Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #33 Saiho-ji Temple

 

     Saiho-ji Temple was founded in the mid-Edo period (1603–1867) in Nagasuna Village, Kako County, Harima Province. A defining moment in the temple’s history occurred in 1717, during a nationwide cultural boom surrounding the legend of Princess Chujo (Chujohime). In this year, the temple's 14th chief priest, Giryu, dedicated the Taima Mandala, a sacred and intricate Buddhist painting depicting the Pure Land (Buddhist Paradise). This masterpiece was painted by Takuma Ryoga, a celebrated Buddhist painter who held the prestigious title of Hokkyo during the Kamakura period (1185–1333).

      Desiring to share the profound teachings of this mandala and the inspiring faith of Princess Chujo with the local community, Priest Giryu established the temple's signature annual event: the Chujohime Twenty-Five Bodhisattva Procession Ceremony (Amida Raigo Neri-kuyo). To ensure its spiritual authenticity, the ritual’s sacred masks, dazzling costumes, and ceremonial procedures were formally brought to Saiho-ji Temple from Tokusho-ji Temple in Arida (Wakayama Prefecture), a historic sanctuary where Princess Chujo once lived.

     Held every year on May 3rd to commemorate the anniversary of Princess Chujo's passing, this Buddhist folk ritual remains a profound spiritual spectacle. A solemn procession of twenty-five bodhisattvas, adorned in radiant costumes and golden masks, quietly crosses the vermilion Raigo-bashi bridge leading to the main hall, which symbolizes the Pure Land of Amida Buddha.

Address: 567 Noguchicho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0016

Phone: 079-423-5588

Trees In the Town

 

Sanuki no Suke's Diary: Note on the Ice (Kori 氷) and Icehouses (Himuro 氷室)

 

In the mid-seventh month of the lunar calendar (mid-August in the modern calendar), ice was an extraordinary luxury, practically exclusive to the Emperor and high-ranking aristocrats. Without modern refrigeration, obtaining ice in the sweltering Kyoto summer required a sophisticated system of winter harvesting, storage, and logistical transport managed by the Imperial Office of Water (Mondo-no-tsukasa 主水司).

During the coldest winter months, thick ice was harvested from frozen ponds and rivers, then stored in semi-subterranean icehouses (himuro 氷室) packed with straw and thatch for insulation. According to the 10th-century legal code Engishiki (延喜式), six official icehouses were established in Yamashiro Province (present-day Kyoto) to supply the Imperial Court. Most were strategically hidden in the cool, elevated valleys north of the capital:

Kurusunono & Tsusaka (Nagasaka) Icehouses (栗栖野・土坂氷室): Located in modern-day Nishigamo-Himuro-cho, Kita Ward. Situated in a mountain basin at an elevation of about 380 meters beyond the Kyōmi Pass (north of Kinkaku-ji and Takagamine), this was the primary and closest major icehouse complex. Today, visitors can still explore the historical site (Himuro-ato, a designated historic site of Kyoto) and visit Himuro Shrine (氷室神社), which is dedicated to the deity of ice.

Iwasaki Icehouse (石前氷室): Located near the Kinugasa area just north of Kinkaku-ji (modern-day Kinugasa-Himuro-cho, Kita Ward).

Ono Icehouse (小野氷室): Nestled in the mountains along the Takano River near Yase and Ohara, southeast of Kurama (modern-day Kamitakano-Himuro-yama, Sakyo Ward).

Tokuoka Icehouse (徳岡氷室): Located in the Omuro district north of Ninnaji Temple (modern-day Omuro-Sumiyoshi-yama, Ukyo Ward).

Sakakibara Icehouse (賢木原氷室): Situated in the hills west of the Katsura River (modern-day Katagihara, Nishikyo Ward).

Transported under cover of night to prevent melting, this precious ice arrived at the palace as a rare comfort for the gravely ill Emperor Horikawa. Understanding this historical background illuminates the deep devotion of the court attendants who presented it in a metal bowl to soothe his high fever, as well as the poignant image of the weakened emperor attempting to carve it himself.

