Trees In the Town

 

Sarashina Diary: Retold in the present tense (7)

 

I have started working this way. I thought I would get used to working in the residence. I was occupied with my parents at home, but as I was not regarded as perverse in the residence, I seemed to have every reason to hope that I was counted on and favored like the other ladies-in-waiting.

It is puzzling of my parents, however, to confine me in the marriage with Tachibana Toshimichi (1002–1058). That can hardly make our life conditions sparkling or well-off. In addition, judging from my trifling and frivolous romantic mind, my husband is very disappointing and far from satisfactory. I unconsciously say to myself and pass my days:

I pick thousands of parsley leaves.

Not a single leaf yields even a dewdrop

To quench the inner thirst

Of my unfulfilled heart.

I have been consumed by household chores and I forget about romantic stories. My mind has become utterly plain and steady. I wonder why I spent my years and months idly, passing my time day in and day out. I did not engage in religious practices nor visit temples or shrines. I daydreamed about my romances, but what I imagined is not realistic.

Could there be anyone like the Shining Prince? No Kaoru Genji appears in front of me to keep me in Uji in this world. How crazy I used to be! What trivial and trifling things I used to have in my mind! I think so from the bottom of my heart, but the regret and remorse do not lead me to truly embrace this practical life.

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #11

 

     Although the pilgrimage was established relatively recently in the Taisho Era (1912-1926), all records of the 11th station have completely vanished, leaving its location and identity a mystery.  Given its location between the 10th and 12th stations, it may have been a small roadside chapel or a privately owned statue that disappeared during modern urban development.

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #12 Joraku-ji Temple

     Joraku-ji Temple is said to have been founded in 645 by the legendary hermit Hodo. What does the legend imply?

A Turning Point in East Asia (642–676)

     The year 642 marked a shift toward the restructuring of East Asia, culminating in Silla’s unification of the Korean Peninsula in 676. In 642, King Uija (599–660) of Baekje invaded Silla, capturing over 40 fortresses and killing the daughter and son-in-law of Kim Chun-chu (603–661), the future King of Silla.

     Domestically, King Uija established an autocratic regime, purging political opponents to solidify his grip. This concentration of power was mirrored across the region: Yeon Gaesomun (d. 666) seized power in a coup in Goguryeo, while in Japan, Soga Emishi (586–645) and his son Iruka (d. 645) tightened their control following the death of Emperor Jomei (593–641) and the ascension of Empress Kogyoku (594–661).

The Exile’s Persona: From "Field" to "Valley"

     Just as Sakanoue no Tamuramaro (758–811) was invoked as a symbolic founder of temples in the Tohoku region, "Hermit Hodo" served a specific purpose in Eastern Harima.

     During the mid-7th century, high-ranking Baekje nobles fleeing King Uija’s purges likely sought refuge in the Japanese archipelago. Some of these exiles settled in Eastern Harima, moving from the open "Fields" (flat lands) like Kusuhara (Camphor Field) into the deeper, oak-filled "Valleys" like Kashidani (Oak Valley) to reclaim the land. For these immigrant communities, Hodo—a legendary hermit said to have traveled from India through Tang China and Baekje—provided the perfect founding "persona," linking their local religious sites to a prestigious continental lineage of Buddhism.  For your information, Hodo, who is supposed to have originally borne the Sanskrit name Dharmapatha, might have been called Puap-dauh in China, Papp-do in Korea, and Papotau or Fafatau when he arrived in Japan.

     In the late Kamakura period, it was revived by the prominent Buddhist monk Monkan (1278–1357), and a thirteen-story stone pagoda was erected within its precincts in 1325.

     Monkan is believed to have been born into the Shinto priest family of Hioka Shrine, which is believed to have been founded in 730. Returning to his hometown in Harima Province around 1303–1306 as a young monk in his late twenties, he became a leading figure of the Shingon-Ritsu sect in the region. At his core, Monkan was a Ritsu monk dedicated to public salvation, directing major civil engineering and reclamation projects:

     Cultivation of Takokusa: Monkan initiated a land reclamation project in what was then the wasteland of Takogusa Kita-mura. He expanded cultivation southeastward along the Kumogawa River, covering the area of present-day Takokusa (Inami Town, Kako District). This effort was sustained by his successors after his death, culminating in the major expansion of the Tenma O-ike Pond at the end of the 14th century (a reservoir originally constructed in 675).

