Trees In the Town

 

Sanuki no Suke’s Diary: Postscript (2)

 

     Someone sent me this poem:

What grieving heart, what masterly hand

Could weave such profoundly moving lines?

Even as a reader, I am utterly undone,

My tears flowing far past my control.

     To which I reply:

Please understand—I only wove these words

In a desperate search to find some solace,

Yet now, they turn their beauty back upon me

As unbearable sorrow whenever I look upon them.

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual New Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #33 Jiko-ji Temple

 

     Jiko-ji Temple was founded in 1249 by Priest Jiko, whose secular name was Minamoto Tsuneie, who was a 9th-generation descendant of Mitsunaka (912-997), the main lineage of the Seiwa Genji Clan.  Tsuneie was talented since he was young and was expected to become a great general possessing both wisdom and courage.  He, however, wished to dedicate himself to Buddhism.  In 1233, he resolved to become a Buddhist monk, left home, shaved his head under the tutelage of Priest Choku at Jokyo-ji Temple, and changed his name to Monk Jiko.

     The principal image of Jiko-ji Temple, a statue of Amidabuha, was recovered from the sea and is characterized by the absence of its right hand. The statue was not found as a whole piece.  Its head and feet were recovered from various locations, with its right hand remaining missing.  According to legend, the right hand was left in the sea to save fish.

     Jiko-ji Temple is located at the foot of Jikoji Tumulus.  Although the tumulus was named after the temple, the tumulus was built far before the temple’s foundation.  Did it have something to do with Jiko’s choice of the location? 

     The tumulus is a circular burial mound whose burial facility is a direct burial in a stone coffin. Rows of circular and square haniwa (clay figures) were discovered.  The mound is covered with revetment stones and surrounded by a moat.  Various types of figurative haniwa were unearthed.

Address: 12-18 Jikojicho, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0813

Phone: 079-447-1134

Jikoji Tumulus

Address: 12-12 Jikojicho, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0813

Jokyo-ji Temple

Address: 2 Chome-20-24 Namazecho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo 669-1102

Phone: 0797-86-4626

Trees In the Town

 

Sanuki no Suke’s Diary: Postscript (1)

 

     Around the tenth of October, while at home, I find myself thinking more than ever, "If only the late Emperor were still alive," no matter what I do, see, or hear. Since people tell me, "That is the very place where he now rests," even though I cannot see his living form, I go to visit Koryu-ji Temple.

     The treetops there are already completely ablaze with autumn leaves. The foliage seems far more vibrant in color than that anywhere else. Perhaps the crimson tears I shed, longing for the days gone by, have stained the leaves, making their color appear exceptionally deep.

     When I reach the gravesite, the pampas grass, pale and withered, seems to beckon me with its hands. Given the location, its faded state is far more poignant than when it was in full bloom.

     "During his lifetime, so many men and women served him, each vying for his attention. But now, at the foot of this remote mountain, not a single person who once served him personally remains. He stands alone, beckoning people to him through the grass, yet no one stops to visit," I think, and I can barely stop my tears. Even the tomb is blurred by my tears, and I cannot bear to look at it.

The pampas grass beckons,

Yet no one stops to turn aside.

He who once ruled the world

Has vanished into a wisp of smoke.

Does it beckon because it knows

The sorrow deep within my heart?

As I venture in search

Of his vanished traces.

Just hearing about the pampas grass

Standing at the tomb of the late emperor

Fills one with sorrow;

Imagine, then, how I must feel, standing here before it.

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual New Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #32 Shinpuku-ji Temple

 

     The origins of Shinpuku-ji Temple in Uozaki-shinmura (Innami County, Harima Province) remain shrouded in mystery. The village was established as salt pans in 1604 by Rokuzaemon of Arai Village. Originally settled by his family and known as Arai-shinmura, it was officially recognized as a village by the Himeji Domain and renamed Uozaki-shinmura in 1625.