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #32 Encho-ji Temple

 

     The exact founding date of Encho-ji Temple in Nagasa Village, Kako County, Harima Province, remains unknown. The earliest recorded mention of both the temple and the village appears together in a historical document dated August 1515.

     Geographically, the temple's modern precincts sit directly upon the leveled front section (zenpo-bu) of the Seiryozan Tumulus, an early Kofun period (4th century) burial mound. The tumulus is estimated to have a total length of approximately 78 meters, with a rear circular section about 45 meters in diameter and 6 meters in height.

     A close historical connection between the temple and the tumulus is supported by both artifacts and temple records. The temple precincts house a composite-type stone sarcophagus made of Ryuzan stone (tuff), which is said to have originated from the tumulus. According to local tradition, it was once used as a bridge over a nearby stream before being preserved at the temple. Furthermore, Encho-ji’s own temple chronicle records that in 1543, twelve iron arrowheads (yajiri) were discovered from a "cave" on the site, which strongly suggests that the temple utilized or managed the tumulus grounds during the medieval and feudal periods. Given that the transition from bronze to iron arrowheads occurred during the early Kofun period, these twelve iron arrowheads signify that the local rulers of this region possessed advanced iron technology and held significant power at a very early stage in Japanese history.

Address: Nagasuna-1051 Noguchicho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0016

Phone: 079-422-7365

Enchoji Stone Coffin

Address: Nagasuna-1051 Noguchicho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0016

Seiryozan Tumulus

Address: Nagasuna Noguchicho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0016

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #31 Sennen-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Sennen-ji Temple was founded in Sakai Village, Kako County, Harima Province.  The village was first listed in the Keicho Kuni-ezu, the map published in 1611.

     Sennen-ji Temple enshrines the standing wooden statue of Amidabha of India as its principal image, with the seated wooden statues of Shandao (613-681) of China and Honen (1133-1212) of Japan as its attendant images, when India, China, and Japan were supposed to constitute the whole world.

Address: Sakai-292-2 Noguchicho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0015

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #30 Hase-dera Temple

 

     It is unknown when Hase-dera Temple was founded in Shinobe Village, Kako County, Harima Province. Shinobe Village first appeared in historical documents in 1515, when some villagers made donations to Kakurin-ji Temple, which suggests the temple might have owned the village at the time.

     On August 28th, 1582, the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–1598) granted the village to Yamana Akihiro (1559–1627), presumably replacing its former ownership. Later, in 1600, following the Battle of Sekigahara, Ikeda Terumasa (1565–1613), the lord of the Himeji Domain, transferred the village to Fukuda Gyusuke.

     It is also unknown exactly when Hase-dera Temple fell into ruin. Today, only the Jizo-do Hall remains on its original site, while its Eleven-Faced Ekadasamukha statue was relocated to the nearby Yakushi-do Hall (located in Shinobe).

Address: Shinobe-2517 Befucho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0131

Yakushi-do Hall

Address: Shinobe-761 Befucho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0131

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #29 An'yo-ji Temple

 

The Early History and Economic Context of An'yo-ji Temple

1. Textual and Physical Origins

     The precise founding date of An'yo-ji Temple in Ishiki Village, Kako County, Harima Province, is undocumented. However, its historical presence is firmly established through both literary and physical evidence. The temple first appears in a 1515 entry of the Tenmangu Sarugaku Zojicho, recording a donation of approximately 12 go of rice to support a sarugaku theatrical performance. This documentary history aligns with the physical artifacts on the temple grounds, which feature three Hokyointo (stone miniature pagodas). While one pagoda carries an inscription from 1516/1517 , the oldest of the three structurally dates to the early 15th century, suggesting the temple's origins predate its earliest literary mentions.  

