Virtual Kako County Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #10 Goken'ya-Jizo-do Hall

 

     It is unknown exactly when Goken'ya-Jizo-do Hall was founded in Goken'ya Hamlet, Kako Shinmura Village (Kako County, Harima Province) to tend to the nearby cemetery.

     The foundation of the village itself dates back to the 17th century. Sawabei Kako, the shoya (village head) of Naka-Nishijo Village (present-day Nakanishijo, Yawata-cho, Kakogawa City), conceived the idea of developing the terrace situated between the Kumori River to the south and the Kusadani River to the north. He began by trial-cultivating crops like rice, wheat, and soybeans for three years. Finding the yields promising, he spent another three years living there seasonally—only during summer and winter—to assess its suitability for permanent settlement. In 1660, after receiving development authorization from the Himeji Domain, he commenced the reclamation project alongside Kiheiji of Kami-nishijo Village and Jihei of Shimo Village. This newly developed village was named Kako Shinmura (New Kako Village).

     It remains unclear when Goken'ya Hamlet was officially formed within the village. However, as "Goken'ya" literally translates to "Five Houses," it is highly probable that five pioneer households originally settled in the area north of the Yorozutame-ike Irrigation Pond. Interestingly, the Kako area features a total of seven cemeteries along its boundaries. Given that communal cemeteries were traditionally established either within temple precincts or on the outskirts of villages, it is likely that the residents of the newly developed Kako Shinmura continued to be buried in these pre-existing cemeteries located around the borders of their ancestral villages. In any case, this situation supports the hypothesis that the stations of the Kako County Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage were heavily allocated to such secondary religious facilities, rather than major independent temples.

Address: 110 Kako, Inami, Kako District, Hyogo 675-1105