Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #15 Enmei-ji Temple

 

     Enmei-ji Temple was founded in 1549 by Tairyo Gakuko in Futamata Village, Kako County, Harima Province—a village first documented in 1354.

     The temple’s birth coincided with a period of intense geopolitical upheaval. In 1549, the bitter power struggle between Miyoshi Masanaga and Miyoshi Nagayoshi reached a climax, shifting the tides of power across Settsu, Yamashiro, and notably, Eastern Harima. Founded at this critical turning point, the temple stood at the threshold of an era where the region would be relentlessly swept into the chaotic wars of national unification.

     Given these perilous times, the name "Enmei" immediately brings to mind the Japanese word for the "Prolongation of Life" (延命). It would make perfect sense if Gakuko had founded the temple as a prayer for survival, hoping to prolong the lives of the locals as well as his own.

     And indeed, the temple itself seemed to possess a miraculous longevity. Although it transitioned from Shingon Buddhism to the Caodong Chan school in the mid-1600s, it survived for centuries. Even after the Meiji Restoration of 1868, it weathered the fierce government-sanctioned anti-Buddhist movement. When a tragic fire destroyed the main hall on November 30th, 1877, the community refused to let it die. By 1879, thanks to the tireless efforts of a local devotee named Sakata Tozo and the parishioners, a sub-temple of Kakurin-ji was dismantled, transported along the Arai irrigation canal, and rebuilt as the new main hall. The locals had successfully "prolonged" the temple's life.

     One might be tempted to praise Gakuko for his foresight in naming the temple "Enmei" (Prolongation of Life) to ensure its survival. However, there is a brilliant twist to this story: the temple's name is not written as "延命" at all. Instead, it is written as "円明" (Enmei)—meaning "Perfect Enlightenment" or "Bright Circle."

     Gakuko may not have intended to name it after survival, but through centuries of wars, purges, and fires, the history of this temple turned a prayer for wisdom into a literal miracle of long life.

Address: Futamata 690, Hiraokacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0111

Phone: 079-437-9866

Fukusho-ji Temple

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

Futamata Community Center

Address: Futamata-584 Hiraokacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0111

Phone: 079-435-0838

Kakurin-ji Temple

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

Phone: 079-454-7053