2. Financial Reality of a Local Institution

     The scale of the 1515 donation reflects the humble reality of a community-oriented temple. A later document from 1601 (Wakahara Ukyonosuke An’yojo) records the temple’s official fief (jiryo) as a mere three koku—historically equivalent to the annual food supply for only three adults. While the temple supplemented its livelihood through parishioner donations, the 12 go contribution—roughly equivalent to a single meal for 12 people—demonstrates a modest yet sincere engagement with local village culture, proportionate to the temple's economic capacity.

3. Connection to the Ishiki Fortified Residence

     Traditionally, An'yo-ji Temple is said to stand on the former site of the Ishiki Fortified Residence, the base of the warrior Ishiki Umanosuke Tokinori. Although mainstream historical documents lack definitive verification regarding the existence or fall of the Ishiki Family, local genealogy records Tokinori as a great-grandson of Ogasawara Tokitada. Based on the genealogical naming convention of inheriting the kanji character "tada" (忠), Tokitada is hypothesized to be a descendant of Ogasawara Nagatada (1202–1264), who held the official title of Umanosuke, which was also inherited by Tokinori. Following the purported destruction of the Ishiki Family during the Siege of Miki (1578–1580), the temple either expanded into the neighboring residence site or was relocated to this strategic location from a nearby area, preserving the memory of a localized history otherwise overlooked by major historical narratives.

Address: Ishiki−24, Hiraokacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0115

Phone: 079-437-9135

Isshiki Fortified Residence Site

Address: 24 Hiraokacho Ishikinishi, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0115

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #28 Shofuku-ji Temple

 

     The exact founding date of Shofuku-ji Temple in Nakano Village (Kako County, Harima Province) remains unknown. However, historical records first mention the village in 1354 as part of Ae Manor, which was then under the control of Sumiyoshi Shrine. At that time, Akamatsu Norisuke (1314–1372) served as the Shugo (Samurai Guardian) of Harima Province. Although Norisuke had briefly aligned himself with the Southern Court in 1351, he returned to the Northern Court the following year.

     Within the temple precincts stands a Hokyointo (a treasure chest seal pagoda), which is believed to date back to the latter half of the Muromachi Period (1336–1573).

     Taking these factors into account, it is highly probable that as the authority of Sumiyoshi Shrine declined, local samurai emerged in the area. These warriors likely established the temple to pray for their own salvation and peace in the afterlife amidst the uncertainties of warfare.

Address: Nakano−94−1, Hiraokacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0113

Phone: 079-490-7678

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #27 Fukusho-ji Temple

 

     The exact foundation date of Fukusho-ji Temple remains unknown. It is said to have been built on the former site of the Furumukai (or Komukai) Fortified Residence, suggesting its establishment likely postdates the Siege of Miki Castle (1578–1580).

     The surrounding Furuta Village was relatively new at the time. In 1654, the region suffered a severe drought through spring and summer; the rice paddies cracked, seedlings withered, and the villagers were left without even enough seed rice for the following spring. Witnessing this devastation, Imazato Denbei (1610–1660) repeatedly surveyed the area on foot, meticulously mapping out water routes, elevations, and existing channels. Armed with his diagrams, he gathered the heads of 23 neighboring villages to explain the critical need for a new water source. Moved by his presentation, all the heads signed a petition and pledged their full cooperation.

     Denbei then petitioned Sakakibara Tadatsugu (1605–1665), the lord of the Himeji Domain, for the construction of the Shin'yu Canal. Recognizing the merit, Tadatsugu commissioned Denbei to lead the survey and launched the construction as a domain-sponsored project. The design was finalized by the end of that year, and construction began the following year.

     The project faced immense engineering hurdles, including excavating hard bedrock at Nishinoyama (today's Nishinoyama Kannocho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0007) and Hiokayama, and channeling water under the Kise Riverbed via a buried conduit—even forcing water to flow uphill. Denbei was so committed that he reportedly declared, "If this new canal fails to deliver water, I will gladly accept the death penalty along with my family." He oversaw the site day and night. The domain provided cooked rice for the workforce, which totaled 164,000 laborers, averaging 400 to 500 people per day.

