Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Akashi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #23 Fukurin-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Fukurin-ji Temple was founded in Ikegami Village, Akashi County, Harima Province.  It belongs to Tamon-ji Temple as a Kannon-do hall out of the precincts of Tamon-ji Temple, but it is unknown whether the hall belonged to the temple from its origin or Fukurin-ji Temple was an independent temple and was merged to Tamon-ji Temple.

     Ikegami Village, whose current place name is Ikegami 1-5 chome, Ikawadanicho Kamiwaki, Otsuwa 1-3 chome, all in Nishi Ward, Kobe, Hyogo, was located in the midstream of the Ikawa River, to the west was Minamibefu Village.  The village was first documented in The Keicho Kuni-ezu, or the Keicho Maps of the Provinces, which was drawn at the beginning of the 17th century.  The village belonged to the Akashi Domain.

     Fukurin-ji Temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:

In Fukurin-ji Temple,

Worship grows

Like a waxing moon.

Address: 2 Chome-18-6 Ikegami, Nishi Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-2111

Tamon-ji Temple

Address: 2 Chome-2-75 Tamondai, Tarumi-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 655-0007

Phone: 078-782-4445

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Akashi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #22 Nichirin-ji Temple

 

     Nichirin-ji Temple is believed to have been founded by Gyoki (668-749) in 724.

     The temple has a waniguchi, a Japanese flat round hollow metal slit gong which was presented to Shinguhonguryo Shrine in Awa Province in 1509 by Iuchi Norimoto, who could have been a samurai steward of the Myozai Manor, in which the shrine was located.  The manor was first documented in the 1020’s.  A document dated September 4th, 1370, laments that the power of the nobles declined and that of samurai increased in the manor.

     Miyoshi Yoshitaka (1527-1562), who was from Awa Province, invaded Harima Province from 1554 to 1555.  Nichirin-ji Temple is said to have been burned down in battle and was revived by Priest Yukan later.  The gong might have been presented by the Miyoshi Clan when the temple was revived.

     The temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:

The wishes of all pilgrims

Clear up in the clouds of their hearts

At Nichirin-ji Temple.

Address: Koyama-563 Tamatsucho, Nishi Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-2144

Phone: 078-928-7255 

Shinguhonguryo Shrine

Address: Nakashima Takahara, Ishii, Myozai District, Tokushima 779-3208

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Akashi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #21 Nyoi-ji Temple

 

     Nyoi-ji Temple was founded by Nun Gansai sometime between 990 and 995.

     Gansai's father was Urabe Masachika (?-948).  The Urabe Clan lived in Katsuragi County, Yamato Province, served the god of Katsuragi, and worked for the Imperial Court as fortune-tellers.  Fortune-telling is "uranai" in Japanese, from which the clan's name comes from.  Gansai's mother belonged to the Kiyohara Clan.  She must have been 1 or 2 generations older than Sei Shonagon (966-1025), who also belonged to the same clan, and who was a famous essayist and tanka composer.  Gansai belonged to a line of intellectuals.

     According to an excavation, the original temple had the main hall and the Jogyo-Zanmai-do hall.  Jogyo Zammai is the Buddhist practice in which monks walk around Amidabha for 90 days while chanting Nianfo and thinking of Amidabha in their hearts.  Therefore, the hall is square with Amidabha enshrined in the center, and often has a tented roof.

     Nyoi-ji Temple was first documented in 1152.

     Nyoi means to have everything my own way and the temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:

Nyoi-ji Temple, which reflects lotus leaves,

Is where to pray

Your own way.

Address: 259 Hasetanicho, Nishi Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-2237

Phone: 078-991-0009

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Akashi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #20 Mangan-ji Temple

 

     Mangan-ji Temple is said to have been founded by Nun Gansai either in 1131 or 1132.  It has been a convent until it became nunless lately.  As the nun died sometime between 1004 and 1012, the temple might have been founded for the late lamented nun.

     Mangan means Ten-Thousand Wishes and the temple's main deity is Eleven-Faced Ekadasamukha.  Its Buddhist tanka poem is:

If you make tens of thousands of wishes,

Ekadasamukha picks all of them up

With the white threads of the hands.

Address: Iketani-771 Hasetanicho, Nishi Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-2234

Phone: 078-991-0009 (Nyoi-ji Temple)

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Akashi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #19 Shin-Hase-dera Temple

 

     The Fukutani area was inhabited as early as before the 3rd century B.C.  Hazetani Shrine was founded on September, 9th, 603.  Hasetani Manor was developed before 1199.  In 1199, the steward of the manor contributed to Nyoi-ji Temple.  In 1221, presumably another steward donated to the temple.  In 1260, the donator, Kinugasa Tameuji, was recorded.

