Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #13 Kannon-ji Temple

 

     The exact founding date of Kannon-ji Temple (also known as Kannon-do) in Sakamoto Village, Kako County, remains shrouded in mystery. The earliest historical record of the village itself dates back to 1515, a period when the surrounding Harima Province was plunged into political turmoil.

     In those days, while Akamatsu Yoshimura (?-1521) was the official shugo (samurai guardian) of Harima, his vassal Uragami Muramune (1498-1531) held the actual power as the province's hegemon. Local warriors were deeply divided, clashing between the Akamatsu and Uragami factions. Amidst this chaos, historical documents indicate that Kakurin-ji Temple held various pockets of land scattered across local villages, including Sakamoto. However, the ancient authority and wealth of such traditional temples were gradually chipped away as Sengoku warlords aggressively consolidated their territorial control.

     Records show that Kakurin-ji managed to retain its land in Sakamoto Village until as late as 1534. The instability of the region peaked in 1558, when Kodera Masatomo (1529-1584) launched a military coup within the Akamatsu Clan, forcing the clan head, Harumasa (1495-1565), to cede power to his son, Yoshisuke (1537-1576). It was through this turbulent era of shifting borders and fading temple estates that Kannon-ji Temple quietly endured.

Address: Sakamoto-505 Noguchicho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0018