The Three Kannon Pilgrimages in Kako District

I have virtually walked up all the 3 pilgrimages in Kako District: the Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, the Kako County Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, and the Kako County Chichibu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  Looking back at them, I realize that they are composed of 4 types of tiers of temples and halls and that the distribution of the 4 tiers among the 3 pilgrimages are significantly different.  What the differences imply is waiting to be analyzed.

Contextual Explanation of the Tiers (for reference or inclusion):

Tier 1 (Ancient Origins): Temples belonging to sects founded in the ancient period, such as Shingon and Tendai Buddhism, which historically served as longstanding regional bases and prayer temples.

Tier 2 (Medieval Origins): Zen temples (such as Rinzai and Soto) established in the medieval period under the patronage of the warrior class (bushi) and local lords.

Tier 3 (Early Modern / Edo Period Origins): Sects like Pure Land (Jodo-shu) that flourished in the early modern period, strongly backed by the status of Pure Land Buddhism as the faith of the Tokugawa shogunal family.

Tier 4 (Unaccredited Chapels / Shodo): Local roadside or village chapels lacking official temple status and state/domain recognition from the Edo period, making their management and preservation inherently fragile.

Kako County Saigoku 33 Pilgrimage

Composed mostly (~90%) of established, officially recognized temples spanning the ancient, medieval, and early modern periods (Tiers 1–3). Thanks to this solid institutional foundation, the route has been stably maintained up to the present day.

Kako County Bando 33 Pilgrimage

Failed to secure sufficient participation from established temples (Tiers 1–3) and relied too heavily on unaccredited local chapels (Tier 4). Lacking a firm organizational base, it proved unable to withstand the rapid modernization of the Taisho era and vanished within a few decades.

Kako County Chichibu 33 Pilgrimage

Anchored primarily by medieval Zen temples (Tier 2) but also incorporating smaller, unaccredited chapels (shodo, Tier 4). This mixed makeup resulted in a moderate level of survival over time.