Trees In the Town

 

Sanuki no Suke’s Diary: Days of Imperial Mourning (8)

 

     By the sixth month, the height of summer had arrived. Around this time last year, the late Emperor was still in excellent health and high spirits. Remembering that people had expressed a desire to see the spring at the Horikawa mansion, he had—for some reason—sent a messenger to me, insisting that I should go.

     "Since it is His Majesty’s wish, I shall go tomorrow," I replied, and I set out ahead of the others to wait for them. The rest of the company arrived in two carriages, spent the entire day by the spring, and then prepared to return. Seeing them depart, I thought to myself, “I shall stay here tonight and rest in comfort,” and so I remained behind. However, a lady-in-waiting named Hitachi-dono urged me otherwise:

     "Oh, no, you mustn't! You must return to the palace. His Majesty said he wants everyone to play the fan-lottery game. He has already prepared various fans and is waiting for you."

     Thus, I returned with them.

     The Emperor had been waiting for his ladies-in-waiting, and after personally inquiring about what they had done at the spring, he suggested, "Shall we hold the fan-drawing game tonight?"

     I replied, "I am so impatient for the morning to come that I’d love to start tonight! But it would be a pity to play in the dark, since we wouldn't be able to see everyone's expressions clearly."

     The next morning, as soon as dawn broke, he commenced the game, summoning everyone to their seats. Although the ladies, including Fujiwara Ieko, were already seated, the Emperor directed his words to me: "Draw a fan first." When I drew, I completely missed the beautiful fan I had been hoping for, and instead pulled one of the poorest quality. Disappointed, I carelessly threw it down right in front of him.

     He laughed and chided, "How rude!"

     A lady-in-waiting named Tajima-dono chimed in, "That is exactly how a favored servant behaves. No one else would ever dare do such a thing."

     They all teased me, but at the time, I thought nothing of it. Now, however, I look back on my insolence with deep regret, wondering, “Why on earth did I behave that way in his presence?” Yet, it only makes me feel all the more grateful today for his immense generosity and indulgence.

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual New Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #12 Busshin-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Busshin-ji Temple was founded in Kobayashi Village, Innami County, Harima Province.  Its precincts have Gorinto, or five-ringed tower, which is a Japanese type of Buddhist pagoda.  Judging from its style, the pagoda is believed to have been erected in the Kamakura Period (1185-1333).  If so, the temple could be as old as the pagoda.  Then, Kobayashi Village didn't exist yet, and the village was first listed in the Keicho Kuni-ezu, the map published in 1611.

     What is the Keicho Kuni-ezu (Provincial Maps of the Keicho Era)?

     Following the precedent set by the Toyotomi administration, Tokugawa Ieyasu—the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate—ordered a nationwide land survey in September 1605. This ambitious project aimed to map the distribution of territories and assess the rice yields (kokudaka) of feudal lords (daimyo), temples, and shrines across Japan. To oversee this, Ieyasu appointed Nishio Yoshitsugu as the magistrate for the Eastern Provinces and Tsuda Hidemasa for the Western Provinces.

     The resulting Keicho Kuni-ezu (Provincial Maps) and Gocho (Village Registers) are believed to have been compiled based on this extensive survey. Unfortunately, it is widely thought that the original documents were lost in fires at Edo Castle; consequently, no original copies survive today. The only remaining duplicates cover just 11 provinces and one island, all of which are notably concentrated in Western Japan.

     Because of this geographical bias, some historians argue that the project may not have been a truly national endeavor. Instead, they suggest it may have been a targeted policy limited to the Western Provinces—a form of administrative pressure designed to monitor and control the "outsider" (tozama) daimyo who remained a potential threat to the fledgling Tokugawa Shogunate.

     As Busshin-ji Temple and Tenman Shrine are located near an irrigation reservoir, they had something with the development of Kobayashi Village.

     It is supposed that Betsunosho was located in the area.  Betsunosho was a household administrative office of court officials and nobles, and is believed to have been a place where other taxes than rice of the feudal lords were managed.  The Iho Manor, which was developed in the latter half of Heian Period (794-1185), could have been extended northwest in the Kamakura Period.

