Virtual Kako County Chichibu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #33 Koon-ji Temple

 

     Tradition holds that Koon-ji Temple was founded by the legendary Hermit Hodo during the Hakuchi era (650–655).

     This period coincided with a major geopolitical realignment across East Asia, which ultimately culminated in Silla’s unification of the Korean Peninsula in 676. In 642, King Uija (599–660) of Baekje invaded Silla, capturing over 40 fortresses and killing the daughter and son-in-law of Kim Chun-chu (603–661), the future King of Silla. Domestically, King Uija established an autocratic regime, purging political opponents to solidify his grip on power. This rapid concentration of authority echoed across the region: Yeon Gaesomun (d. 666) seized power in a coup in Goguryeo, while in Japan, Soga Emishi (586–645) and his son Iruka (?-645) tightened their control following the death of Emperor Jomei (593–641) and the ascension of Empress Kogyoku (594–661).

     Just as Sakanoue Tamuramaro (758–811) was later invoked as the symbolic founder of various temples in the Tohoku region, "Hermit Hodo" served a distinct historiographical purpose in Eastern Harima. During the mid-7th century, high-ranking Baekje nobles fleeing King Uija’s purges likely sought refuge in the Japanese archipelago, with some settling in Eastern Harima. For these immigrant communities, Hodo, a legendary monk said to have traveled from India through Tang China and Baekje, provided an ideal origin figure. Attributing their local sites to him allowed these communities to link their temples to a prestigious continental Buddhist lineage. (Hodo, whose original Sanskrit name is reconstructed as Dharmapatha, may have been known as Puap-dauh in China, Papp-do in Korea, and Papotau or Fafatau upon his arrival in Japan.)

     Koon-ji Temple was revived by Priest Nyorin in 1355, at which time a hall from nearby Houn-ji Temple was reportedly relocated and integrated into the complex. In 1380, Akamatsu Yoshinori (1358-1427) donated land to the temple, initiating an era of great prosperity in which as many as 32 sub-temples lined the grounds. Although these structures were burned down during the Siege of Miki in 1578, the temple was subsequently rebuilt.

     Today, Koon-ji serves as the 24th station on the Harima Province 33 Kannon Pilgrimage and the final 33rd station on the Kako County Chichibu 33 Kannon Pilgrimage. Minor regional pilgrimages often placed prominent, established temples at the end of their routes, a deliberate strategy designed to boost overall pilgrim participation.

Address: 851 Nodera, Inami, Kako District, Hyogo 675-1104

Phone: 079-495-0027