     Records are silent regarding when Shinpuku-ji was abolished or where it stood. Uozaki-shinmura encompassed the modern-day area of Umei (Takasago, Hyogo) and its surroundings. Given that Umei is already home to Zengyo-ji—a Pure Land Buddhist temple founded in the early Edo period—it is possible that Shinpuku-ji served as a jingu-ji (shrine-temple). If so, it likely faced abolition following the Shinbutsu Bunri (Gods and Buddhas Separation Order) of 1868.

     Since most shrines in the village were managed by Sone Tenman Shrine, the former site of the temple was likely repurposed for communal or ritual use. My hypothesis is that the temple became just Kannon-do Hall, relocated to its present place.

Zengyo-ji Temple

Address: 4 Chome-20-3 Umei, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0074

Phone: 079-447-3710

Sone Tenman Shrine

Address: 2299-1 Sonecho, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0082

Phone: 079-447-0645

Kannon-do Hall

Address: 5-5 Araicho Nakamachi, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0007

Trees In the Town

 

Sanuki no Suke’s Diary: Conclusion

 

     Those who read this diary will probably speak ill of me, saying, "For a mere lady-in-waiting, she is far too presumptuous, acting as if she knows everything; how hateful!" However, even such matters of Buddhist teachings were what the late Emperor constantly spoke of and graciously imparted to us during our rambling morning and evening conversations. Therefore, I have written down the facts exactly as I remember them.

     Please, do not speak ill of me. Those who do not mourn the late Emperor have no need to read this. I simply feel that I could never forget the precious, deeply moving, and gentle nature of his heart. Thus, I could not help but write these memories down.

As this year draws to a close,

While my grief remains unchanged,

The days since I parted from my Lord

Will only feel more distant.

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual New Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #31 Saiko-ji Temple

 

     Saiko-ji Temple was founded in today's Ihozaki, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0076, in 1275 by Kawagoe Nobuyoshi, whose Buddhist name was Yuko.  Nobuyoshi used to be a samurai steward in Iyo Province.  His ancestors were the Kawagoe Family, who were based in Kawagoe-kan, which was a fortified residence in Musashi Province.  Due to their military achievements, some family members were dispatched to Western provinces as samurai stewards of manors there.

     Anyway, Nobuyoshi harbored a desire to become a Buddhist monk, traveled to Harima Province, became a disciple of Priest Jiko, the founder of Jiko-ji Temple, and founded Saiko-ji Temple.

     The 22nd head priest of Saiko-ji Temple, Jinko, entered Jiko-ji Temple from Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, and later became the chief priest of Saiko-ji Temple.

     It is unknown when, why and how Saiko-ji Temple moved to its present place.

Address: 460 Yonedacho, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0805

Phone: 079-432-6584

Ruins of Kawagoe Family's Residence

Address: 194 Uwado, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-0816

Phone: 049-224-6097

Jiko-ji Temple

Address: 12-18 Jikojicho, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0813

Phone: 079-447-1134

Trees In the Town

 

Sanuki no Suke’s Diary: Memories of the Imperial Palace (13)

 

     As it is the end of December, the Retired Emperor orders us to prepare the celebratory meal for New Year's Day. While everyone is busy with preparations, all I can think about is how much further away the deceased becomes with the passing year.

     On New Year's Eve, as I pass by the Horikawa-in Residence on my way to the palace, Nijo-oji Street and Horikawa-dori Street are eerily quiet, completely without any sign of bustling crowds. My eyes remain fixed upon the mansion, and I even recall an old poem Tachibana Nagayasu (988–1051) composed:

Though left without answer,

Their master has gone;

Yet the faded glory of the mansion

Speaks of a loneliness far beyond words.

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual New Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #30 Fukuden-ji Temple

 

     Fukuden-ji Temple was located in today's Tomosawa Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0035.  Tomosawa Village was first listed in the Keicho Kuni-ezu, or the Keicho Maps of the Provinces, which was based on the land survey of the feudal lords' territories and the lands of temples and shrines across Japan conducted in September, 1605.

     Today, the Tomosawa area has only Jugan-ji Temple as a Buddhist temple.  Fukuden-ji Temple might have been abolished due to the movement to abolish Buddhism and to destroy Buddhist images at the beginning of the Meiji Period.

