Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #31 Sennen-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Sennen-ji Temple was founded in Sakai Village, Kako County, Harima Province.  The village was first listed in the Keicho Kuni-ezu, the map published in 1611.

     Sennen-ji Temple enshrines the standing wooden statue of Amidabha of India as its principal image, with the seated wooden statues of Shandao (613-681) of China and Honen (1133-1212) of Japan as its attendant images, when India, China, and Japan were supposed to constitute the whole world.

Address: Sakai-292-2 Noguchicho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0015

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #30 Hase-dera Temple

 

     It is unknown when Hase-dera Temple was founded in Shinobe Village, Kako County, Harima Province. Shinobe Village first appeared in historical documents in 1515, when some villagers made donations to Kakurin-ji Temple, which suggests the temple might have owned the village at the time.

     On August 28th, 1582, the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–1598) granted the village to Yamana Akihiro (1559–1627), presumably replacing its former ownership. Later, in 1600, following the Battle of Sekigahara, Ikeda Terumasa (1565–1613), the lord of the Himeji Domain, transferred the village to Fukuda Gyusuke.

     It is also unknown exactly when Hase-dera Temple fell into ruin. Today, only the Jizo-do Hall remains on its original site, while its Eleven-Faced Ekadasamukha statue was relocated to the nearby Yakushi-do Hall (located in Shinobe).

Address: Shinobe-2517 Befucho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0131

Yakushi-do Hall

Address: Shinobe-761 Befucho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0131

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #29 An'yo-ji Temple

 

The Early History and Economic Context of An'yo-ji Temple

1. Textual and Physical Origins

     The precise founding date of An'yo-ji Temple in Ishiki Village, Kako County, Harima Province, is undocumented. However, its historical presence is firmly established through both literary and physical evidence. The temple first appears in a 1515 entry of the Tenmangu Sarugaku Zojicho, recording a donation of approximately 12 go of rice to support a sarugaku theatrical performance. This documentary history aligns with the physical artifacts on the temple grounds, which feature three Hokyointo (stone miniature pagodas). While one pagoda carries an inscription from 1516/1517 , the oldest of the three structurally dates to the early 15th century, suggesting the temple's origins predate its earliest literary mentions.  

2. Financial Reality of a Local Institution

     The scale of the 1515 donation reflects the humble reality of a community-oriented temple. A later document from 1601 (Wakahara Ukyonosuke An’yojo) records the temple’s official fief (jiryo) as a mere three koku—historically equivalent to the annual food supply for only three adults. While the temple supplemented its livelihood through parishioner donations, the 12 go contribution—roughly equivalent to a single meal for 12 people—demonstrates a modest yet sincere engagement with local village culture, proportionate to the temple's economic capacity.

3. Connection to the Ishiki Fortified Residence

     Traditionally, An'yo-ji Temple is said to stand on the former site of the Ishiki Fortified Residence, the base of the warrior Ishiki Umanosuke Tokinori. Although mainstream historical documents lack definitive verification regarding the existence or fall of the Ishiki Family, local genealogy records Tokinori as a great-grandson of Ogasawara Tokitada. Based on the genealogical naming convention of inheriting the kanji character "tada" (忠), Tokitada is hypothesized to be a descendant of Ogasawara Nagatada (1202–1264), who held the official title of Umanosuke, which was also inherited by Tokinori. Following the purported destruction of the Ishiki Family during the Siege of Miki (1578–1580), the temple either expanded into the neighboring residence site or was relocated to this strategic location from a nearby area, preserving the memory of a localized history otherwise overlooked by major historical narratives.

Address: Ishiki−24, Hiraokacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0115

Phone: 079-437-9135

Isshiki Fortified Residence Site

Address: 24 Hiraokacho Ishikinishi, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0115

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #28 Shofuku-ji Temple

 

     The exact founding date of Shofuku-ji Temple in Nakano Village (Kako County, Harima Province) remains unknown. However, historical records first mention the village in 1354 as part of Ae Manor, which was then under the control of Sumiyoshi Shrine. At that time, Akamatsu Norisuke (1314–1372) served as the Shugo (Samurai Guardian) of Harima Province. Although Norisuke had briefly aligned himself with the Southern Court in 1351, he returned to the Northern Court the following year.

     Within the temple precincts stands a Hokyointo (a treasure chest seal pagoda), which is believed to date back to the latter half of the Muromachi Period (1336–1573).

