looking exactly as if it has been thickened with rice flour. The water runs with incredible speed.

The Fuji River flows down from the mountains. A man of the province comes up to us and tells us a story:

"One year ago, I went on an errand. It was an extremely hot day, and I was resting on the bank of the river when I saw something yellow floating down the stream. It drifted to the bank and caught there. I picked it up and found it to be a piece of yellow paper, with phrases elegantly inscribed in dark cinnabar. Wondering what it meant, I read it. On the paper was a prophecy concerning the provincial governors to be appointed the following year. As for Suruga Province, the names of two governors were written. I was astonished and mystified. I dried the paper and kept it. When the day of the official announcement arrived, the paper proved entirely accurate. The man who became the Governor of Suruga Province died after three months, and the successor’s name was indeed the one written next to the first.

"Such was the event. I believe that the gods assemble there on the mountain to settle the official appointments for each new year. I find it truly wondrous."

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Old Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #12 Jissai-in Temple

 

     It is unknown when Jissai-in Temple was founded in Bessho, Innami County, Harima Province, where the Bessho Fortified Residence was located.  If the temple was founded before the Siege of Miki Castle from 1578 to 1580, it could have been founded as a personal prayer place of the Bessho Family or the retirement home of an aged family member.  If the temple was founded after the Siege of Miki Castle, it might have been founded to pray for the comfort of the war victims in the other world.  Anyway, under the Tokugawa Shogunate, the temple was renamed Jissai-ji, which sounds like an official Buddhist temple.

     It is unknown why the #12 membership of the Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was transferred to Busshin-ji Temple either during or after World War II.

Bessho Residence Site

Address: Besshocho Bessho, Himeji, Hyogo 671-0221

Busshin-ji Temple

Address: Kobayashi-278 Besshocho, Himeji, Hyogo 671-0222

Trees In the Town

 

Sanuki no Suke’s Diary: Postscript (3)=The Last Episode

 

     "I want to share this diary with someone who mourns the late Emperor with the exact same feelings as I do," I thought. As I pondered who that might be, I realized that virtually everyone mourns him. However, I knew that if I showed it to someone who didn't think highly of me, it would cause trouble if the contents leaked to the public. On the other hand, even if someone were kind to me, it would be pointless if they lacked any influential supporters of their own to stand by us.

     I found myself wishing, "If only there were someone who fit all three criteria." Then it struck me: "Only Lady Hitachi fits them perfectly." Without delay, I sent a carriage to fetch her, and just as I had hoped, she arrived at my residence with genuine ease and comfort. We then continued to talk intimately until the sun went down...

Trees In the Town

 

Old 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.

     From next time, I’m going to virtually visit the replaced member temples of the Old Innami 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  Can we find out why they have been replaced?

Trees In the Town

 

Sanuki no Suke’s Diary: Postscript (2)

 

     Someone sent me this poem:

What grieving heart, what masterly hand

Could weave such profoundly moving lines?

Even as a reader, I am utterly undone,

My tears flowing far past my control.

     To which I reply:

Please understand—I only wove these words

In a desperate search to find some solace,

Yet now, they turn their beauty back upon me

As unbearable sorrow whenever I look upon them.

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual New Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #33 Jiko-ji Temple

 

     Jiko-ji Temple was founded in 1249 by Priest Jiko, whose secular name was Minamoto Tsuneie, who was a 9th-generation descendant of Mitsunaka (912-997), the main lineage of the Seiwa Genji Clan.  Tsuneie was talented since he was young and was expected to become a great general possessing both wisdom and courage.  He, however, wished to dedicate himself to Buddhism.  In 1233, he resolved to become a Buddhist monk, left home, shaved his head under the tutelage of Priest Choku at Jokyo-ji Temple, and changed his name to Monk Jiko.

     The principal image of Jiko-ji Temple, a statue of Amidabuha, was recovered from the sea and is characterized by the absence of its right hand. The statue was not found as a whole piece.  Its head and feet were recovered from various locations, with its right hand remaining missing.  According to legend, the right hand was left in the sea to save fish.

     Jiko-ji Temple is located at the foot of Jikoji Tumulus.  Although the tumulus was named after the temple, the tumulus was built far before the temple’s foundation.  Did it have something to do with Jiko’s choice of the location? 

     The tumulus is a circular burial mound whose burial facility is a direct burial in a stone coffin. Rows of circular and square haniwa (clay figures) were discovered.  The mound is covered with revetment stones and surrounded by a moat.  Various types of figurative haniwa were unearthed.

