Trees in the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #8 Yakushi-do Hall

 

The Mystery of the 8th Station of the Kako County Bando 33-Kannon Pilgrimage: A Historical and Geographical Hypothesis

     The exact location of the Yakushi-do (the 8th station of the Kako County Bando 33-Kannon Pilgrimage) remains unknown, except for the record that it once existed in the Nishi-Futami area of Futami-cho, Akashi City. Interestingly, while the neighboring Higashi-Futami area hosts Kannor-ji Temple of the "Kako County Saigoku Pilgrimage," Nishi-Futami has no stations belonging to that particular network. This leads to the hypothesis that the "Bando" designation was specifically allocated to Nishi-Futami to bridge this spiritual gap. While Higashi-Futami does have a prominent temple called Yakushi-ji, it is highly unlikely to be a clerical error for the Nishi-Futami station, given the distinct geographical records.

     To trace the now-lost Yakushi-do in Nishi-Futami, local communal cemeteries serve as a crucial clue. While the Itoku-in Nishi Cemetery can be ruled out due to its direct association with Itoku-in Temple itself, the adjacent Nishi-Futami Nishi Cemetery stands as a potential candidate. However, because both are located very close to the coast, it is highly probable that these cemeteries were newly established on reclaimed land as Futami-cho underwent rapid urbanization and population growth in the modern era.

     A far more compelling candidate is the site around Kaminishi Sakura Park, where the Kaminishi Cemetery is said to have existed. Although the cemetery cannot be confirmed on modern Google Maps, the "Kaminishi Koseikan" (a community center) stands nearby. In Japanese rural history, it was incredibly common during the post-war high economic growth period for dilapidated, priestless village halls (O-do) to be demolished and replaced by public community centers. Therefore, it is highly plausible that the Kaminishi Koseikan was built on the former grounds of a religious facility—specifically, the lost Yakushi-do.

     This hypothesis sheds light on the structural differences between the two pilgrimage networks in the Kako district. The "Kako County Saigoku Pilgrimage" comprises relatively large, well-established temples that survived the ages. In contrast, the "Kako County Bando Pilgrimage," while fully active during the Taisho era (1912–1926), likely included many smaller, village-level religious facilities. These modest structures were subsequently lost under the waves of post-war modernization and social change.

Yakushi-ji Temple

Address: Higashifutami Futamicho, Akashi, Hyogo 674-0092

Itoku-in Temple

Address: Nishifutami-943 Futamicho, Akashi, Hyogo 674-0094

Phone: 078-942-1184

Kannon-ji Temple

Address: 1643 Futamicho, Akashi, Hyogo 674-0092

Phone: 078-942-1480

Itokuin Nishi Cemetery

Address: Nishifutami Futamicho, Akashi, Hyogo 674-0094

Nishifutaminishi Cemetery

Address: Nishifutami-1258 Futamicho, Akashi, Hyogo 674-0094

Nishifutamisakura Park

Address: 249-7 Futamicho, Akashi, Hyogo 674-0094

Kaminishi Community Center

Address: 515 Futamicho, Akashi, Hyogo 674-0094

Phone: 0789422015

Trees in the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #7 Shimonodani Kannon-do Hall

 

     It is unknown exactly when the Kannon-do hall was founded in Nodani Village (Kako County, Harima Province). The history of Nodani is tied to the development of Nodani Shinmura (Nodani New Village), which was established around 1692. While it remains unclear whether the village was ever officially divided into separate administrative units called Kaminodani and Shimonodani, the area was locally split into upper (Kami) and lower (Shimo) sections. The Kannon-do hall is located in the lower section, which served as the original heart of the village. The spacious grounds of the Shimonodani Community Center, situated directly in front of the hall, suggest that this site was likely the location of a local school during the early Meiji period. Regardless of its unrecorded origin date, this specific hall is traditionally referred to as the Shimonodani Kannon-do.

Address: Nodani, Inami, Kako District, Hyogo 675-1103

Trees in the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #6 Taishi-do Hall

 

     The tide of the time has extinguished some 33 Kannon Pilgrimages, let alone some member temples of some pilgrimages.  There used to be Taishi-do Hall in Rokubuichi, Inami, Kako District, Hyogo 675-1112, but its whereabouts is totally unknown.  The hall could have belonged to Rokubuichi Otoshi Shrine or to Rokubunichi Cemetery (Bochi).

Rokubuichi Otoshi Shrine

Address: 315 Rokubuichi, Inami, Kako District, Hyogo 675-1112

Bochi (Rokubuichi Cemetery)

Address: Rokubuichi, Inami, Kako District, Hyogo 675-1112

Trees in the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #5 Kannon-do Hall

 

     What makes the Kako County 33 Kannon Pilgrimages (Saigoku, Bando, and Chichibu) so unique is that—unlike most historical replicas—they were remarkably established during the Taisho period (1912–1926). This timeline provides a critical clue to solving the mystery of the missing 5th site.

     While the Kunioka area already hosts the Kunioka Kannon-do Hall (the 16th site of the Kako County Chichibu Pilgrimage), it stands to reason that the 5th site of the Kako County Bando Pilgrimage must have been a separate Kannon-do structure nearby.

