Virtual Kasai Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #13 Saifuku-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Saifuku-ji Temple was founded in Higashi-Takamuro Village, Kasai County, Harima Province.  The village was first documented in 1603.

     The temple graveyard has itabi dated 1305.  The tempe could be as old as the itabi.

     From the late 13th century through the early 14th century, local forces known as akuto (evil bands)—whose activities destabilized the established order of shoen (manor) governance—became increasingly active in Harima Province. In Yano-no-sho Manor in western Harima (present-day Aioi City), a local lord named Terada Honen—who claimed descent from the Hata clan—was locked in a fierce conflict with the manor's proprietor, To-ji Temple in Kyoto. Honen colluded with neighboring gokenin (shogunal retainers), such as the Ebina family, to carry out acts including attacks on To-ji’s local administrators and the forcible seizure of annual tax dues. He later came to be known as the greatest akuto in the province. In 1305, the Kagen Incident broke out in Kamakura, resulting in the assassination of Hojo Tokimura (1242-1305), who held the post of rensho, or co-signer to the regent; Ebina Hidetsuna was among those who struck down Tokimura.

     In 1305, the Kagen Incident broke out.  On April 22, the residence of Hojo Sadatoki (1272-1311) was set on fire.  He was the head of the mainline family of the Hojo Clan.  Next day, his 12 vassals killed Hojo Tokimura, a leader of other minor families of the clan.  11 out of the 12 were beheaded on May 2.  On May 4, Hojo Munakata (1278-1305), Sadatoki’s brother-in-law, was killed, framed for everything.

     Sadatoki’s doubts and fears might have caused, or at least worsened, the incident.  Losing his loyal vassals and blood brother as well to evade responsibility, Sadatoki got addicted to drinking.  The autocracy by the head of the mainline Hojo Clan began rapidly breaking down.  The Kamakura Shogunate was destroyed in 1333.

     The itabi is a kind of Amida Stone Coffin Statue.

     Amida Stone Coffin Statues are unique Buddhist icons with Amitabha figures carved directly into the lids of stone coffins from the Kofun period. Most were crafted between the 12th and 16th centuries, with a particularly high concentration in Harima Province. The statues depict Amitabha in both standing and seated poses, often featuring the meditation mudra (Jo-in) held before the torso.

     It is unknown from which burial mound the itabi stone comes from, but it is almost certain the stone was from the Takamuro Stone Quarry.  The Takamuro stone is a type of hyaloclastite, and was prized for its paradoxically ideal qualities: it is soft enough for intricate carving yet strong, durable, and exceptionally fire-resistant. 

     While the choice of such high-quality stone is logical, the motive for using actual coffin lids remains a fascinating mystery:

     Convenience? Was it simply a matter of repurposing readily available, pre-cut high-quality stone?

     Ancestral Piety? Were medieval locals the descendants of those buried in the mounds, seeking to offer Buddhist prayers for the repose of their ancestors' souls?

     Dominance? Or were they the conquerors of the previous dynasty’s descendants, finding a sense of superiority in carving their new faith onto the monuments of the fallen?

     Saifuku-ji Temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:

Oh, how divine Your blessed grace,

Guide us, Kannon, to Your light;

Without regard to rank or place,

You embrace all in Your sight.

Address: 222-1 Hojocho, Kasai, Hyogo 675-2321

Phone: 0790-42-1203

To-ji Temple

Address: 1 Kujocho, Minami Ward, Kyoto, 601-8473

Phone: 075-691-3325

Takamuro Stone Quarry

Address: Hojocho, Kasai, Hyogo 675-2321