     The Gokai Irrigation System: To combat the chronic droughts of eastern Harima, medieval expansion and renovation were executed on the Gokai Irrigation System. This monumental project expanded its beneficiary area from 200 hectares to 700 hectares, serving as the foundational source of regional wealth for centuries.

     Monkan also possessed a brilliant political mind. By constructing the East Harima Showa-era Stone Pagodas and dedicating them to the Daikaku-ji imperial lineage, he secured the patronage of the era’s most powerful figures, including Emperor Go-Uda (1267–1324) and Crown Prince Takaharu (later Emperor Go-Daigo, 1288–1339).

     However, building such massive upstream irrigation systems was a double-edged sword, as it threatened the water supply of downstream areas. Monkan and his followers in upper eastern Harima became staunch supporters of the Southern Court, and their descendants frequently clashed over water rights with coastal communities—conflicts that persisted well into the Edo period. This perpetual tension over vital water resources may have provoked the coastal populace to organize into self-defense networks, ultimately contributing to the formation of the medieval Ikketsushu (united local leagues) along the Kakogawa river basin and coastal areas.

     The Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage might have been established in the 20th century to finally overcome the centuries-long conflicts over water rights.

Address: Ono-1762 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0061

Phone: 079-424-5882

Hioka Shrine

Address: Ono-1755 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0061

Phone: 079-422-7646

Tenma O-Pond

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

Trees In the Town

 

Sarashina Diary: Retold in the present tense (6)

 

I have acquaintances, but I have not communicated with them since I moved to Nishiyama, which is far from the town. One of them has a chance to send a message to me and asks how I am. I am surprised by the message, feeling the heavy weight of my isolation:

Besides you, who remembers me

And calls upon my name?

In this mountain village, where silver grasses

Are visited only by the autumn wind.

[Editor's Note: At this time (1039), the author is 32 years old, entering a crucial turning point in her life. Meanwhile, in the Imperial Court, the Empress, Fujiwara Genshi (1016-1039), died September 19th, 1039, and her husband, Emperor Go-Suzaku (1009-1045), married Fujiwara Seishi (1014-1068), on December 9th in the same year.]

In October, our family moves to the town. My mother becomes a nun. Although she lives in the same house, she shuts herself up in a separate room. My father treats me rather as a householder. I feel a suffocating helplessness to see him shunning all society and living as if he hid himself in the dark shadows.

Princess Yushi (1038–1105), the first daughter of Fujiwara Genshi (1016–1039) and the third daughter of Emperor Go-Suzaku (1009–1045), lives in the residence of her grandfather, Fujiwara Yorimichi (992–1074). Her ladies-in-waiting hear about me through my distant relative, and they summon me to the residence, saying it is better to serve the princess than to pass idle, helpless days at home.

My old-fashioned parents think that court life must be highly unpleasant, and they have kept me at home. However, others say, "People nowadays serve as ladies-in-waiting at court, and fortunate opportunities naturally come to them. Why not let her try it?" Thus, my parents reluctantly send me to the residence.

I go to the residence for a single night as a trial. I am dressed in an eight-layered robe of deep aster-colored silk, displaying a gradual contrast of shades, and over it, I wear an outer gown of deep red.

My mind has been absorbed in romances, and I have few relatives to socialize with. Always remaining in the shadow of my antiquated parents, I have been accustomed to staying indoors, looking only at the moon and flowers. Therefore, when I leave home, I feel as if I am no longer myself, nor am I in the real world. I leave the residence at daybreak.

I have often fancied in my peripheral mind that I would hear more interesting things for my heart's consolation than living a settled life on the periphery. In reality, however, I feel awkward in the residence in everything I do, and I feel utterly out of place and disheartened by the reality—yet there is no use in complaining.

In December, I go to the residence again. I am given my own room and am to stay there for several days. Sometimes, I visit the princess’s quarters for night duty. On those nights, surrounded by strangers, I can hardly sleep; I feel deeply uncomfortable and spend the night hyper-aware of others, sobbing silently. I leave the quarters well before dawn.

All day long, my mind returns to my father, who is old and frail. He relies on me entirely, having spent his days face to face with me, and I miss him with constant anxiety. I remember, with profound grief, my motherless nieces whom I alone have raised; they would sleep right beside me at night, one on either side.