     After 15 months of grueling work, the canal was successfully opened. Deeply impressed, Lord Tadatsugu praised Denbei and asked how he wished to be rewarded. Denbei replied, "Having witnessed such a great blessing, I desire nothing for myself. My only sincere wish is that this new canal flows forever."

     Thanks to the stable water supply, Furuta Village grew prosperous enough to support an official Buddhist temple, leading to the estimated founding of Fukusho-ji Temple sometime after 1666.

Address: 3 Chome-13-11 Furuta, Harima, Kako District, Hyogo 675-0146

Phone: 079-435-1457

Hiokayama Observation Platform

Address: Ono-1754-2 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0061

The Grave of Imazato Denbei (1610-1660)

Address: Kamizukuri 14-471-11, Komiya, Harima, Kako District, Hyogo 675-0163

(The Grave of Imazato Denbei used to be located in the graveyard of Ganman-ji Temple, which itself used to be located in the southwest of Akiga-ike Pond.)

Shin'yu Yosui Canal

Address: Nakasaijo Yahatacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-1205

Kisegawa Siphon

Address: 2 Chome-3-3 Onaka, Harima, Kako District, Hyogo 675-0142

Kisegawa Siphon  East Bank Outlet

Address: 5 Chome-19-1 Nishinozoe, Harima, Kako District, Hyogo 675-0160

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #26 Shorin-ji Temple

 

     It remains unknown exactly when the original hermitage was established in Ae Manor (modern-day Harima Town), where Shorin-ji Temple stands today. However, historical records indicate that between 1470 and 1520, Ogawara Danjo, who served as an administrator at Iwaya Castle in Mimasaka Province, brought a sacred Buddhist image from Mimasaka to this manor. Since the Ogawara Family was originally based in Shiso (modern-day Shiso City, Hyogo Prefecture), the precise reason why he relocated the image to Ae Manor remains a geographical mystery.

     Despite this historical puzzle, a major turning point occurred in 1597 when the humble hermitage in Ae was officially elevated to a full-fledged Buddhist temple. Crucially, it was initially named "Shorin-ji" using the exact kanji characters of the Kobayashi family (小林寺), before later being changed in 1767 to the characters representing the famous Zen temple (少林寺).

     The key to solving this mystery lies in a specific individual connected to both locations: Chirin Shuso, the third son of Ogawara Danjo, who also appears in records as Kobayashi Shuri. Given the prominent presence of the name "Kobayashi" in Tsuyama (Mimasaka), it is highly probable that the local Kobayashi warrior family adopted this younger son from the powerful Ogawara family, who ruled the area as administrators.

     However, following the collapse of the Akamatsu Clan and Oda Nobunaga's devastating invasion, this alliance proved fatal. The downfall of the Ogawara patronage dragged the Kobayashi Family into ruin. Caught between his elite bloodline and his adopted family's collapse, returning to life as a peasant was impossible for Kobayashi Shuri; thus, he chose the priesthood as his path of survival, becoming the Zen monk "Chirin Shuso."

     Remarkably, harboring no resentment toward the tragic fate brought upon him by his dual heritage, he chose a path "beyond the pale of vengeance" to honor both sides. In 1597, amid the tightening grip of the Toyotomi regime, he stepped forward to orchestrate the simultaneous elevation of both hermitages. By naming the new temples "Shorin-ji" (小林寺) after his adopted family, he cleverly embedded the memory of both the displaced Ogawara and Kobayashi families into the Buddhist faith.

     Today, this profound bond lives on through sacred geography: while the Shorin-ji Temple in Tsuyama stands as a dedicated site on the Mimasaka 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, its sister temple here in Harima continues to welcome pilgrims as the 26th site on the Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, ensuring their names survived the turbulent transition into the early modern era.