     The Tomosawa area has Hachiman Shrine, and Tomozawa Community Center is adjoins the shrine.  Presumably, Fukuden-ji Temple was the shrine temple of Hachiman Shrine, was abolished after  the Meiji Restoration Government issued the Gods and Buddhas Separation Order in 1868, and its site became the community center.

Jugan-ji Temple

Address: Tomosawa-283-1 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0035

Phone: 079-424-4763

Hachiman Shrine

Address: Tomosawa-330 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0035

Shingonshujizoson

Address: 362-3 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0035

Tomosawa Community Center

Address: 330 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0035

Trees In the Town

 

Sanuki no Suke’s Diary: Memories of the Imperial Palace (12)

 

     The next morning, with the vivid impressions of the previous night still lingering in my mind, my thoughts immediately turn to the late Emperor. I write to Taira Chushi (1037–1109), knowing she will understand my feelings, as she is always in my thoughts.

     My poem:

Gazing upon the splendid ceremonies

Of the Five Festivals,

How deeply I long for the late Emperor,

Whom I served for so many years.

     Chushi’s reply:

Just hearing of those splendid ceremonies

Of the Five Festivals is wonderful.

Now a stranger to the palace,

My sleeves are utterly drenched.

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual New Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #29 Jifuku-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Jifuku-ji Temple was founded in Inaya Village, Innami County, Harima Province.  It has been abolished and it is unknown where it was exactly located.

     The Inaya area has Otoshi Shrine, whose foundation date is unknown.  It enshrines Toshigami.

     Toshigami is the deity of abundant harvests, specifically associated with rice and other grains. While Toshigami appears in the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters), this deity is notably absent from the Nihon Shoki (The Chronicles of Japan), which was completed in 720 with a stronger focus on legitimizing the imperial lineage. This exclusion suggests that as the central government established a formal Shinto hierarchy, certain local or folk deities like Toshigami were overlooked or marginalized in favor of the state-sanctioned mythological framework.

     Anyway, as the temple name Jifuku means Land Fortune, Jifuku-ji Temple could have been a shrine temple of Inaya Otoshi Shrine.  If so, the temple might have been abolished after the Meiji Restoration Government issued the Gods and Buddhas Separation Order in 1868

     For your information, Otoshi's son was Mitoshi, and Mitoshi's sons were Wakatoshi and Kukutoshi.

Inaya Otoshi Shrine

Address: Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0034

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual New Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #28 Fukuden-ji Temple

 

     Fukuden-ji Temple is said to have been founded in 606 by Prince Shotoku (574-622).  During the Southern and Northern Courts Period (1337-1392) and the Muromachi Period (1336-1573), it received the patronage of the Akamatsu Clan, and it is believed that Akamatsu Norimura (1277-1350) and Akamatsu Masanori (1455-1496) built and renovated the temple buildings.

     It was destroyed by fire during the Warring States Period (1467-1573), and was converted to the Caodong Chan Sect sometime between 1592 and 1596.

     The place name Inaya means Rice Warehouse and the temple name Fukuden means Fortune Fields.  The names suggest what it looked like around the area in ancient times, when the temple was founded.  In the medieval days, the Inaya Fortress was built in the grounds of Fukuden-ji Temple.

Address: Inaya-607 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0034

Phone: 079-422-5848

Inaya Fortress Site

Address: Inaya-584-1 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0034

Trees In the Town

 

Sanuki no Suke’s Diary: Memories of the Imperial Palace (11)

 

     As the night of the sacred mikagura music arrives, the ritual unfolds much like the traditional ceremonies preserved by the Imperial Household Agency today. However, this particular occasion feels somewhat more modern. All the performers are dressed in ceremonial robes with red cords around their necks and hikage threads hanging down. Although they look elegant, the way they wear their hair ornaments gives the distinct impression of watching an impromptu festival.

