Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Miki County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #17 Kotaku-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Kotaku-ji Temple was founded in Ohata Village, Miki County, Harima Province.  The village appears in the Keicho Kuni-ezu, or the Keicho Maps of the Provinces.

     For your information, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616), the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, followed the example of the Toyotomi administration and conducted a land survey of the distribution and rice yields of the feudal lords' territories and the lands of temples and shrines across Japan in September, 1605.  He appointed Nishio Yoshitsugu (1530-1606) as magistrate in charge of Eastern Provinces and Tsuda Hidemasa (1546-1653) as magistrate in charge of Western Provinces.  The Keicho Kuni-ezu, or the Keicho Maps of the Provinces, and Gocho, or the Registers of Villages, are said to have been made based on this survey.  The maps and registers are believed to have been destroyed in fires in Edo Castle, and no original copies exist today.  The only copies that remain are those covering 11 provinces and one island, and are limited to Western Japan.  Some even argue the maps and registers did not cover the entire country, but was limited to western provinces as part of oppressive policies against the western outsiders daimyo.

     Ohata Village belonged to the Himeji Domain, but was transferred to the Akashi Domain in 1617.  The village was first written as Small Field but its notation was later changed as Big Field, presumably for good luck.

     To increase the number of its visitors, the temple opened Kangetsu-an (Kotakuji Udon Noodles) in its precincts, which serves Buddhist vegetarian food.

Address: 558 Yokawacho Ohata, Miki, Hyogo 673-1116

Phone: 0794-73-0169

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Miki County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #16 Hoko-ji Temple

 

     Tradition says that Hoko-ji Temple was founded by Hodo in 651.  How many times have I mentioned Hodo as a founder of a certain Buddhist temple?

     According to the Wamyo Ruijusho, namely Japanese Names for Things Classified and Annotated,  which was a Japanese dictionary compiled in 938, and which lists Japanese place names from south to north, Yokawa Village was in Minagi County, Settsu Province.  In Medieval days, the village became Yokawa Manor.

     Hoko-ji Temple keeps old documents which date back to 1203 and which talks about Yokawa Manor.  Part of Yokawa Manor became modern Yokawa Village

     The temple area could have been a holy place since ancient times, but it might have been at the turn of the 13th century that the temple was actually founded.

Address: 42 Yokawacho Hokoji, Miki, Hyogo 673-1124

Phone: 0794-73-0083

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Miki County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #15 Mikkyo-in Zensho-ji Temple

 

     Mikkyo-in Zensho-ji Temple is said to have been founded in 651 Hermit Hodo.  The temple used to have many halls and monks' houses, but was destroyed by fire during the Siege of Miki from 1578 to 1580.

     The temple was subsequently rebuilt and has undergone repairs and reconstructions to reach its present state.  The temple precincts have Zenshoji Chinju-sha Shrine.

     Although the shrine's records were lost in a fire at the temple's living quarters in 1837, it is said to enshrine Kumano Gongen.  It is unknown when the shrine was founded, but the architectural style suggests it dates to the Warring States Period (1467-1568).  According to the inscription on a ridge, renovations were carried out in 1767, including alterations to the portico and roof.  Traces of color remain in the main structure, suggesting it was originally painted in vibrant colors.  Furthermore, its Kasuga-style construction with corner timbers is valuable.  The building has a thatched roof and is designated as a prefectural important cultural property.

     As the gods of Kumano have been invited to over 3,000 Kumano Shrines and the likes in Japan, we can hardly tell what types of people invited them to the area and which is older, the temple or the shrine.

Address: Zenshoji-27-1 Kuchiyokawacho, Miki, Hyogo 673-0754

Phone: 0794-88-0636

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Miki County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #14 Renge-ji Temple

 

     Renge-ji Temple is said to have been founded in 645 by Hermit Hodo.  It is unknown why Hodo found the area holy or sacred, but the temple has the inner sanctuary.  Something holy could be there.  It is said that Kukai also trained there. The temple once flourished with 18 sub-temples and 33 monasteries.  However, it was destroyed by fire during the Battle of Miki in 1579.  The Main Hall, Pagoda, Bell Tower, and Niomon Gate were all rebuilt during the Edo Period (1603-1867).  According to its inscription, the temple bell in the bell tower was cast in 1346 during the Southern and Northern Courts Period (1336-1392).

Address: 188 Kuchiyokawacho, Miki, Hyogo 673-0734

Phone: 0794-88-0013

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Miki County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #13 Kyokai-ji Temple

 

     Legend has it that Kyokai-ji Temple was founded in 651 by Hermit Hodo, who traveled from India through Tang China and the Korean kingdom of Baekje to Japan from the 6th to 7th centuries.  The surrounding area has Wakikawa Nenbutsu-sui Spring, Mikoromo Cascade, and Argha Spring.  Hodo could have recognized their fresh water as holy or sacred.

     In 795, Kukai (774-835) trained at the temple for 3 years, and the temple was renamed "Kyokai-ji" according to tradition.  Kukai also briefly went by the name Kyokai.  From 793 to 803, Kukai is said to have trained himself in nature and his footsteps in those days are unknown.  So, it is possible that he trained around the holy springs and cascades.