     Taking these factors into account, it is highly probable that as the authority of Sumiyoshi Shrine declined, local samurai emerged in the area. These warriors likely established the temple to pray for their own salvation and peace in the afterlife amidst the uncertainties of warfare.

Address: Nakano−94−1, Hiraokacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0113

Phone: 079-490-7678

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #27 Fukusho-ji Temple

 

     The exact foundation date of Fukusho-ji Temple remains unknown. It is said to have been built on the former site of the Furumukai (or Komukai) Fortified Residence, suggesting its establishment likely postdates the Siege of Miki Castle (1578–1580).

     The surrounding Furuta Village was relatively new at the time. In 1654, the region suffered a severe drought through spring and summer; the rice paddies cracked, seedlings withered, and the villagers were left without even enough seed rice for the following spring. Witnessing this devastation, Imazato Denbei (1610–1660) repeatedly surveyed the area on foot, meticulously mapping out water routes, elevations, and existing channels. Armed with his diagrams, he gathered the heads of 23 neighboring villages to explain the critical need for a new water source. Moved by his presentation, all the heads signed a petition and pledged their full cooperation.

     Denbei then petitioned Sakakibara Tadatsugu (1605–1665), the lord of the Himeji Domain, for the construction of the Shin'yu Canal. Recognizing the merit, Tadatsugu commissioned Denbei to lead the survey and launched the construction as a domain-sponsored project. The design was finalized by the end of that year, and construction began the following year.

     The project faced immense engineering hurdles, including excavating hard bedrock at Nishinoyama (today's Nishinoyama Kannocho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0007) and Hiokayama, and channeling water under the Kise Riverbed via a buried conduit—even forcing water to flow uphill. Denbei was so committed that he reportedly declared, "If this new canal fails to deliver water, I will gladly accept the death penalty along with my family." He oversaw the site day and night. The domain provided cooked rice for the workforce, which totaled 164,000 laborers, averaging 400 to 500 people per day.

     After 15 months of grueling work, the canal was successfully opened. Deeply impressed, Lord Tadatsugu praised Denbei and asked how he wished to be rewarded. Denbei replied, "Having witnessed such a great blessing, I desire nothing for myself. My only sincere wish is that this new canal flows forever."

     Thanks to the stable water supply, Furuta Village grew prosperous enough to support an official Buddhist temple, leading to the estimated founding of Fukusho-ji Temple sometime after 1666.

Address: 3 Chome-13-11 Furuta, Harima, Kako District, Hyogo 675-0146

Phone: 079-435-1457

Hiokayama Observation Platform

Address: Ono-1754-2 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0061

The Grave of Imazato Denbei (1610-1660)

Address: Kamizukuri 14-471-11, Komiya, Harima, Kako District, Hyogo 675-0163

(The Grave of Imazato Denbei used to be located in the graveyard of Ganman-ji Temple, which itself used to be located in the southwest of Akiga-ike Pond.)

Shin'yu Yosui Canal

Address: Nakasaijo Yahatacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-1205

Kisegawa Siphon

Address: 2 Chome-3-3 Onaka, Harima, Kako District, Hyogo 675-0142

Kisegawa Siphon  East Bank Outlet

Address: 5 Chome-19-1 Nishinozoe, Harima, Kako District, Hyogo 675-0160

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #26 Shorin-ji Temple

 

     It remains unknown exactly when the original hermitage was established in Ae Manor (modern-day Harima Town), where Shorin-ji Temple stands today. However, historical records indicate that between 1470 and 1520, Ogawara Danjo, who served as an administrator at Iwaya Castle in Mimasaka Province, brought a sacred Buddhist image from Mimasaka to this manor. Since the Ogawara Family was originally based in Shiso (modern-day Shiso City, Hyogo Prefecture), the precise reason why he relocated the image to Ae Manor remains a geographical mystery.

     Despite this historical puzzle, a major turning point occurred in 1597 when the humble hermitage in Ae was officially elevated to a full-fledged Buddhist temple. Crucially, it was initially named "Shorin-ji" using the exact kanji characters of the Kobayashi family (小林寺), before later being changed in 1767 to the characters representing the famous Zen temple (少林寺).

     The key to solving this mystery lies in a specific individual connected to both locations: Chirin Shuso, the third son of Ogawara Danjo, who also appears in records as Kobayashi Shuri. Given the prominent presence of the name "Kobayashi" in Tsuyama (Mimasaka), it is highly probable that the local Kobayashi warrior family adopted this younger son from the powerful Ogawara family, who ruled the area as administrators.