I pass my days in a state of restless distraction. I feel as though others were constantly spying on me, and I am utterly ill at ease.

After ten days or so, I get leave to return home. My father and mother have been waiting for me, keeping a cozy fire in the brazier. Seeing me step down from my carriage, they say, "When you were here with us, we always had guests, and the house was filled with servants. These days, however, not a single voice is heard, and no one is seen outside the gate. We are so terribly lonely. What will become of us if you leave us to pass our days like this?" It is pitiful to see them weep as they speak.

The next morning, they sit before me and say, "Now that you are here, the house is lively again with so many people coming and going." Their words sound sorrowful to my ears.

“What kind of radiance could I possibly possess?” I murmur, my eyes welling with tears. I continue, “What kind of radiance could my parents possibly possess?” “What kind of radiance could a career life possibly possess?” The tears continue.

It is said to be notoriously difficult even for an elite ascetic to dream of their previous life. Yet, there I was, in such an uncertain state of mind, undecided about which course of life I should take, actually having just such a dream. In the dream, I am in front of the altar at Kiyomizu-dera Temple, and a man who appears to be the head priest comes out and says to me, "You were once a monk of this temple. You are born into a higher-ranking family by virtue of carving many Buddhist statues as a Buddhist artist. The seventeen-foot-tall Buddha statue enshrined on the eastern side of the temple is your work. While you were covering it with gold leaf, you died."

"Oh, how regrettable!" I say. "Then, I will apply the gold leaf to the statue for him."

The priest replies, "Because you died, another man applied the gold leaf, and others performed the consecration ceremony."

After having this dream, I think, "If I worship at Kiyomizu-dera Temple with all my heart, something good will naturally happen by virtue of my prayers at the temple in my previous life." Dismissing it as nonsense, I never visit Kiyomizu-dera Temple and let the matter drop.

The Imperial Court holds the annual ceremony of reciting the names of the Three Thousand Buddhas in its Inner Palace from December 19th to 21st. After this ceremony, noble families hold their personal annual ceremonies in their residences. On December 25th, 1039, when Princess Yushi (1038–1105) holds her personal ceremony, I am invited. I go to her residence, thinking, "Just for one night."

About forty ladies-in-waiting are gathered there, beautifully attired in layers of white inner robes beneath identical, flowing outer robes of deep-red silk. As for me, I merely sit behind my introducer, completely lost and hidden in the shadows of those prominent ladies. Then, I slip away and leave before daybreak.

Heaps of snow lie scattered. The moon shines brightly and chillingly at dawn. The moonlight dimly illuminates the sleeves of my deep-red silk robe, which look as if they are wet with tears. On my way home:

The passing year draws to a close,

The fading night melts into dawn,

The moonlight on my sleeve is fleeting,

As brief as my own passing life.

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #11

 

     Although the pilgrimage was established relatively recently in the Taisho Era (1912-1926), all records of the 11th station have completely vanished, leaving its location and identity a mystery.  Given its location between the 10th and 12th stations, it may have been a small roadside chapel or a privately owned statue that disappeared during modern urban development.

Trees In the Town

 

Sarashina Diary: Retold in the present tense (5)

 

In August, I go to Koryu-ji temple at Uzumasa to shut myself up for days. I come upon two men's palanquins stopping in the road from Ichijo. They must be waiting for someone to catch up with them. When I pass by, they send an attendant with the first half of a tanka poem:

On our way to view the blossoms, we chance to see you—

A flower blooming along the path.

I am told that it would be awkward not to reply wittily with the latter half of the poem:

The flower you see is but one of thousands of wild autumn plants,

Ripening in the fields of this eighth month.

Ignoring them, I stay in the temple for seven days. I think of nothing but the route to the East and stop being lost in romantic fantasies. I pray to the Buddha, saying, "Let us meet again peacefully." I wish the Buddha should pity and grant my prayer.

It is winter. It rains all day. In the night, winds blow terribly and scatter the clouds. The winds clear the sky, and the moon becomes exquisitely bright. Seeing the pampas grasses near the house blown down by the heavy winds, I remember my sad situation:

Dead stalks of pampas grass,

Withered in midwinter depths,

Must long for the autumn days

Before the tempest blew them down.