Address: 4 Chome-2-8 Honjo, Harima, Kako District, Hyogo 675-0154

Phone: 079-435-0252

Iwaya Castle Ruins

Address: Nakakitakami, Tsuyama, Okayama 709-4606

Shorin-ji Temple

Address: 1150 Nakakitakami, Tsuyama, Okayama 709-4606

Phone: 0868-57-2303

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #25 Renge-ji Temple

 

The Historical Paradox of Renge-ji Temple and Honjo Castle

     Renge-ji Temple in Kako District, Hyogo, presents a fascinating historical paradox. Legend says it was founded in the early 9th century by the famous monk Kukai (774-835). However, historical records and excavations show that the temple stands on the site of the Honjo Renge-ji Kokyo (Fortified Residence) built around the Kakitsu era (1441–1443).

     Since the actual lords of this fortified residence remain unrecorded and anonymous, how can we solve this contradiction between a peaceful sacred site and a wartime fortress? Here are four compelling hypotheses:

1. The Weaponization of the Temple (Fortified Temple)

     During the turbulent Muromachi period, especially after the Kakitsu Rebellion (1441), Harima Province became a fierce battlefield. Rather than building a new fortress from scratch, local samurai likely took advantage of Renge-ji's existing solid walls, vast grounds, and strategic location near water routes, fortifying the temple itself.

2. The Rise of Warrior Monks (Militant Clergy)

     We cannot overlook the possibility of warrior monks (Sohei). In medieval Japan, powerful temples often functioned as feudal lords. If the monks of Renge-ji grew powerful enough to rule the surrounding land, they would have naturally fortified their own temple. In this scenario, the chief monk was effectively the fortress lord, which explains why no traditional samurai lineage was recorded as the ruler of the fortress.

3. Rebuilding on Abandoned Ruins

     The 600-year gap between Kukai and the 15th century leaves room for decline. The original temple might have fallen into ruin due to famine or early warfare. The site, left empty but strategically valuable, was then used to build Honjo Fortified Residence. Centuries later, during the peaceful Edo period, the sacred temple was revived and rebuilt on its original, yet now fortified, land.

4. Relocation from Another Site

     It is also possible that the original Renge-ji founded by Kukai was located elsewhere nearby. After Honjo Fortified Residence was abandoned and left as ruins, the local community or authorities might have relocated the temple to the former fortress grounds to repurpose the land and bring spiritual protection to the area.

Conclusion

     The most plausible answer lies in a combination of Hypothesis 1, 2 and 3.

     Rather than a contradiction, the site represents a "layered history." A sacred temple founded by Kukai was forced to adapt to the brutal civil wars of medieval Japan—either by being taken over by local samurai or by arming its own monks to become a fortress. Today, the massive V-shaped moats discovered underground serve as silent witnesses to the era when this sanctuary had to wear the armor of a fortress to survive.

Address: 7 Chome-1-33 Kitahonjo, Harima, Kako District, Hyogo 675-0144

Phone: 079-437-8615

Honjo-Rengeji Fortified Residence Site

Address: 7 Chome-1-33 Kitahonjo, Harima, Kako District, Hyogo 675-0144

Trees In the Town

 

Sarashina Diary: Retold in the present tense (17)

 

Even my deep sorrows fail to kill me, but I am apprehensive that I may not pass away to the other world as I wish. Still, there is only one dream I can rely on for the afterworld.

On the night of October 13th, 1055, I dreamed this dream:

In the garden, just beyond the edge of the eaves of my house, there stood Amitabha Buddha. He was not seen distinctly, but appeared gently and softly, as if through a light haze. I tried hard to catch a glimpse through the gaps and breaks of the mist. The lotus flower pedestal was three or four feet above the ground; the Buddha was about six feet tall.

Golden light shone forth. One hand was extended, and the fingers of the other were bent in the form of benediction. None but I could see him, yet I felt such reverence that I dared not approach the bamboo blinds to see him better. None but I might hear him saying, "Then, this time, I will go back, and afterwards come again to accept you." I was comforted and awoke into the fourteenth day. This dream alone sustains my hope for the next life.