Address: 12-18 Jikojicho, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0813

Phone: 079-447-1134

Jikoji Tumulus

Address: 12-12 Jikojicho, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0813

Jokyo-ji Temple

Address: 2 Chome-20-24 Namazecho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo 669-1102

Phone: 0797-86-4626

Trees In the Town

 

Sanuki no Suke’s Diary: Postscript (1)

 

     Around the tenth of October, while at home, I find myself thinking more than ever, "If only the late Emperor were still alive," no matter what I do, see, or hear. Since people tell me, "That is the very place where he now rests," even though I cannot see his living form, I go to visit Koryu-ji Temple.

     The treetops there are already completely ablaze with autumn leaves. The foliage seems far more vibrant in color than that anywhere else. Perhaps the crimson tears I shed, longing for the days gone by, have stained the leaves, making their color appear exceptionally deep.

     When I reach the gravesite, the pampas grass, pale and withered, seems to beckon me with its hands. Given the location, its faded state is far more poignant than when it was in full bloom.

     "During his lifetime, so many men and women served him, each vying for his attention. But now, at the foot of this remote mountain, not a single person who once served him personally remains. He stands alone, beckoning people to him through the grass, yet no one stops to visit," I think, and I can barely stop my tears. Even the tomb is blurred by my tears, and I cannot bear to look at it.

The pampas grass beckons,

Yet no one stops to turn aside.

He who once ruled the world

Has vanished into a wisp of smoke.

Does it beckon because it knows

The sorrow deep within my heart?

As I venture in search

Of his vanished traces.

Just hearing about the pampas grass

Standing at the tomb of the late emperor

Fills one with sorrow;

Imagine, then, how I must feel, standing here before it.

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual New Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #32 Shinpuku-ji Temple

 

     The origins of Shinpuku-ji Temple in Uozaki-shinmura (Innami County, Harima Province) remain shrouded in mystery. The village was established as salt pans in 1604 by Rokuzaemon of Arai Village. Originally settled by his family and known as Arai-shinmura, it was officially recognized as a village by the Himeji Domain and renamed Uozaki-shinmura in 1625.

     Records are silent regarding when Shinpuku-ji was abolished or where it stood. Uozaki-shinmura encompassed the modern-day area of Umei (Takasago, Hyogo) and its surroundings. Given that Umei is already home to Zengyo-ji—a Pure Land Buddhist temple founded in the early Edo period—it is possible that Shinpuku-ji served as a jingu-ji (shrine-temple). If so, it likely faced abolition following the Shinbutsu Bunri (Gods and Buddhas Separation Order) of 1868.

     Since most shrines in the village were managed by Sone Tenman Shrine, the former site of the temple was likely repurposed for communal or ritual use. My hypothesis is that the temple became just Kannon-do Hall, relocated to its present place.

Zengyo-ji Temple

Address: 4 Chome-20-3 Umei, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0074

Phone: 079-447-3710

Sone Tenman Shrine

Address: 2299-1 Sonecho, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0082

Phone: 079-447-0645

Kannon-do Hall

Address: 5-5 Araicho Nakamachi, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0007

Trees In the Town

 

Sanuki no Suke’s Diary: Conclusion

 

     Those who read this diary will probably speak ill of me, saying, "For a mere lady-in-waiting, she is far too presumptuous, acting as if she knows everything; how hateful!" However, even such matters of Buddhist teachings were what the late Emperor constantly spoke of and graciously imparted to us during our rambling morning and evening conversations. Therefore, I have written down the facts exactly as I remember them.

     Please, do not speak ill of me. Those who do not mourn the late Emperor have no need to read this. I simply feel that I could never forget the precious, deeply moving, and gentle nature of his heart. Thus, I could not help but write these memories down.

As this year draws to a close,

While my grief remains unchanged,

The days since I parted from my Lord

Will only feel more distant.

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual New Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #31 Saiko-ji Temple

 

     Saiko-ji Temple was founded in today's Ihozaki, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0076, in 1275 by Kawagoe Nobuyoshi, whose Buddhist name was Yuko.  Nobuyoshi used to be a samurai steward in Iyo Province.  His ancestors were the Kawagoe Family, who were based in Kawagoe-kan, which was a fortified residence in Musashi Province.  Due to their military achievements, some family members were dispatched to Western provinces as samurai stewards of manors there.

     Anyway, Nobuyoshi harbored a desire to become a Buddhist monk, traveled to Harima Province, became a disciple of Priest Jiko, the founder of Jiko-ji Temple, and founded Saiko-ji Temple.

     The 22nd head priest of Saiko-ji Temple, Jinko, entered Jiko-ji Temple from Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, and later became the chief priest of Saiko-ji Temple.

     It is unknown when, why and how Saiko-ji Temple moved to its present place.