Address: Kobayashi-278 Besshocho, Himeji, Hyogo 671-0222

Trees In the Town

 

Sanuki no Suke’s Diary: Days of Imperial Mourning (7)

 

     On the fourth day of May, as evening fell, I saw people preparing to cover the eaves with sweet flags to gently purify the air. Last year on this day—when I had no such sorrows—they brought bundles of sweet flags into the courtyard facing the Imperial Breakfast Room. People climbed onto the roof of each building, filling them completely with the plants. It seemed as if all the sweet flags of Mizuno—the wetland where the Katsura, Uji, and Kizu Rivers meet—would be used up.

     The next day, too, the early summer rain fell from the sky, and the sweet flags on the eaves were dripping continuously.

The sweet flags on the eaves

Are drenched in early summer rain,

While my sleeves are soaked with endless sorrow,

Beneath the gloomy summer sky.

     That was all I could think of.

     More than ten days passed, and I recalled that around this time the previous year, the five-day lectures on the Golden Light Sutra had been held. I remembered how, about ten days after those lectures had ended, the late Emperor shared with me his deep admiration for the lectures.

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual New Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #11 Myosen-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Myosen-ji Temple was founded in Ushitani Village, Innami County, Harima Province.  The village was first documented in 1588, when the Iho Manor handed in their self-assessment to the Toyotomi Regime.  The Iho Manor was first documented in 1305.  As the temple belongs to Caodong Chan School, it might have been founded after the school's introduction to Japan in the 13th century.

     The Iho Manor is supposed to have been located somewhere around today's Ihocho, Nakasuji,Takasago, Hyogo 676-0081, and Sonecho, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0082.

     Myosen-ji Temple is located at the eastern foot of the medieval fortress, Oshioyama Fortress.  Opposite the fortress, there is another hill across Ten River.  The hill has an ancient tumulus, Kyozukayama Tumulus.

     Kyozukayama Tumulus is located at the tip of a ridge extending from north to south in Takasago City.  It is about 83 meters above sea level.  It is a keyhole-shaped tumulus with a length of 23.6 meters.  The shape is one of the few in the Harima Region.  The rear section forms a 14.1-meter square.  The main burial chamber was excavated in 1929, and surveys of the tumulus and main burial chamber were conducted in 1980 and 1981.  A row of revetment stones remains on part of the base of the tumulus, revealing the planned shape and size of the tumulus.

     It is unknown whether or not the the head of the local powerful family who was buried under Kyozukayama Tumulus and the Oshio Family, who were the lords of Oshioyama Fortress were related by blood.  However, the valley between the tumulus and the fortress should have been a strategic point both economically and militarily from ancient times through medieval days, until the Oshio Family was destroyed in the Siege of Miki Castle from 1578 to 1580.

Address: 595 Kitahamacho, Takasago, Hyogo 671-0121

Phone: 079-447-2439

Kyozukayama Tumulus

Address: Amida Amidacho, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0827

Trees In the Town

 

Sanuki no Suke’s Diary: Days of Imperial Mourning (6)

 

     I went to the Imperial Palace at the end of the month.

     Even during the changing of clothes on April 1st, the lower-ranking court ladies, as usual, were frivolously making a fuss, stripping the curtains from the screens without a care in the world. Everyone was watching the spectacle, but I had no desire to look. I could only remember how the late Emperor had found such sights amusing.

     When the day of the Buddha's bathing arrived, the ladies-in-waiting all began to take out their offerings. As the ceremony began, the blinds in front of the midday chamber were lowered, and the ladies-in-waiting came out to the side to watch. The Regent and other court nobles were lined up on the railing of the wide veranda, their undergarments draped over them as per the customary procedure. The leading priest explained the purpose of the ceremony and poured water over the Buddha statue. The mountain-shaped decoration (Yamagata) and the five-colored water were just as they had always been. After the leading priest finished pouring the water, the Regent came and poured it, and then, in order, the other courtiers followed one after another. Nothing had changed.