I used to live together with my niece and grandnephews in a house within our estate, seeing them day and night. However, after my husband’s death, they moved to another house within the estate, and we no longer see each other every day. On one pitch-black night, however, I am visited by my niece and one of my grandnephews, the sixth born. Deeply moved by this rare visit, I compose:

I live in pitch-black night,

Abandoned by the moon,

Yet you have brought your light to me,

Left in this dark so soon.

After my husband’s death, a close friend ceases all communication. I send this poem:

Perhaps you think that I am gone,

Far from this world away,

Yet here I live to weep alone,

Through every sorrowful day.

In the tenth month, the moon shines bright and clear. Gazing up through my tear-filled eyes, I compose:

Tears flow without a pause,

Clouding my heart with night,

Yet through my weeping eyes,

The moon shines clear and bright.

Months have passed and years have slipped away. Whenever I recall that dreamlike moment of my husband’s death, my mind falls into turmoil and everything turns black before my eyes. I can no longer remember the details of his final moments.

My families have moved away to live separately in other places. I remain alone in my solitary home on our estate. I am deeply lonely, uneasy, helpless, and sad. Tired of staying awake all through the night in solitude, I send a tanka poem to a woman who has not visited me for a long time:

Drenched in dew where mugwort grows so high,

I weep aloud with sorrow deep and true;

Unvisited as empty days go by,

My tears keep falling as I cry for you.

She now spends her retired days as a Buddhist nun, living in a temple with other nuns. She sends back this response:

Think of the mugwort in your ordinary home,

And pity this quiet compound where I reside—

Where wild grass thickens as the seasons roam,

Far from all cherished memories, set aside.

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #24 Ryosen-ji Temple

 

     Ryosen-ji Temple was founded in Komiya Village, Kako County, Harima Province in 1523.  The village was first documented in 1354.

    Akamatsu Yoshimura (?-1521), the 10th head of the Akamatsu Clan, was assassinated on September 17th, 1521, and the clan practically declined into a local lord.  In 1354, Harima Province was in the age of rival warlords.  Without being united by any of them, the province was suppressed by Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582) in 1580.

     Under such turbulence, the locals had a good reason to have their own Buddhist temple to pray for their comfort in the other world.

     Ryosen-ji Temple is the 24th site of the Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, which was established during the Taisho period (1912–1926). While the pilgrimage itself is relatively modern, the Kannon statue enshrined in the temple’s Kannon-do hall carries a profound history that traces back to the Edo period, interwoven with the fate of two vanished temples: Shogen-ji and Kaizen-ji Temples.

     According to local historical records from Harima Town, there were once four Buddhist temples in Komiya Village during the Edo period (1603-1867). However, during the anti-Buddhist movement (Haibutsu Kishaku) in the early Meiji period, Shogen-ji Temple was abolished. Its main hall was subsequently dismantled and relocated to Ryosen-ji Temple, where it stands today as the Kannon-do hall. Around the same time, another nearby temple named Kaizen-ji was also closed, and its statues were transferred to Ryosen-ji Temple as well.

     This historical timeline opens up a fascinating and highly plausible hypothesis regarding the origin of the 24th pilgrimage statue:

     The Shogen-ji Origin Theory (The Most Likely Candidate): Since the current Kannon-do hall is the original main hall of Shogen-ji Temple, it is highly probable that the Kannon statue enshrined inside was also inherited from Shogen-ji Temple.

     The Kaizen-ji or Local Origin Theory: Alternatively, the statue might have belonged to Kaizen-ji Temple, whose suspected former site is the current Komiya Yakushi-do Hall and its adjacent cemetery, and was placed in the newly relocated hall to preserve the village's spiritual heritage.

     In conclusion, although official documents do not explicitly name the original owner of the statue, the 24th Kannon of Ryosen-ji Temple is a sacred relic that likely survived the turbulent transition into the modern era, embodying the combined devotion of the lost temples of old Komiya Village.