Address: 460 Yonedacho, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0805

Phone: 079-432-6584

Ruins of Kawagoe Family's Residence

Address: 194 Uwado, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-0816

Phone: 049-224-6097

Jiko-ji Temple

Address: 12-18 Jikojicho, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0813

Phone: 079-447-1134

Trees In the Town

 

Sanuki no Suke’s Diary: Memories of the Imperial Palace (13)

 

     As it is the end of December, the Retired Emperor orders us to prepare the celebratory meal for New Year's Day. While everyone is busy with preparations, all I can think about is how much further away the deceased becomes with the passing year.

     On New Year's Eve, as I pass by the Horikawa-in Residence on my way to the palace, Nijo-oji Street and Horikawa-dori Street are eerily quiet, completely without any sign of bustling crowds. My eyes remain fixed upon the mansion, and I even recall an old poem Tachibana Nagayasu (988–1051) composed:

Though left without answer,

Their master has gone;

Yet the faded glory of the mansion

Speaks of a loneliness far beyond words.

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual New Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #30 Fukuden-ji Temple

 

     Fukuden-ji Temple was located in today's Tomosawa Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0035.  Tomosawa Village was first listed in the Keicho Kuni-ezu, or the Keicho Maps of the Provinces, which was based on the land survey of the feudal lords' territories and the lands of temples and shrines across Japan conducted in September, 1605.

     Today, the Tomosawa area has only Jugan-ji Temple as a Buddhist temple.  Fukuden-ji Temple might have been abolished due to the movement to abolish Buddhism and to destroy Buddhist images at the beginning of the Meiji Period.

     The Tomosawa area has Hachiman Shrine, and Tomozawa Community Center is adjoins the shrine.  Presumably, Fukuden-ji Temple was the shrine temple of Hachiman Shrine, was abolished after  the Meiji Restoration Government issued the Gods and Buddhas Separation Order in 1868, and its site became the community center.

Jugan-ji Temple

Address: Tomosawa-283-1 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0035

Phone: 079-424-4763

Hachiman Shrine

Address: Tomosawa-330 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0035

Shingonshujizoson

Address: 362-3 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0035

Tomosawa Community Center

Address: 330 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0035

Trees In the Town

 

Sanuki no Suke’s Diary: Memories of the Imperial Palace (12)

 

     The next morning, with the vivid impressions of the previous night still lingering in my mind, my thoughts immediately turn to the late Emperor. I write to Taira Chushi (1037–1109), knowing she will understand my feelings, as she is always in my thoughts.

     My poem:

Gazing upon the splendid ceremonies

Of the Five Festivals,

How deeply I long for the late Emperor,

Whom I served for so many years.

     Chushi’s reply:

Just hearing of those splendid ceremonies

Of the Five Festivals is wonderful.

Now a stranger to the palace,

My sleeves are utterly drenched.

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual New Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #29 Jifuku-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Jifuku-ji Temple was founded in Inaya Village, Innami County, Harima Province.  It has been abolished and it is unknown where it was exactly located.

     The Inaya area has Otoshi Shrine, whose foundation date is unknown.  It enshrines Toshigami.

     Toshigami is the deity of abundant harvests, specifically associated with rice and other grains. While Toshigami appears in the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters), this deity is notably absent from the Nihon Shoki (The Chronicles of Japan), which was completed in 720 with a stronger focus on legitimizing the imperial lineage. This exclusion suggests that as the central government established a formal Shinto hierarchy, certain local or folk deities like Toshigami were overlooked or marginalized in favor of the state-sanctioned mythological framework.

     Anyway, as the temple name Jifuku means Land Fortune, Jifuku-ji Temple could have been a shrine temple of Inaya Otoshi Shrine.  If so, the temple might have been abolished after the Meiji Restoration Government issued the Gods and Buddhas Separation Order in 1868

     For your information, Otoshi's son was Mitoshi, and Mitoshi's sons were Wakatoshi and Kukutoshi.

Inaya Otoshi Shrine

Address: Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0034

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual New Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #28 Fukuden-ji Temple

 

     Fukuden-ji Temple is said to have been founded in 606 by Prince Shotoku (574-622).  During the Southern and Northern Courts Period (1337-1392) and the Muromachi Period (1336-1573), it received the patronage of the Akamatsu Clan, and it is believed that Akamatsu Norimura (1277-1350) and Akamatsu Masanori (1455-1496) built and renovated the temple buildings.

     It was destroyed by fire during the Warring States Period (1467-1573), and was converted to the Caodong Chan Sect sometime between 1592 and 1596.

     The place name Inaya means Rice Warehouse and the temple name Fukuden means Fortune Fields.  The names suggest what it looked like around the area in ancient times, when the temple was founded.  In the medieval days, the Inaya Fortress was built in the grounds of Fukuden-ji Temple.

Address: Inaya-607 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0034

Phone: 079-422-5848

Inaya Fortress Site

Address: Inaya-584-1 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0034