     Minamoto Masatoshi and his brother, Kunizane, who were the uncles of the former Emperor, approached to pour the water, but they seemed to remember past days, looking utterly unable to bear it. Their expressions were visibly distinct from the others; they cut deeply forlorn figures. I, too, could not hold back my tears, and thinking, "I will never again look outside in the usual way," I pulled the curtain closer to hide myself.

     Suddenly, I saw the young Emperor wanting to look outside from above the curtain. He was too short, so I lifted him up in my arms to let him see; it was deeply moving. The late Emperor, being a grown man, would wear his formal court robe and stand majestically before the curtain, chanting prayers. As I thought about it, his image flashed before my eyes, and I was overcome by a sorrow no less profound than that of the Minamoto brothers. Feeling intensely self-conscious under the gaze of those around me, I withdrew from His Majesty's presence before the ceremony was even over.

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual New Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #10 Seisho-ji Temple

 

     In 901, when Sugawara Michizane (845-903) was exiled and on his way to Dazaifu, his lady-in-waiting died suddenly.  He built a hermitage to pray for the comfort of her in the other world.  It is said that the area faced the sea at the time.  By the way, why did Michizane and his followers stay in the area where Seisho-ji Temple is located today?  Had the prehistoric port at the foot of Minato Shrine already stopped functioning as a port?  If so, which port did Gyoki (668-749) maintain?  Did he improve the prehistoric port, or did he install the one Michizane used?

     In 1394, Ashikaga Yoshimochi (1386-1428) became the 4th Shogun of Muromachi Shogunate.  His vassal became a Buddhist monk for some reason.  In 1395, the monk founded Seisho-ji Temple at the site of the hermitage Michizane had built.  Why did the monk become reclusive?

     In 1394, the concubines of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358-1408), the 3rd Shogun, gave birth to his 4th and 5th sons, Yoshitsugu (1394-1418) and Yoshinori (1394-1441).  Yoshitsugu was later killed by Ashikaga Yoshimochi (1386-1428).  Ashikaga Yoshikazu (1407-1425), the 5th Shogun, and Yoshimochi died of a disease one after another, and the shogunate became vacant.  Chief vassals assembled at Iwashimizu-Hachiman-gu Shrine and decided the next shogun by lot on January 17, 1428.  And Yoshinori became the 6th Shogun and assassinated his political opponents one after another.

     The monk might have foreseen the dark clouds.

Address: 1089 Oshiocho, Himeji, Hyogo 671-0101

Phone: 079-254-0133

Trees In the Town

 

Taira Tadamori (1096–1153): The Rise of Japan’s Second Pirate King

 

Introduction and the Lessons of Echizen

     In 1114, Taira Tadamori was appointed as a provincial officer in Echizen Province. Its major port, Tsuruga, was a bustling hub for Song Dynasty Chinese traders. During his tenure, a murder case involving a Hie Shrine priest escalated into a violent, direct petition to the Imperial Court by the powerful monks of Enryaku-ji Temple. Underlying this conflict was a fierce clash of interests over continental trade. Through this experience, Tadamori learned firsthand the immense profits that could be raked in through foreign commerce.

The "Easy Suppression" in the Seto Inland Sea

     By the late 1120s and 1130s, the Seto Inland Sea had become a critical trade route. In March 1129, the office of Cloistered Emperor Shirakawa issued an urgent decree ordering Tadamori to hunt down and kill the "savage bandits" allegedly rampant along the sea lanes. Curiously, contemporary records show no evidence of such large-scale piracy.

     Nevertheless, Tadamori used this mandate to bring the Nomi-no-umi area under his control, renaming it "Tada-no-umi" (Tada Sea) using the first character of his name. He also established Mori Port on nearby O-Mishima Island—home to O-Yamazumi Shrine, the most powerful sanctuary for local seafaring people.