A messenger arrives from the East. My father, Sugawara Takasue (972–?), writes:

"I made official visits to the shrines in Hitachi Province as the Governor. On my way, I passed a wide field with a beautiful river running through it. I found a beautiful grove, wishing I could show it to you. I asked the name of the grove. 'The Grove of Longing After Children' was the answer. Compared with my situation, I felt extremely sad. Alighting from my horse, I stood there for hours. I felt like this:"

Has the Grove of Longing After Children

Left its own behind, to grieve as I do?

Looking upon it,

I am filled with sorrow.

To say something in return will be sadder than to read that letter, but I reply:

Hearing how you yearn for me,

I feel the deep heartbreak

Of my father journeying East,

Leaving his child behind.

Thus, I spend days doing nothing. Why do I not think of making pilgrimages? It is because my mother is a person of an extremely antiquated mind, and she says, "Oh, it is simply terrifying to even think of visiting Hase-dera Temple in Hatsuse! What on earth would you do if you were ambushed by ruthless outlaws at Narasaka Hill? And Ishiyama-dera Temple? Heaven forbid! Crossing the Sekiyama Pass to Lake Biwa is utterly death-defying! As for Mount Kurama, it is frighteningly steep, as you well know. It would be absolute madness to take a fragile thing like you to such places! You shall not go anywhere until your father returns."

As my mother speaks this way and treats me like a nuisance, I can only go to and stay at Kiyomizu-dera Temple. However childish it might look to others, my habits of romantic indulgence are not dead yet, and I cannot fix my mind on religious thoughts as I am supposed to. It is in the equinoctial week, and there is a great tumult. It is so noisy that I am even afraid of it. When I doze off, I dream that a priest in blue garments with a loose brocade hood and brocade shoes is in the enclosure before the altar. He seems to be the intendant of the temple and says, "You are occupied with vain thoughts without knowing the unhappiness of your future," speaking indignantly before he goes behind the curtain. I awake startled, yet neither tell anyone what I have dreamt, nor think about it much.

My mother is sorry for not bringing me to Hase-dera Temple. Instead, she has a bronze mirror, one foot in diameter, cast and makes a monk take it for us to Hase-dera Temple in Hatsuse. Mother tells the monk to spend two or three days in the temple, especially praying that a dream might be vouchsafed about my future state. For that period, I am made to observe religious purity, abstaining from meat.

The monk comes back to tell the following:

"I was reluctant to return without having even a dream. I was afraid I could report nothing without a dream. After bowing many times and performing religious services, I went to sleep. There came out from behind the curtain a graceful, holy lady in beautiful garments. She, taking up the offered mirror, asked me if any letter was affixed to the mirror. I answered in the most respectful manner, 'There was no letter. I was told only to offer the mirror.' 'Strange!' she said. 'A letter is to be added. Look at what is mirrored here. It is a pity to see the image.' She wept bitterly. I saw the images of people turning over in lamentation. 'To see the images makes me sad, but to look at this.' She showed me another image. There, the bamboo screens were fresh green and many-coloured garments were revealed below the lower edges of them. Plum and cherry blossoms were in flower. Nightingales were singing from tree to tree. She said, 'It makes me happy to see the image.' I had such a dream."

I do not even listen to his story, nor question him as to how things appeared in the mirror.

I am not devout, but some people tell me to pray to the Goddess Amaterasu. At first, I used to wonder where she was, and if she was a Shinto Goddess or a Buddha. As I have grown older, I ask someone about her, and she says, "She is a goddess and is in Ise Province. The goddess is also worshipped by the Governor of Kii Province. Above all, she is worshipped at the sacred shrine within the Imperial Palace." I cannot, by any means, visit Ise. How can I bow before the Imperial shrine? I can never be allowed to go there. I have a helpless idea to pray to the celestial light.

A relative of mine becomes a Buddhist nun and enters Sugaku-in Temple. In winter, I send her a tanka poem:

Even my tears arise for your sake,

When I imagine the mountain village

Where the cold winter snowstorms

Will soon be fiercely raging.

She replies:

I seem to see your deep kindness,

As if it comes to find me

Through the dark, tangled thicket

Of the summer plants and leaves.