Address: 6-chome-10-47 Komiya, Harima, Kako District, Hyogo 675-0163

Phone: 078-942-4587

Komiya Yakushi-do Hall

Address: 14 Komiya, Harima, Kako District, Hyogo 675-0163

The Grave of Imazato Denbei (1610-1660)

Address: Kamizukuri 14-471-11, Komiya, Harima, Kako District, Hyogo 675-0163

(The Grave of Imazato Denbei used to be located in the graveyard of Ganman-ji Temple, which itself used to be located in the southwest of Akiga-ike Pond.)

Akiga-ike Pond

Address: Komiya, Harima, Kako District, Hyogo 675-0163

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #23 Zuio-ji Temple

 

     The place name "Futami" was first documented in a tanka poem. On April 22nd, 1005, Fujiwara Takato (949–1013), on his way to take up his post as the Dazaifu no Daini (Senior Assistant Governor-General), composed a poem titled "At Futami Bay":

Waiting for a favorable wind, 

We anchored in Futami. 

I gaze upon the dawn at the break of day, 

To find the rough waves still pounding the bay.

     While some traditions suggest that Zuio-ji Temple is as ancient as Kakurin-ji Temple, whose ancestral hermitage may date back to the 6th century, its exact founding date remains unknown. The temple was restored in 1573 by the priest Tengen and subsequently served as the family temple for Higashi-Futami Village.

     During the Edo period, a terakoya (temple school) was established within the complex. Following the promulgation of the modern education system in the Meiji era, Futami Elementary School was officially opened at the temple. It later merged with Sogan Elementary School (located at Itoku-in Temple in Nishi-Futami), becoming the direct predecessor of the current Futami Elementary School.

     Today, the temple grounds preserve important links to the past: the grave of Matsuo Chubei, the driving force behind the construction of Futami Port, and a Japanese cycad tree in the rear garden that is said to be over 400 years old.

Address: Higashifutami-1910 Futamicho, Akashi, Hyogo 674-0092

Phone: 078-942-1198

Kakurin-ji Temple

Address: Kitazaike-424 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0031

Phone: 079-454-7053

Itoku-in Temple

Address: Nishifutami-943 Futamicho, Akashi, Hyogo 674-0094

Phone: 078-942-1184

Futami Elementary School

Address: Higashifutami-454 Futamicho, Akashi, Hyogo 674-0092

Phone: 078-918-5820

Trees In the Town

 

Sarashina Diary: Retold in the present tense (16)

 

My husband, Tachibana Toshimichi (1002–1058), returns in April of the following year due to illness. He spends the summer and autumn at home. On September 25th, he falls ill. On October 10th, he vanishes like a dream. I once wrote, “Compared to the deaths of strangers, the sorrow of my sister’s death was beyond description.” My sorrow over my husband's death is beyond comparison.

Now, I realize that my present state was reflected in the mirror offered to Hase-dera Temple about 25 years ago. In it, someone was seen weeping in agony. The reflection of the happier one has not been realized, and can never be in the future.

On the 23rd, we cremate his remains into smoke with despairing hearts. I remember that my boy was dressed exquisitely to attend his father when they went down to the province last autumn. This time, I see the boy dressed in black with a white sleeveless outer garment. He follows the bier and walks out, weeping. My feelings when I saw him going out could never be expressed. I felt like wandering in a dream, and I believed my husband must have been watching over me.

If I had not given myself up to reading useless romance stories and composing waka poems, but had practiced religious austerities night and day, I would not have seen such a dreamlike world. When I visited Hase-dera Temple for the first time, I dreamt that someone threw in a cedar twig, saying, “This is a token bestowed by Goddess Inari.” If I had visited Inari Shrine immediately after that, this misfortune might not have happened.

In these past years, I have seen dreams that bade me to pray to Amaterasu (the Sun Goddess). The dream interpreter explained that I should serve at the Imperial Court as a wet nurse, sheltered behind the favor of the Emperor and Empress. The interpretation has never been realized. Only the sorrowful reflection in the mirror has been realized unaltered.

How pitiful and helpless I am! Thus, being a person whose heart could never be in harmony with the things around me, I am just drifting in this world, doing no virtuous deeds for the next life.