     On April 8, 1135, Tadamori was officially appointed as the commander to subdue these pirates. By August, he returned to Kyoto in triumph with 70 captives. However, on August 19, rumors were documented that he had merely brought his own followers to Kyoto, as no major executions took place. Rather than launching a bloody suppression, Tadamori had used the Cloistered Emperor’s authority to co-opt and organize the local sea people.

     Centuries later during the Warring States Period, these same sea families would carry the "Nomi" brand name, eventually evolving into the Nomi/Ura family and forging alliances with the formidable Murakami Pirates.

Geopolitics and the Pirates of Kyushu

     Meanwhile, the 12th-century trade between Japan and China reached a major turning point. Following the Jingling Incident of 1126, the Jurchen tribes conquered northern China, forcing the Song Dynasty to flee south. The resulting Southern Song society faced massive displacement and epidemics. This triggered a boom in maritime trade: China urgently imported timber from Japanese provinces like Suo to rebuild its cities, while exporting advanced medical knowledge and goods back to Japan.

     This booming commerce fueled piracy in Japan’s Western Sea (Kyushu), led by powerful local families. Under the guise of sacred purveyors or priests, these groups mixed legal tax-rice transportation with illegal smuggling, looting, and homicide.

     When the Imperial Court debated whether to send the violent Minamoto Tameyoshi or the politically savvy Taira Tadamori to handle the Kyushu crisis, they chose Tadamori. Once again, Tadamori achieved a swift, suspiciously bloodless triumph, returning to Kyoto in August 1135 with the Zen priest Hidaka and 80 others. Just as in the Seto Inland Sea, rumors swirled that these "pirates" were either framed or were actually local maritime factions newly organized under Tadamori’s banner.

Conclusion: A New Kind of Pirate King

     Japan’s first pirate king, Fujiwara Sumitomo (?—941), had challenged the state by robbing provincial governments of tax rice and plundering imported goods at Dazaifu. Tadamori took a fundamentally different approach. Instead of outright robbery, he contracted with the court to safely transport taxes to Kyoto. Instead of plundering foreign goods, he established highly lucrative, illegal trade channels that were tolerated and condoned by the central government. By transforming independent sea factions into a unified maritime network, Taira Tadamori legitimately earned his legacy as Japan's second, and far more sophisticated, Pirate King.

Trees In the Town

 

Sanuki no Suke’s Diary: Days of Imperial Mourning (5)

 

     The days of Imperial mourning entered March. I attended the monthly memorial service as usual. The cherry blossoms at the Horikawa-in Residence were in full, magnificent bloom. It reminded me of the poem composed by Hata no Kanekata upon the death of Emperor Go-Sanjo (1034–1073):

The cherry blossoms bloom

in the exact same color as before.

It seems it is only the flowers

that are free from the sorrows of this world.

     And indeed, the blossoms appeared exactly as they always had, untouched by our grief.

     The Seiryoden, which had been the late Emperor's everyday residence during his lifetime, had now been converted into a Buddhist temple. Until July, Buddhist services for the evening and dawn were to be held continuously at fixed times. The quarters for the twenty chamberlains and the station for the guardsmen had all been turned into monks' quarters.

     Seeing how desolate the former Imperial Palace had become, I realized how true the poem by the former Empress Dowager, Fujiwara Shoshi (988–1074), was. When she had visited the former residence of her deceased husband, Emperor Ichijo (980–1011), and found it so quiet and lonely, she had composed this poem:

Who could have called

this throne a jeweled seat,

where now not even

the Emperor's shadow remains?

     It felt as though her words perfectly described the scene before my eyes.

     Meanwhile, the late Emperor Horikawa’s Empress Dowager was holding a series of thirty lectures, during which one chapter of the Lotus Sutra was expounded each day. I accompanied my older sister, Kenshi, who had served as the late Emperor's wet nurse, to listen to one of these lectures.

     After the sermon concluded, the Empress Dowager summoned Kenshi to her side, and my sister went to attend to her. Her lady-in-waiting, Saisho, remarked, "Kenshi, please come closer. As for Nagako, it must feel so awkward for her to be here at a time like this..."