My father, Sugawara Takasue (972–1040?), who went down to Hitachi Province, comes back at last. He settles down temporarily at Nishiyama (West Hill) to alter the direction of his entry into Kyoto for a luckier omen according to Onmyodo, the Way of Yin and Yang, and we all go there to join him. We are filled with immense joy. As the moon shines brightly at night, we talk all through the night, and I compose:

In contrast to tonight’s pure delight,

How sorrowful was that autumn night,

When I feared our parting was for good,

And I wept in the deep solitude.

At this, my father sheds bitter tears and answers me with a tanka poem:

I once deeply disliked my life,

For my dreams had never come true.

But this joyful reunion today

Makes my fading life feel sweet anew.

My joy is boundless after waiting and waiting for the safe return of my father. Yet, my father says, "When I saw old and weak people leading their worldly lives, I found it ridiculous. Now, it is my turn to be old and to retire." As he says it with no lingering affection for the world, I feel quite helpless.

From our temporary dwelling in Nishiyama, the fields roll out wide and far toward the east. My eyes trace the sweeping crest of the distant eastern mountains, stretching from Mount Hiei in the north down to Mount Inari in the south. Bringing my gaze closer, there is Narabi Hill nearby in the foreground; its pine forest rustles so vividly it feels as if the sound is whispering right by my ear. Nestled between that hill and our dwelling, what are known as “rice fields” cascade up the hillside; the crisp clapping of the bird-scarers echoes from them, casting a lonely yet nostalgic countryside charm over me.

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #10 Joju-ji Temple

 

     The stone monument marking the original site of Joju-ji Temple stands in front of the Kakogawa City General Welfare Center. The temple is said to have been founded by Prince Shotoku (574–622), alongside Kakurin-ji and Saiko-ji (later renamed Shomyo-ji) Temples.

     In 1389, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358–1408), the third Shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate, stayed at the temple. As the Ashikaga family held the position of the head of the prestigious Minamoto Clan, Yoshimitsu was revered as its supreme commander, and his stay bestowed immense prestige upon Joju-ji Temple. This status endured into the Edo Period (1603–1867) under the Tokugawa Shogunate, whose ruling family also claimed Minamoto lineage. This deep-rooted prestige attracted numerous high-ranking samurai—even those outside the Minamoto Clan. The high volume of elite visitors eventually led to the establishment of the Himeji Domain's Jinya (a regional government office), which functioned as a reception hall, within the area in 1752. Around this time, a magnificent pine tree on the temple grounds was celebrated as Kako no Matsu (the Pine of Kako).

     However, the Meiji Restoration of 1868 brought the samurai era to an abrupt end. Along with these societal shifts, Joju-ji Temple entered a period of physical transition, relocating first to the vicinity of today's Kakogawa Plaza Hotel, and eventually to its current location.

     Given that Joju means "to settle or remain forever," the temple’s history of relocation sounds rather ironic.

Background and Details of the Relocations

The First Relocation: From Jikemachi to Mizonokuchi

• Time: Late Meiji to early Taisho era

• Reason: Land acquisition for the expansion of Nippon Keori (Nikke)

• Details: Originally, Joju-ji Temple was located in Jikemachi (Temples Township). However, following the opening of the Kakogawa Plant of Nippon Keori Co., Ltd. (commonly known as Nikke) in 1899, the company rapidly expanded. As Nikke acquired and developed vast stretches of surrounding land for factory sites and company housing, the temple surrendered its historic grounds and made its first relocation to Mizonokuchi, a prime location in front of Kakogawa Station.

The Second Relocation: From Mizonokuchi to Honmachi

• Time: 1984 (Showa 59)

• Reason: The Kakogawa Station Front Land Readjustment Project (Urban Redevelopment)

• Details: In the late 1970s and 1980s, Kakogawa City launched a large-scale urban redevelopment initiative known as the "Land Readjustment Project" to modernize the area around the station. The entire precinct of Joju-ji Temple in Mizonokuchi was included in the planned redevelopment zone. The city and the Kakogawa Chamber of Commerce and Industry acquired the temple site to build a new chamber building and a modern urban hotel. Consequently, the temple relocated once again in 1984 to its present location in Honmachi. The Kakogawa Plaza Hotel was constructed on the former temple site the following year.