     Everyone takes their seats to perform their respective roles. It is meticulous of the Regent, Fujiwara Tadazane (1078-1162), to personally oversee both the fore-court (Zentei) and rear-court (Gotei) sessions of the ritual. Dressed in formal court attire, the Regent sits on a raised platform above the others. Seeing him wearing the Imperial Messenger's hair ornament as a crown, his appearance is uniquely magnificent, setting him apart from the rest. The main melody is played on the hichiriki by Fujiwara Munemichi (1071-1120); the flute by his son, Fujiwara Nobumichi (1091-1120); the koto by his younger brother, Fujiwara Koremichi (1093-1165); and the time is kept by Fujiwara Tsunetada (1075-1138), who commands the rhythm as the conductor (hyoshi). There are many other musicians present, but I shall omit them here for the sake of brevity.

     As the sacred mikagura music begins, the resonant rhythms of the two sets echo high into the heavens. Even to my ears, unaccustomed to such grand melodies, the sound is truly magnificent. As the mikagura gradually draws to a close, the voices chanting "A thousand years, a thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand years" make it fully understandable why the sun goddess, Amaterasu Omikami, could not remain secluded in the Heavenly Rock Cave.

     I firmly believe that the great deities of Ise will protect and cherish our sovereign, who, despite his tender age, now rules the nation. Surely, the years of his reign will multiply indefinitely, stretching as far as the vast bay of Nagai—so numerous that even the sands on the beach would run out before his time ends. Like the eternal flow of the Mimosusogawa River, his reign will undoubtedly endure. Indeed, just as the auspicious song of the white camellia foretells, it seems that peace and tranquility will prevail for countless years to come.

     As the sacred ritual transitions into the final, festive banquet (asobi), the Regent takes up the koto, Minamoto Mototsuna (1050-1118) plays the biwa, and the rhythm is once again handled by Fujiwara Munetada (1062-1141). The flute is played by Minamoto Masasada (1094-1162), while the other flute and hichiriki parts are sustained by the same musicians from the first set. The Regent calls out, "Lead the singing of Manzairaku!"

     He then joins in with his own koto, plucking the strings a few times to set the pitch, gently backing the melodies of "Anamon" and "Ise no Umi." Munetada keeps the time and begins to sing along.

     When the ceremony concludes, everyone changes their attire. The Regent’s skill on the koto is exceptionally brilliant. While all the musicians stand with their robes slung loosely over their shoulders, the Regent’s garment is conspicuously more beautiful than the rest. Seeing him with his undergarments and outer robes draped over his shoulders, he resembles the full moon rising over Mount Mikasa, its timeless radiance shining through the ages. His age and splendid appearance represent the very peak of cherry blossoms in full bloom. His attire is so magnificent that one might imagine him as a Chakravartin—a universal monarch. As he is about to rise from his seat, he remarks: "These are gifts bestowed upon me. I must not simply leave them behind and stand; that would be disrespectful."

     With the robes still draped over his shoulders, he walks out. In front of the Imperial seat, he turns to his son, Fujiwara Tadamichi (1097-1164): "Come here, and accept these," he says, offering the robes to him.

     Witnessing this scene, I am filled with a profound sense of reassurance. I feel certain that the young heir's future will be as prosperous as a two-leaved pine tree destined to endure for a thousand years, and that he will rise to great eminence, parting the very clouds above.

     Once the ceremony was complete, I set up my car and left immediately.

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual New Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #27 Nyoi-ji Temple

 

     Nyoi-ji Temple is said to have been founded sometime between the end of the Kamakura Period (1185-1333) and the beginning of the Muromachi Period (1336-1573), ignoring the legend that it was founded by Hermit Hodo.

     In 1339, Oi Tsukasa became the steward samurai of the Gannan Manor and built Ishihajiki Fortress, which later became Tomari Shrine.  Nyoi-ji Temple could have been founded in those days.  In 1375, Tsukasa's 5th son, Isamu, became the head of the family.  His 1st son, Osa, called himself Kimura Gentaro in 1454.  In 1455, Isamu was killed in battle.  The fortress was seized by Yamana Mochitoyo (1404-1473) in 1459, and Gentaro was killed in battle.

Address: Kimura-602 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0038

Phone: 079-423-6961

Tomari Shrine

Address: Kimura-658 Kakogawacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0038

Phone: 079-422-4813