     Overhearing this, the Empress Dowager quickly interceded, saying, "Nagako is a truly sincere and devoted person. She can have no reason to feel comfortable in this place, which has now lost its former glory, yet she has kept me in her thoughts and made an appearance anyway."

     She could not finish her sentence, her voice choking with tears. I, too, could no longer hold back my own.

     Since it was getting dark, I took my leave.

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual New Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #9 Seigan-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Seigan-ji Temple was founded in Nishihama Kitahamacho, Takasago, Hyogo 671-0123.  Seigan means West Coast and Nishihama means West Beach.  The temple faced east, and sea waves could have washed in front of the temple gate when it was founded.

Address: Nishihama-1118 Kitahamacho, Takasago, Hyogo 671-0123

Phone: 079-254-0407

Trees In the Town

 

Sanuki no Suke’s Diary: Days of Imperial Mourning (4)

 

     In February, the nineteenth day arrived—marking not only the monthly anniversary of the late Emperor’s passing but now also the anniversary of that lady's death. As I listened to the priest’s sermon and looked at the sliding door, I was vividly reminded of her.

     Last year, during the New Year's celebrations, while I was attending the New Year's services at the Imperial Palace, she had sent someone from her place of retirement to summon her juniors.

     "It is a charming and peaceful place, so please come with us," I was invited by an elder Lady-in-Waiting and another companion. Upon hearing that the retired lady was just beyond the sliding door of her residence, the Lady-in-Waiting called out, "So you are here. I have brought my colleagues with me."

     "Ah, let me meet Nagako! What a joy!" she had replied, and so we met.

     On that night, she had said to me:

     "I understand you have been exceptionally kind and devoted in taking care of my junior, yet I have never been able to properly express my gratitude. Now that I am retired and see how advanced in age my hair has become, I cannot even bring myself to visit her family’s residence. Besides, I no longer look my best even with makeup. I have been wishing to fulfill my desire to become a nun and abandon the world within this month. This thought had become my sole obsession, but tonight, my prayers to the Buddha seem to have been answered by this meeting. I am truly happy. My heart is now at peace, and when I attain enlightenment, I am sure my afterlife will be tranquil as well."

     Remembering these words, the first thing that came back to me was how deeply considerate and thoughtful she had been—and now she, too, is gone.

     And thus, the second month passed away in deepening sorrow.

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual New Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #8 Rendai-ji Temple

 

     In legendary times, Okinagatarashi (170?-269?), a legendary empress, was said to have made a military expedition to Silla in the Korean Peninsula.  A historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea (Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla) recorded 14 organized piracies by Wa, the Japanese kingdom, by the end of the 4th century, and Okinagatarashi’s expedition to Silla might have been one of those piracies.  On her way, Okinagatarashi is believed to have stopped at where Minato Shrine is located.

     In those days, an isle was in the sea off the coast.  It is unknown when Hachiman Shrine was invited to the islet.  The isle could have been already a hill when the shrine was invited.  It is unknown when the Matogata area was reclaimed from the sea, but Matogata Manor was first documented in 1337.  The shrine also functions as a temporary shrine of Minato Shrine.

It is unknown when Rendai-ji Temple was founded as a shrine temple of Hachiman Shrine.  It should have been abolished after the Meiji Restoration Government issued the Gods and Buddhas Separation Order in 1868.

Hachiman Shrine

Address: Matogata 1312, Matogatacho, Himeji, Hyogo 671-0111

Minato Shrine

Address: Matogata-1249 Matogatacho, Himeji, Hyogo 671-0111

Phone: 079-254-0613

Trees In the Town

 

Sanuki no Suke’s Diary: Days of Imperial Mourning (3)

 

     It was the first monthly memorial of the new year since the late Emperor’s passing. Thinking that the turn of the year should be no reason to neglect my duty, I set out for the Horikawa-in Palace.

     The ladies remaining there welcomed me with surprise, saying, "Look who's here. We heard you were now serving at the Imperial Palace, so we assumed you wouldn't come this month."

