Virtual Kako County Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #17 Kannon-do Hall

 

     Based on historical geographical clues and local rezonings in Inami Town, the original location and the current status of the 17th Kannon-do Hall (originally recorded as being in Aza Okahigashi, Kako Shinmura) can be deduced through the following two major hypotheses:

Hypothesis 1: The Site of the Former Okahigashi Cemetery (Near Kuniyasu-higashi Park)

     There is a record that the "Okahigashi Cemetery" once existed around what is now Kuniyasu-higashi Park in the Kuniyasu district, even though the area now belongs to a different administrative sector.

     Reasoning: In historical villages of Harima Province, it was standard practice to build Kannon-do or Jizo-do Halls at the entrance or within the grounds of community cemeteries to offer prayers for the deceased and to serve as pilgrimage stops.

     Conclusion: When the old Okahigashi Cemetery was later consolidated into the Kuniyasu Joint Cemetery, the original Kannon-do Hall was likely dismantled, and its sacred Avalokitesvara statue was relocated.

Hypothesis 2: Integration into the Current Bishamon-do Hall

     Another strong possibility is that the Avalokitesvara statue from the 17th station is now housed inside the existing "Bishamon-do Hall" in the Kako Okahigashi area, right next to the Okahigashi Community Center (Okahigashi Kokaido).

     Reasoning: As rural populations shifted and the maintenance of small, independent religious structures became difficult from the Meiji era onward, it was very common to consolidate multiple deities into a single remaining hall.

     Conclusion: Although the building is publicly known today as "Bishamon-do," the Avalokitesvara statue may well be enshrined inside, placed quietly alongside the main deity of the hall.

Summary

     The Kannon-do Hall itself no longer stands as an independent structure. However, by tracing the historical footprints of the old Okahigashi Cemetery near Kuniyasu-higashi Park, and by examining the interior or local lore of the current Bishamon-do Hall, the spiritual legacy of the 17th station of the Kako County Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage can likely be found preserved within these sites.

Okahigashi Bishamon-do Hall

Address: Oka, Inami, Kako District, Hyogo 675-1113

Okahigashi Community Center

Address: 389 Oka, Inami, Kako District, Hyogo 675-1113

Kuniyasuhigashi Park

Address: 316-53 Kuniyasu, Inami, Kako District, Hyogo 675-1114