Kasai Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

 

     In the prehistoric days of Japan, the country was unified by organizing Kuninomiyatsuko in remote areas.  Harima Kuninomiyatsuko, Harima-Kamo Kuninomiyatsuko, and Akashi Kuninomiyatsuko ruled today’s Southern part of Hyogo Prefecture.  Later, Emperor Karu (596-654) introduced the County system.  Harima-Kamo Kuninomiyatsuko was transformed into Kamo County under Harima Province.  The county is supposed to have been divided into Kato and Kasai Counties in the 11th century.  Kato means Kamo-East and Kasai Kamo-West.

     It is unknown when Kasai Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in the county.

It might have been in the late 17th century that the Kasai 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was established through the convergence of two key interests: the survival needs of local temples and the economic motives of the townspeople in Hojo.

The Urgent Need of Local Temples (Securing Reconstruction and Maintenance Funds)

     Many temples and village chapels throughout Kasai County were devastated during the conflicts of the Warring States period (1467-1568), such as the Battle of Miki from 1578 to 1580. Entering the Edo period (1603-1867), they continued to suffer from a severe lack of reconstruction funds. Unable to rely on large-scale financial backing from the Shogunate or feudal lords, the district's temples united to create the "33 Kannon Pilgrimage" package. This established a self-sustaining maintenance mechanism, generating a continuous year-round stream of money from offertory coins, temple stamp fees, and donations collected during public unveilings of sacred statues.

The Economic Motives of the Hojo Townspeople (Attracting Visitors to a Commercial Hub)

     As a merchant town and the administrative center of Kasai County, Hojo lacked a permanent population of samurai consumers to sustain its economy—a vulnerability heightened by the region's fragmented political structure, split into Shogunal demesne and minor fiefs (aikyū) without a single unifying samurai stronghold. Consequently, the town needed events that could draw visitors from neighboring areas, such as the Himeji castle town, to stimulate local spending. By establishing a unified week-long festival starting on March 12, the merchants capitalized on the influx of pilgrims arriving at the final destination, Sagami-ji Temple. Providing lodging, meals, souvenirs, and daily goods to these visitors delivered a substantial economic boost to the entire town.