     "How could I not come?" I replied. "I intend to serve His late Majesty to the very end. No matter how occupied I might be, I will never fail to visit."

     They murmured to one another, "How deeply moving it is that she never misses a single month." Then, they turned to me and said, "Just to keep ourselves busy in our obscurity, we offer flowers to the Lotus Sutra copied by Her Majesty."

     As each of them shuffled off to fetch their flowers, it was a rather pathetic sight.

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual New Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #7 Jingu-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Jingu-ji Temple was founded as a shrine temple of Fukudomari Shrine, which is believed to have been founded in the Heian Period (794-1185).

The Mystery of Kara Port: From Gyoki’s Five Ports to the Legend of Okinagatarashi

     The Buddhist priest Gyoki (668–749) is credited with establishing the "Five Ports of Settsu and Harima": Muro, Kara (also read as Kan), Uozumi, Owada, and Kawajiri. These correspond to modern-day Tatsuno, Himeji, Akashi, Kobe, and Amagasaki, respectively. Among them, Kara Port (Kara-domari) is widely believed to be the predecessor of what was later known as Fuku Port (Fuku-domari).

     Historical records provide vital clues about its location. In a petition dated April 28, 914, the scholar Miyoshi Kiyoyuki (847–919) presented "Twelve Opinions" to Emperor Daigo, mentioning Kara Port as a crucial maritime hub situated a one-day journey from both Murotsu to the west and Uozumi to the east. The port also appears under the name Kara Port in a draft imperial decree by Emperor Fushimi in 1289, after which the name seems to have vanished from the records.

     It remains unclear whether "Kara Port" simply underwent a name change to "Fuku Port," or if it was entirely replaced by it. One compelling theory suggests that heavy siltation at the original Kara Port forced the construction of a new harbor (Fuku). If this is the case, the original site of Kara Port may have been located at the foot of Minato Shrine—the name Minato itself literally meaning "port."

     This location is also steeped in ancient legend. The Empress Okinagatarashi (traditionally 170?–269?) is said to have stopped at the site of Minato Shrine during her military expedition to Silla. While traditional myths frame this as a heroic conquest, Korean records from the Three Kingdoms period (Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla) document 14 organized raids by "Wa" (Japan) by the late 4th century. It is possible that the legend of the Empress’s expedition reflects one of these historical maritime incursions.

     Jingu-ji Temple might have been abolished after the Meiji Restoration Government issued the Gods and Buddhas Separation Order in 1868.

Fukudomari Shrine

Address: Fukudomari-402 Matogatacho, Himeji, Hyogo 671-0112

Minato Shrine

Address: Matogata-1249 Matogatacho, Himeji, Hyogo 671-0111

Phone: 079-254-0613

Trees In the Town

 

Sanuki no Suke’s Diary: Days of Imperial Mourning (2)

 

     As dawn broke and everyone rose, I looked around and saw that the blinds in the Emperor's room were covered with coarse reeds—and so many of them. Their edges were a somber gray. The screens attached to the sliding doors were also gray, fitted with white wooden crossbeams. There was no chair set out for the ritual haircut; I wondered if such a thing was deemed inappropriate during this period of deep mourning, or if it was simply skipped because of the Emperor’s tender age. When I offered him his meal, he ate with his tiny chin thrusting out earnestly—a sight that was thoroughly endearing.

     Near noon, the Lord Regent arrived, and everyone in attendance straightened their posture. I thought to myself, "In the days of the late Emperor, he was a mature adult, so I would naturally stand up and step back even during his meals, and he would even quietly signal me when to do so. But now, with this child Emperor, if I were to stand up and leave him during a meal, it would surely be frowned upon as a failure of my duty." Thus, I remained seated. Yet, even as I sat there, how could I not feel pangs of guilt over the many years I had spent so carelessly and selfishly, despite having received such boundless, invaluable kindness from the late Emperor?

     Overwhelmed by shame, I sat with my head bowed. Just then, I heard the Regent's voice inquiring of the attendants outside the sliding door:

     "Who is waiting within?"