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #22 Kannon-ji Temple

 

     Nankai-zan Hosen-ji Temple was reportedly founded in 1267. Historical temple inscriptions reveal that Ogawa Masatatsu restored the temple in May 1442, building a tiled main hall and changing its name to Hoda-san Kannon-ji. This restoration suggests that the temple was likely damaged or destroyed during the Kakitsu Incident (1441), which devastated the region and temporarily wiped out the Akamatsu Clan.

    The temple was revived again in 1472 by Yokogawa Kimitaka, who invited Priest Ryushu from Kyoto's Kennin-ji Temple. This took place around the same time Akamatsu Masanori (1455–1496) restored his clan’s status as rulers of Harima Province during the Onin War (1467–1477).

     In October 1593, Yokogawa Shigenaga invited Priest Seicho from Myoshin-ji Temple in Kyoto to serve as the founding abbot, renaming the temple Fuda-san Kannon-ji. After centuries of maintenance, the 19th head priest, Shusho, rebuilt the main hall into a three-story reinforced concrete building in 1993, about a century after the collapse of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The temple is currently led by the 20th head priest, Kotari Toyomitsu, who took office in 1997.

     Ultimately, Kannon-ji Temple's ups and downs seem to have been deeply intertwined with the rises and falls of the samurai clans in Harima Province. The Ogawa family survived as samurai through the 15th and 16th centuries, but are supposed to have become farmers after the Siege of Miki (1578–1580). While it remains unknown whether any of their offspring were among the supporting members who helped rebuild the temple in 1993, the memory of its founders continues to endure.

     Kannon-ji Temple is also the #27 member temple of the Harima 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.

Address: 1643 Futamicho, Akashi, Hyogo 674-0092

Phone: 078-942-1480

Kennin-ji Temple

Address: 584 Komatsucho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto 605-0811

Phone: 075-561-6363

Myoshin-ji Temple

Address: 1 Hanazonomyoshinjicho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, 616-8035

Phone: 075-461-5226

Trees In the Town

 

Sarashina Diary: Retold in the present tense (15)

 

I devote myself to my husband in various ways. If, however, I had served Princess Yushi, devoting myself continuously, what could I have accomplished? As I attend on and off, I achieve nothing.

As I advance in age, I feel it unbecoming to behave like a young woman. I grow ill, and cannot go out to temples for worship as I like. Even an occasional outing comes to an end. I do not feel like living long. All I worry about night and day is to see my inexperienced children become independent with my own eyes.

I look forward to the appointment of my husband as a provincial governor. In autumn, he gets a long-expected position, but not as good a one as we hope. We are very disappointed and sorry. He is appointed as the Governor of Shinano Province in the autumn of 1058. It is not as distant as the provinces where my father had been appointed to work. I often think back to the long route along which I returned to Kyoto. My husband has no alternative but to go, and we hastily make preparations. To change the route to the province to a luckier one according to the philosophy of yin-yang, he decides to start in the middle of August from the house where our daughter has recently gone to live. Without my knowing what on earth to do after he leaves me behind, the place buzzes with so many people, bursting with a noisy and chaotic energy.

My husband is accompanied by our son, Fujiwara Nakatoshi (dates unknown), who wears a striking blackish-red coat with a vibrant blue lining and aster-colored hakama, proudly carrying a long sword. My husband wears a dignified bluish-indigo coat and hakama. They mount their horses beside the veranda with grand presence.

After they depart with such a lively and bustling stir, a profound loneliness washes over me. Yet, as I hear that his province is not so distant, my heart is filled with far more hope than when my father set off for distant Hitachi Province.

The attendants who accompany him to see him off return the next day and tell me with great excitement that my husband and son made a truly majestic and triumphant departure. They also mention that they saw a very big will-o’-the-wisp at this daybreak emerge and fly toward Kyoto. I only suppose it to be from someone in my husband’s retinue. How could I possibly think the worst? My mind is entirely set on how to establish our young family in the world.