Kako County Chichibu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

  

The origins of the Kako County Chichibu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage (est. 1922) are shrouded in mystery, with no record of its founders. However, its simultaneous creation alongside the local Saigoku and Bando routes suggests a deliberate, coordinated effort. Given that the Kako Bando route had already organized the more secondary religious institutions in each area, let us see how the organizers managed to gather yet another set of 33 Kannon temples within such a small county.

I will withhold my final conclusion until I complete the entire Kako County Chichibu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage. However, one fascinating observation is already clear: the Chichibu Route has preserved many more active temples than the Bando Route. Interestingly, where the Bando Route was dominated by the Pureland Sect, the Chichibu Route is centered on the Shingon, Caotong, and Linji sects, hinting at a calculated distribution of temples when these spiritual networks were established.