     Today, Joju-ji Temple stands near the historic site of the Kako River Ferry Port, which has since been replaced by the Kakogawa Bridge. Despite the ironic nature of its name, the temple has proven to be an incredibly resilient survivor of countless historical upheavals: the Great Harima Earthquake of 868, the turbulence of the Northern and Southern Courts period (1336–1392), the Warring States period (1467–1568), the anti-Buddhist movement (Haibutsu Kishaku) at the dawn of the Meiji era, the devastation of World War II, and the rapid post-war economic miracle (1955–1973) that erased so many other minor historic sites without a trace.

     Having stood the test of time through these vast historical shifts, what changes will the temple witness as it looks ahead into the age of AI and the distant future?

Address: Honmachi−214-7 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0037

Phone: 079-422-2263

Kakogawa City General Welfare Center

Address: Jikemachi−177-12 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0066

Phone: 079-424-4318

Kakurin-ji Temple

Address: Kitazaike-424 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0031

Phone: 079-454-7053

Shomyo-ji Temple

Address: Honmachi-313 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0037

Phone: 079-422-2262

Kakogawa Plaza Hotel

Address: Mizonokuchi−800 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0064

Phone: 079-421-8877

Kako River Ferry Port

Address: Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0037

Kakogawa Bridge

Address: Yonedacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0053

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #9 Kannon-ji Temple

 

     Little is known about Kannon-ji Temple, the 9th site of the Kako County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, except that it was once located in present-day Yoshino, Noguchicho, Kakogawa, Hyogo (675-0017).

     It remains uncertain when the Kannon-do hall was built, or whether it originally stood in Tennoji Village or Hosoda Village—both of which were located in Kako County, Harima Province. Historical records first mention Hosoda Village in 1515 and Tennoji Village in 1603. Judging from old descriptions, Hosoda Village occupied the western part of today's Yoshino area, while Tennoji Village occupied the eastern part. In 1867, Tennoji and Hosoda Villages merged to form Yoshino Village.

     Today, the Yoshino Community Center sits in the western half of the Yoshino area, accompanied by a cemetery, a stone stupa, and a small hall. Meanwhile, the Yoshinonakaike Cemetery is located in the eastern half and also features a small hall. Some local accounts suggest that the hall near the community center is called "Yoshino Kannon-do," which might be the last remaining vestige of Kannon-ji Temple. However, there is a minor possibility that the hall within the Yoshinonakaike Cemetery is the actual site. Furthermore, it is also plausible that Kannon-ji Temple originally functioned as a shrine-temple (jingu-ji) for either Hachiman Shrine or Otoshi Shrine.

Yoshinonakaike Cemetery

Address: Yoshino-955 Noguchicho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0017

Yoshino Stone Stupa

Address: Yoshino-1027 Noguchicho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0017

Yoshino Community Center

Address: Yoshino Noguchicho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0017

Hachiman Shrine

Address: Yoshino-1011 Noguchicho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0017

Otoshi Shrine

Address: Yoshino-706 Noguchicho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0017

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #8 Kakurin-ji Temple

 

     The Korean monk Huibyeon, who came to Japan in the latter half of the 6th century, fled persecution from the Mononobe Clan and other anti-Buddhist factions and hid in Harima Province. Prince Shotoku (574–622) admired Huibyeon and visited the province to receive his teachings.

     Later, Prince Shotoku ordered Hata Kawakatsu—who is believed to have lived from the late 6th century to the early 7th century—to construct a three-by-four-bay hermitage. It was later named Toda-san Shitenno-ji Shorei-in, which is said to be the origin of Kakurin-ji Temple.

     In 718, Mutobe Harunori, the chief magistrate of Musashi Province, built a full temple complex to honor the virtues of the Prince. Furthermore, in the early 9th century, the monk Ennin (794–864) stopped by on his journey to Tang China and carved a statue of Bhaisajyaguru (Yakushi Nyorai) to pray for national peace and security.

     Within present-day Kakogawa City, there once existed several temples sharing the same layout as Horyu-ji Temple: the Saijo Abandoned Temple (late 7th to 9th century), the Ishimori Abandoned Temple (early 8th to 9th century)—believed to have been located at the foot of Mount Hioka—and the Nakanishi Abandoned Temple (late 7th to 9th century). All of these demonstrate the regional spread of Horyu-ji culture.