     However, following the collapse of the Akamatsu Clan and Oda Nobunaga's devastating invasion, this alliance proved fatal. The downfall of the Ogawara patronage dragged the Kobayashi Family into ruin. Caught between his elite bloodline and his adopted family's collapse, returning to life as a peasant was impossible for Kobayashi Shuri; thus, he chose the priesthood as his path of survival, becoming the Zen monk "Chirin Shuso."

     Remarkably, harboring no resentment toward the tragic fate brought upon him by his dual heritage, he chose a path "beyond the pale of vengeance" to honor both sides. In 1597, amid the tightening grip of the Toyotomi regime, he stepped forward to orchestrate the simultaneous elevation of both hermitages. By naming the new temples "Shorin-ji" (小林寺) after his adopted family, he cleverly embedded the memory of both the displaced Ogawara and Kobayashi families into the Buddhist faith.

     Today, this profound bond lives on through sacred geography: while the Shorin-ji Temple in Tsuyama stands as a dedicated site on the Mimasaka 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, its sister temple here in Harima continues to welcome pilgrims as the 26th site on the Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, ensuring their names survived the turbulent transition into the early modern era.

Address: 4 Chome-2-8 Honjo, Harima, Kako District, Hyogo 675-0154

Phone: 079-435-0252

Iwaya Castle Ruins

Address: Nakakitakami, Tsuyama, Okayama 709-4606

Shorin-ji Temple

Address: 1150 Nakakitakami, Tsuyama, Okayama 709-4606

Phone: 0868-57-2303

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #25 Renge-ji Temple

 

The Historical Paradox of Renge-ji Temple and Honjo Castle

     Renge-ji Temple in Kako District, Hyogo, presents a fascinating historical paradox. Legend says it was founded in the early 9th century by the famous monk Kukai (774-835). However, historical records and excavations show that the temple stands on the site of the Honjo Renge-ji Kokyo (Fortified Residence) built around the Kakitsu era (1441–1443).

     Since the actual lords of this fortified residence remain unrecorded and anonymous, how can we solve this contradiction between a peaceful sacred site and a wartime fortress? Here are four compelling hypotheses:

1. The Weaponization of the Temple (Fortified Temple)

     During the turbulent Muromachi period, especially after the Kakitsu Rebellion (1441), Harima Province became a fierce battlefield. Rather than building a new fortress from scratch, local samurai likely took advantage of Renge-ji's existing solid walls, vast grounds, and strategic location near water routes, fortifying the temple itself.

2. The Rise of Warrior Monks (Militant Clergy)

     We cannot overlook the possibility of warrior monks (Sohei). In medieval Japan, powerful temples often functioned as feudal lords. If the monks of Renge-ji grew powerful enough to rule the surrounding land, they would have naturally fortified their own temple. In this scenario, the chief monk was effectively the fortress lord, which explains why no traditional samurai lineage was recorded as the ruler of the fortress.

3. Rebuilding on Abandoned Ruins

     The 600-year gap between Kukai and the 15th century leaves room for decline. The original temple might have fallen into ruin due to famine or early warfare. The site, left empty but strategically valuable, was then used to build Honjo Fortified Residence. Centuries later, during the peaceful Edo period, the sacred temple was revived and rebuilt on its original, yet now fortified, land.

4. Relocation from Another Site

     It is also possible that the original Renge-ji founded by Kukai was located elsewhere nearby. After Honjo Fortified Residence was abandoned and left as ruins, the local community or authorities might have relocated the temple to the former fortress grounds to repurpose the land and bring spiritual protection to the area.

Conclusion

     The most plausible answer lies in a combination of Hypothesis 1, 2 and 3.

     Rather than a contradiction, the site represents a "layered history." A sacred temple founded by Kukai was forced to adapt to the brutal civil wars of medieval Japan—either by being taken over by local samurai or by arming its own monks to become a fortress. Today, the massive V-shaped moats discovered underground serve as silent witnesses to the era when this sanctuary had to wear the armor of a fortress to survive.

Address: 7 Chome-1-33 Kitahonjo, Harima, Kako District, Hyogo 675-0144

Phone: 079-437-8615

Honjo-Rengeji Fortified Residence Site

Address: 7 Chome-1-33 Kitahonjo, Harima, Kako District, Hyogo 675-0144