     "It is Sanuki no Suke," they apparently replied.

     Upon hearing this, the Lord Regent knelt close right behind the sliding door and spoke to me:

     "Since when have you been serving here? Please, you must continue your service in the future. I miss the late Emperor so deeply; I only wish we could talk of those gone days together to comfort our grieving hearts."

     His words were truly heartbreaking, revealing that he harbored the very same sorrow as I did. It brought back a vivid memory: once, the late Emperor had asked, "Who is on duty to serve the table today?" and upon hearing that it was this Lord Regent in his younger days, the Emperor had playfully stuck out his tongue, hitched up his robes, and ran away, much to everyone's amusement. Knowing that it was this lord who had been part of that fond memory, my heart swelled with such emotion that I could not bring myself to utter a single word.

     As I remained silent, the Regent spoke again:

     "This is quite unexpected. I never imagined I would come so close to speak with you like this. I remember when the late Emperor was gravely ill; you were lying right beside him. When I came to visit, he intentionally raised his knees to hide you from my sight. To think we would meet in this manner now... He truly did try to shield you, didn't he? How fleeting and unpredictable this human world is."

     With these poignant words, he rose to his feet. Hearing him speak of the past, I felt the profound truth in his words, and the world around me felt unendurably harsh.

     And so, this unremarkable New Year's Day came to a close. As the days passed, the colors of people's mourning clothes faded, each in their own way.

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual New Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #6 Fukuen-ji Temple

 

     Monk Shindo trained himself at Shosha-zan Engyo-ji Temple for 15 years from the 1580's to the 1590's.  The monk founded Fukuen-ji Temple at the foot of Mount Akasaka in the 1590s as a Linji Chan temple, and also built Zenju-an Hermitage, which became Zenju-ji Temple in 1948.  The hermitage was a convent for 122 years.

     Akamatsu Sukehisa (?-1441) built Aga Castle in the 1430's.  The Aga-Miki Family became the lords of the castle in the Warring States Period (1467-1568).  Aga Castle was known as one of the 3 great castles in Harima Province, along with Miki Castle of the Bessho Family and Gochaku Castle of the Kodera Family.  When Chikashige was the lord of Aga Castle, his son, Tomoshige, became the leader of the garrison of Fukudomari Fort.  He called his family Nagao and settled the area.  His nephew, Shigetomo, built Matogata and Akasaka-yama Fortresses.  The family might have ruled Fukudomari Port and the Matogata Salt Pans.  As Aga Castle fell in 1580, the Nagao Family could have been destroyed about the same time.

     Shindo could have been a descendant of the Nagao Family, could have been sheltered in Engyo-ji Temple, and could have built a hermitage for his mother, who had become a war widow.

Address: Fukudomari-260 Matogatacho, Himeji, Hyogo 671-0112

Mount Akasaka

Address: Fukudomari-116-4 Matogatacho, Himeji, Hyogo 672-8016

Engyo-ji Temple

Address: 2968 Shosha, Himeji, Hyogo 671-2201

Phone: 079-266-3327

Zenjuji Temple

Address: Mikage-326 Toyotomicho, Himeji, Hyogo 679-2122

Phone: 079-264-0350

Akasaka-yama Fortress Site

Address: 277 Matogatacho, Himeji, Hyogo 671-0112

Matogata Fortress Site

Address: 1399 Matogatacho, Himeji, Hyogo 671-0111

Fukudomari Fort Site

Address: 346 Matogatacho, Himeji, Hyogo 671-0112

Aga Castle Main Enclosure Site Stone Monument

Address: 2 Chome−42 Nakahamacho, Shikama Ward, Himeji, Hyogo 672-8085

Aga Castle's Port Site

Address: 2 Chome Shikamaku Nakahamacho, Himeji, Hyogo 672-8085

Aga Castle Okashiba Gate Site

Address: 2 Chome Shikamaku Agamiyacho, Himeji, Hyogo 672-8080

Gochaku Castle Site Park

Address: Mikuninocho, Himeji, Hyogo 671-0232