     However, all of these neighboring temples ceased to exist in the 9th century, likely destroyed by the Great Harima Earthquake. This massive earthquake struck on July 8th, 868, with an estimated magnitude of approximately 7.0. Centered near present-day Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture, it is believed to have been caused by activity along the Yamazaki Fault. The disaster collapsed provincial and county government offices as well as temple buildings, with its tremors even damaging structures in the capital of Heian-kyo.

     In 1112, Emperor Toba (1103–1156) bestowed an imperial plaque upon the temple, after which its name was officially changed to Kakurin-ji.

     During the medieval period, with the surging popularity of the Prince Shotoku cult (Taishi Shinko), Kakurin-ji Temple enjoyed its golden age. It boasted over 30 temple buildings, a vast territory yielding 25,000 koku, and dozens of musicians who regularly performed ritual music and dance.

     Ever since the compilation of the Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan), Prince Shotoku had been depicted as a figure with superhuman abilities, becoming an object of deep reverence that evolved into a widespread faith over time. Historically, Horyu-ji and Shitenno-ji Temples were consistently recognized as having been founded by the Prince. As the worship of the Prince gained significant momentum during the Heian period (794–1185), these two foundational temples vied to be the center of the faith, consciously influencing each other and amplifying the legends to strengthen their own legitimacy. Thanks to their competitive efforts, the worship of Prince Shotoku reached its peak in 1322, marking the 700th anniversary of his death, which heavily benefited affiliated temples like Kakurin-ji.

     However, during the Sengoku (Warring States) period (1467–1568), Kakurin-ji Temple was forced into decline. Later, under the strict religious policies of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the once-mighty complex was reduced to an ordinary parish temple.

Address: Kitazaike-424 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0031

Phone: 079-454-7053

Saijo Abandoned Temple Site

Address: 2 Chome-28 Saijoyamate, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0001

Hiokayama Observation Platform

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

Nakanishi Abandoned Temple Site

Address: Nakanishi Nishikankicho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0043

Horyu-ji Temple

Address: 1-1-1 Horyuji Sannai, Ikaruga, Ikoma District, Nara 636-0115

Phone: 0745-75-2555

Shitenno-ji Temple

Address: 1 Chome-11-18 Shitennoji, Tennoji Ward, Osaka, 543-0051

Phone: 06-677-10066

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #7 Senpuku-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown exactly when Senpuku-ji Temple was founded in Imafuku Village, Kako County, Harima Province. Although the village itself first appears in historical records in the Keicho Kuniezu (the Map of Provinces in the Keicho Era) of 1611, physical evidence suggests a much older origin.

     Within the temple precincts stands a Gorinto (a five-ring pagoda) inscribed with a date corresponding to February 25th, 1353. This strongly indicates that the temple, or at least a sacred site, already existed by the mid-14th century.

     The inscription on the pagoda reads: "On the 25th day of the second month, the second year of Bunwa (1353), respectfully dedicated by the Ikketshu."

     The term "Ikketshu" refers to a bound collective or a localized league of people. It carries the nuance of a community uniting to form a cooperative front, often in response to external pressures or ruling authorities. Intriguingly, by using the "Bunwa" era name, this group explicitly aligned themselves with the Northern Court.

     During this tumultuous period, the samurai guardian (provincial protector) of Harima Province was Akamatsu Norisuke (1314–1372). Norisuke had briefly defected to the Southern Court in 1351 before returning to the Northern Court the following year. Given this volatile political climate, it remains uncertain whether the samurai guardian and the local Ikketshu were entirely aligned when the pagoda was erected. Notably, when the Gorinto was relocated in 1935, cremation urns were discovered beneath it, reinforcing its role as a communal memorial. Presumably, this reflects the Ikketsushu's attempt to seal a sacred bone-pledge alliance.

     Around this time, Norisuke began constructing Kinoyama Castle on Mount Kinoyama as a natural stronghold for the Akamatsu Clan. Although this predated the Sengoku (Warring States) period by more than a century, it shows a clear anticipation of protracted warfare. In response to this rising local militarization, the Ikketshu of Imafuku may have felt a similar, urgent need to bind themselves together for mutual survival and spiritual protection.

Address: Imafuku−376 Onoecho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0027

Phone: 079-422-0302

Kinoyama Castle ruins

Address: Shingucho Shimonoda, Tatsuno, Hyogo 679-4333

Mount Kinoyama

Address: Issaicho Nakagaichi, Tatsuno, Hyogo 679-4002