     A likely candidate for this location is within the Kunioka settlement. Kunioka Shinmura (Kunioka New Village) was established in 1662 as a joint development by the neighboring Kuniyasu and Oka villages. In that same year, Atago Shrine was founded by inviting its deity from Kyoto. Over the centuries, the shrine’s precincts became deeply syncretic, integrating En Ozunu (Shugendo's founder) in 1715, Acalanatha (Fudo Myoo) in 1737, alongside a Hokyointo, a Koshin-do, a Ksitigarbha (Jizo) hall, and a Daishi-do dedicated to Kukai.

     However, the Meiji Government's Shinto-Buddhism Separation Decree of 1868 disrupted this sacred space. In 1879, the statue of Mahavairocana (Dainichi Nyorai), which had been enshrined in Atago Shrine's main hall, was relocated to the En Ozunu Hall.

     Given that the Kako County Bando Pilgrimage was organized later during the Taisho period, its founders likely had to utilize existing Buddhist sanctuaries that survived the Meiji purges. While the En Ozunu Hall—which had already served as a refuge for displaced images like Mahavairocana—is a strong candidate for the 5th Bando site, other possibilities cannot be ruled out. In the Harima region, there are known precedents where Kannon statues from defunct pilgrimages were preserved inside Jizo halls. Therefore, the missing 5th image of Avalokitesvara (Kannon) might have been relocated to, or enshrined within, the shrine's existing Daishi-do, Koshin-do, or Ksitigarbha (Jizo) halls.

Kunioka-Atago Shrine

Address: 1412 Kunioka, Inami, Kako District, Hyogo 675-1115

Atago Shrine

Address: 1-1 Sagaatagocho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto 616-8458

Phone: 075-861-0658

Trees in the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #4 Takokusa-Mido Hall

 

     The exact origins of Takokusa-Mido Hall in Takokusa Village, Kako County, Harima Province, remain unknown.

     Although agricultural activity in Takokusa began as early as the Asuka period (593–629), the full-scale development of rice paddies occurred during the Edo period (1603–1867). The construction of Hirotani Pond in 1703 secured a vital irrigation source for the farmland, which subsequently boosted the village population. Despite this growth, the community remained too small to independently maintain an official Buddhist temple to take care of their cemetery, leaving the Mido as their central place of worship.

Address: 991 Takokusa, Inami, Kako District, Hyogo 675-1116

Hirotani Pond

Address: Takokusa, Inami, Kako District, Hyogo 675-1116

Trees in the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #3 Kannon-do Hall

 

     Until the early Edo period, the Kotake area was an undeveloped land covered in bamboo groves known as "Tamba Yabu." In 1642, the Kotake Pond was constructed to alleviate water shortages, and in 1657, development was permitted, and the area became known as New Kotake Village (where "Ko" means lucky and "take" means bamboo).

     Therefore, this Kannon-do hall is estimated to have been erected sometime after the mid-17th century, located in what is now Kotake, Inami Town, Kako District, Hyogo (675-1126). It is believed to have been either a shrine-temple for Kotake Tenman Shrine or an auxiliary facility for a cemetery.

     The hall was likely abolished either after the Meiji government's 1868 decree separating Shinto and Buddhism, or during the post-WWII economic boom.

Kotaketenman Shrine

Address: 371 Kotake, Inami, Kako District, Hyogo 675-1126

Bochi (Cemetery)

Address: Inami, Kako District, Hyogo 675-1126

Trees in the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #2 Enmei-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown exactly when Enmei-ji Temple was founded in Takasago Village, Kako County, Harima Province. As the temple belongs to the Seizan-Zenrinji Sect of Pure Land Buddhism, it must have been founded after the 13th century, when the sect was established by Joon (1201–1271).

     Enmei-ji Temple constitutes a unique Teramachi (temple township) together with Saifuku-ji, Gokuraku-ji, and Jurin-ji Temples from north to south. Mysteriously enough, all four temples belong to the exact same sect, whereas a usual temple township consists of various traditions to share supporting families.

     The key to this mystery may lie in the fact that Enmei-ji Temple's precincts house a so-called Christian Stone Lantern. The number of active Christians in Japan was estimated to be around 200,000 in 1582. Later, the second shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada (1579–1632), issued the expulsion of all missionaries from Japan in 1617. In the same year, the shogunate required all subjects across domains to register at their local Buddhist temples. Under this oppressive system, the Catholic remnants were driven underground, becoming known as Kakure Kirishitan (Hidden Christians). The aforementioned stone lantern is supposed to have been erected in the middle of the Edo Period (1603–1867), specifically around the 18th century, hinting at a hidden faith woven into the temple's history.

Address: 1080 Takasagocho Yokomachi, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0051

Phone: 079-442-1216

Saifuku-ji Temple

Address: 1079 Takasagocho Yokomachi, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0051

Phone: 079-490-2248

Gokuraku-ji Temple

Address: 1074 Takasagocho Yokomachi, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0051

Phone: 079-442-4556

Jurin-ji Temple

Address: 1074 Takasagocho Yokomachi, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0051

Phone: 079-442-0242