     Throughout the medieval days, the temple had 48 buildings and its territory was large enough to support tens of monks.  It was burned down during the Battle of Miki in 1580.  Tradition syas, during the Battle of Miki, the monks of Kyokai-ji Temple sent bamboo tubes filled with rice down the Waki River, a tributary of the Mino River, to Miki Castle to help the besieged army of Bessho Nagaharu (1558-1580).  Because they used Japanese umbrella pines which were only found around the temple as a stopper for the bamboo tubes, the sender was discovered, and the temple was burned down.  Later, thanks to the enthusiastic donations of parishioners, reconstruction gradually progressed, and Daishi-do Hall, or Kukai's Memorial Hall, was built in 1615.

     Kyokai-ji Temple's Buddhist tanka poem is:

My prayers have been answered.

The waterfall echoes to this side of the mountain

From where the spring water flows.

Address: Wakigawa-354 Hosokawacho, Miki, Hyogo 673-0722

Phone: 0794-86-2295

Wakikawa Nenbutsu-sui Spring

Address: Wakigawa-345 Hosokawacho, Miki, Hyogo 673-0722

Mikoromo Cascade

Address: Hosokawacho, Miki, Hyogo 673-0722

Argha Spring

Address: Hosokawacho, Miki, Hyogo 673-0722

Kagamiiwa

Address: Hosokawacho, Miki, Hyogo 673-0722

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Miki County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #12 An'yo-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when An’yo-ji Temple was founded in Hosokawa-Naka Village.

It is unknown when Hosokawa Manor was developed along the Mino and Ogawa Rivers.  The manor was first documented in 1212, when its ownership was transferred from Kenshunmonin Chunagon (1157-?), the 1st daughter of Fujiwara Toshinari (1114-1204), to Fujiwara Teika (1162-1241), Toshinari's 2nd son, in the Meigetsuki, the diary of Teika.  Meigetsuki literally means Bright Moon Journal.

     Hosokawa-Naka Village first appears in the Keicho Kuni-ezu, or the Keicho Maps of the Provinces.

     For your information, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616), the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, followed the example of the Toyotomi administration and conducted a land survey of the distribution and rice yields of the feudal lords' territories and the lands of temples and shrines across Japan in September, 1605.  He appointed Nishio Yoshitsugu (1530-1606) as magistrate in charge of Eastern Provinces and Tsuda Hidemasa (1546-1653) as magistrate in charge of Western Provinces.  The Keicho Kuni-ezu, or the Keicho Maps of the Provinces, and Gocho, or the Registers of Villages, are said to have been made based on this survey.  The maps and registers are believed to have been destroyed in fires in Edo Castle, and no original copies exist today.  The only copies that remain are those covering 11 provinces and one island, and are limited to Western Japan.  Some even argue the maps and registers did not cover the entire country, but was limited to western provinces as part of oppressive policies against the western outsiders daimyo.

     In 1617, the village was transferred from Himeji Domain to Akashi Domain.  So, when the Miki County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in 1707, it belonged to Akashi Domain.

Address: Hosokawanaka-1722 Hosokawacho, Miki, Hyogo 673-0714

Phone: 079-253-5015

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Miki County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #11 Jigen-ji Temple

 

     Jigen-ji Temple is said to have been founded in Kurumi Manor in 648 by Hermit Hodo.  Although it fell into disrepair for a time, it was revived during the Southern and Nothern Courts Period (1336-1392) by Akamatsu Norimura (1277-1350), the samurai guardian of Harima Province.

     Kurumi Manor was developed in the area around the confluence of the Mino and the Shijimi Rivers, corresponding to today's Kurumi, Atobe, Iwamiya, Hirata, and Hirai areas.  The place name, Kurumi, first appears in the Kujo Family Library Documents dated March 17th, 1293.  From the Kamakura Period (1185-1333) to the Southern and Northern Courts Period (1336-1392), it was owned by the Kujo Family, according to the Draft List of Lands Registered by the Left General's Administrative Office, dated August 24th, 1336.  Later, it was owned by Kasuga Shrine until November, 1570, accroding to Kasuga Shrine Priest Sukeyoshi's Records.

     Part of Kurumi Manor became Kurumi Village.  On February 28th, 1580, Sugihara Ietsugu (?-1584), in cooperation with the village headmen of Kurumi Village, which had suffered from a poor harvest the previous year, ordered Iio Riemonnojo not to ransack the fields.  In return, he applied to Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598) to have the land around Riemonnojo's residence and mud walls exempted from paying taxes, ("Sugihara Ietsugu's Document," Iio Documents).

Address: 1722 Kurumi, Miki, Hyogo 673-0411

Phone: 0794-82-4093

Kasuga-taisha Shrine

Address: 160 Kasuganocho, Nara, 630-8212

Phone: 0742-22-7788

Kennin-ji Temple

Address: 584 Komatsucho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto 605-0811

Phone: 075-561-6363