     Kinugasa Tameuji should have become the steward of the manor before 1260.  It is unknown where the Kinugasa Family came from.  Some argue that Tameuji was adopted by the local powerful ancient family and he changed their family name to Kinugasa, which sounds nonancient.  Hofuku-ji Temple was founded 1264 by Tameuji.  Hofuku-ji Temple became the main family temple of the family.  It is unknown when Shin-Hase-dera Temple was founded as a branch convent of Hofuku-ji Temple.  Presumably, the family built Hasetani Fortress after the Southern and Northern Courts Period (1336-1392) or in the Warring States Period (1467-1568) to cope with a time of war.  Presumably, Shin-Hase-dera Temple was founded as a retirement for the female members of the family and as a branch of Hofuku-ji Temple in the Tomokiyo Valley.

     As the temple is priestless or nunless, the certificate of visiting the temple is issued in Hofuku-ji Temple.

     Shin-Hase-dera Temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:

In the Tomokiyo Valley

Its stream flows quickly, and the flowers of Hase-dera Temple

Go with the flow.

Address: 286-1 Hasetanicho, Nishi Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-2232

Phone: 078-991-0477

Hofuku-ji Temple

Address: Fukutani-710 Hasetanicho, Nishi Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-2233

Phone: 078-991-0029

Hazetani Shrine

Address: Fukutani-3 Hasetanicho, Nishi Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-2233

Nyoi-ji Temple

Address: 259 Hasetanicho, Nishi Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-2237

Phone: 078-991-0009

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Akashi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #18 Gokoku-san Manpuku-ji Temple

 

     Manpuku-ji Temple was founded by the Kinugasa Family as their family temple at the foot of Hasetani Fortress sometime between 1264 and 1275.  It is unknown when the family built the fortress.

     In the Siege of Miki Castle, which lasted from 1578 to 1580, Kinugasa Kagenobu (1547-1631) fought for the Kuroda Family, who fought for Toyotomi Hideyoshi.  Kinugasa Norikage, on the other hand, fought against Hideyoshi.  As Norikage once fought for Miyoshi Nagayoshi (1522-1564), Norikage might have been a generation older than Kagenobu.  Their names also suggest that Kagenobu was either the son or a vassal of Norikage.

In the Siege of Miki Castle, anyway, as well as the castle, Hasetani Fortress also fell on February 22nd, 1580.  The fortress was abolished but it is unknown what happened to Norikage.  Kagenobu kept fighting and working for the Kuroda Family, and, when the family moved to Chikuzen Province in 1601, he followed the family.

     Manpuku-ji Temple was moved to the site of the San-no-maru Enclosure, or the Third Enclosure, of Hasetani Fortress as late as before 1824.

     The Buddhist tanka poem of Manpuku-ji Temple is:

We sow seeds for coming generations

What they will harvest won't be crops

But the enlightenment of Buddhism.

Address: Teratani-923 Hasetanicho, Nishi Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-2231

Hasetani Fortress Site

Address: Hasetanicho, Nishi Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-2231

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Akashi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #17 Kinko-ji Temple

 

     Omi-san Kinko-ji Temple is said to have been founded in 646 by Hodo, who traveled from India through Tang China and the Korean kingdom of Baekje to Japan from the 6th to 7th centuries.  It is unknown whether Hodo was still alive in 646.

     The main deity of the temple, the Eleven-Faced Ekadasamukha, is said to have been carved by Hodo from a cherry tree floating on the surface of Lake Biwa and is displayed to the public only once every 60 years.  Kinko is another pronunciation of Omi, the province where Lake Biwa was located.

     Kinko-ji Temple was destroyed by fire when Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) besieged Miki Castle in 1579.  The main hall was rebuilt in 1662.

     The temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:

Ekadasamukha has traveled so far

To the top of Omi-san, or Mount Omi,

Which seems superior to Mount Hira in Omi Province.

     Kinko-ji Temple is also the #26 member temple of the Harima 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.

Address: Kinko-147 Oshibedanicho, Nishi Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-2203

Phone: 078-994-0007

Miki Castle Ruins

Address: 5 Uenomarucho, Miki, Hyogo 673-0432

Phone: 0794-82-2000