Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #7 Senpuku-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown exactly when Senpuku-ji Temple was founded in Imafuku Village, Kako County, Harima Province. Although the village itself first appears in historical records in the Keicho Kuniezu (the Map of Provinces in the Keicho Era) of 1611, physical evidence suggests a much older origin.

     Within the temple precincts stands a Gorinto (a five-ring pagoda) inscribed with a date corresponding to February 25th, 1353. This strongly indicates that the temple, or at least a sacred site, already existed by the mid-14th century.

     The inscription on the pagoda reads: "On the 25th day of the second month, the second year of Bunwa (1353), respectfully dedicated by the Ikketshu."

     The term "Ikketshu" refers to a bound collective or a localized league of people. It carries the nuance of a community uniting to form a cooperative front, often in response to external pressures or ruling authorities. Intriguingly, by using the "Bunwa" era name, this group explicitly aligned themselves with the Northern Court.

     During this tumultuous period, the samurai guardian (provincial protector) of Harima Province was Akamatsu Norisuke (1314–1372). Norisuke had briefly defected to the Southern Court in 1351 before returning to the Northern Court the following year. Given this volatile political climate, it remains uncertain whether the samurai guardian and the local Ikketshu were entirely aligned when the pagoda was erected. Notably, when the Gorinto was relocated in 1935, cremation urns were discovered beneath it, reinforcing its role as a communal memorial. Presumably, this reflects the Ikketsushu's attempt to seal a sacred bone-pledge alliance.

     Around this time, Norisuke began constructing Kinoyama Castle on Mount Kinoyama as a natural stronghold for the Akamatsu Clan. Although this predated the Sengoku (Warring States) period by more than a century, it shows a clear anticipation of protracted warfare. In response to this rising local militarization, the Ikketshu of Imafuku may have felt a similar, urgent need to bind themselves together for mutual survival and spiritual protection.

Address: Imafuku−376 Onoecho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0027

Phone: 079-422-0302

Kinoyama Castle ruins

Address: Shingucho Shimonoda, Tatsuno, Hyogo 679-4333

Mount Kinoyama

Address: Issaicho Nakagaichi, Tatsuno, Hyogo 679-4002