Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Arima County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #11 Hotei-ji Temple

 

     Hotei-ji Temple was founded by Miyazaki Hirotsuna, who claimed to be a descendant of Taira Noritsune (1160-1184), who died fighting against the Minamoto Clan.  After the Taira Clan was defeated in the Battle of Dannoura in Nagato Province, Noritsune's surviving son fled to Miyazaki in Hyuga Province, where he lived in seclusion for many years.  He took the place name as his surname.  Later In the 1520's, Hirotsuna came from Miyazaki with the statue of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses.  The statue was said to have been Noritsune's personal guardian Buddhist image.  Hirotsuna lived in Hata Manor, which was said to have been Noritsune's territory at the time the Taira Clan moved the national capital to Fukuhara.  He developed the land, naming the village Jiro.  He founded Hotei-ji Temple, enshrining the Arya Avalokitesvara statue.  He passed away on November 15th, 1574.  Hirotsuna's son married a daughter of the Matsubara Family, the lord of Kusakabe Tanpopo Fortress, and had one son, Hiromitsu.

     When Matsubara Yoshitomi was the 5th lord of Tanpopo Fortress, the family was destroyed as samurai by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598) and so was the Miyazaki Family.  The fortress was abolished, but their descendants kept living in the area.

     After over 20 generations, Miyazaki Yojun practiced medicine, and formerly served the Fushiminomiya Family as their personal physician, serving them for many years and giving them treatment.  The family allowed the temple to wear the Imperial Chrysanthemum Crest.  Even today, the crest can be seen on the roof tiles of the temple, the front entrance, and others.

     The fact that Yojun was the personal physician for members of the Royal Family is clearly stated on the back of his Buddhist memorial tablet.  The Miyazaki Family cemetery is located to the south of the temple with the grave of Hirotsuna at its center.  There are over 30 graves and stupas representing successive generations.  On a small hill in the western corner of the temple, there was once a small, old-fashioned shrine dedicated to Emperor Antoku (1178-1185), whom the Miyazaki Family worshipped for generations.  It was merged into a village shrine around 1906, and only its site remains.  The Miyazaki Family had a mansion until around 1907, but Miyazaki Tomoshichi had no heirs and the family finally died out, with only the site of the mansion remaining.

     Hotei-ji Temple suffered a fire sometime between 1818 and 1831, when Daien was the 9th head priest.  It is regrettable that the temple buildings and ancient documents were lost to ruin.  The 10th head priest, Soso, passionately tried to rebuild the temple, visiting everywhere.  With the cooperation of the general parishioners, he rebuilt the current temple buildings in the autumn of 1833.

     The 12th head priest, Soken, was a gifted man of exceptional talent, and served not only as the chief priest of the temple but also as a senior official at the head temple, Eihei-ji Temple, for approximately 10 years, devoting himself to great service and dedication.  As a result, in 1869, Eihei-ji Temple recognized his meritorious service and raised the status of Hotei-ji Temple.

Address: 779 Arinocho, Kita Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-1311

Phone: 078-982-3221

Tanpopo Fortress Site

 Address: Kusakabe-1357 Dojocho, Kita Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-1505

Eihei-ji Temple

Address: 5-15 Shihi, Eiheiji, Yoshida District, Fukui 910-1228

Phone: 0776-63-3102

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Arima County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #10 Joraku-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Joraku-ji Temple was founded in Naka Village, Arima County, Settsu Province.

Address: Naka-60 Hatacho, Kita Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-1351

Phone: 078-951-0543

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Arima County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #9 Chomei-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Chomei-ji Temple was founded in Onada Village, Arima County, Settsu Province.  Onada Village was recorded in Keicho Kuni-ezu, or the Keicho Maps of the Provinces.  Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616), the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, conducted a land survey of the distribution and rice yields of the feudal lords' territories and the lands of temples and shrines across Japan in September, 1605.  He appointed Nishio Yoshitsugu (1530-1606) as magistrate in charge of Eastern Provinces and Tsuda Hidemasa (1546-1653) as magistrate in charge of Western Provinces.  The maps are said to have been made based on this survey.  The village was the territory of Arima Toyouji (1569-1642).  It is unknown when the village was divided into Kami-Onada, namely Upper Onada, and Shimo-Onada, Namely Lower Onada, Villages.

     Shimo-Onada Village was merged into Kobe City, the Kanoko-dai New Town was developed in the area, and Chomei-ji Temple came to belong to the new town.

 

Address: 2 Chome-8-1 Kanokodai Minamimachi, Kita Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-1514

Phone: 078-951-0544

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Arima County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #8 Ensho-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Ensho-ji Temple was founded in Onada Village, Arima County, Settsu Province.

     Onada Village was recorded in Keicho Kuni-ezu, or the Keicho Maps of the Provinces.  Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616), the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, conducted a land survey of the distribution and rice yields of the feudal lords' territories and the lands of temples and shrines across Japan in September, 1605.  He appointed Nishio Yoshitsugu (1530-1606) as magistrate in charge of Eastern Provinces and Tsuda Hidemasa (1546-1653) as magistrate in charge of Western Provinces.  The maps are said to have been made based on this survey.  The village was the territory of Arima Toyouji (1569-1642).  It is unknown when the village was divided into Kami-Onada, namely Upper Onada, and Shimo-Onada, namely Lower Onada, Villages.

     Near the temple, there is the site of Sanjo Kokaji Munechika's workshop.

Munechika is said to have been a swordsmith from the late 10th century.  Kanchiin-bon Meizukushi has the section under the heading of Reign of Emperor Ichijo (980-1011).  The section writes that Munechika is known as the blacksmith of Sanjo.  He made the sword Ukimaru for Emperor Gotoba (1180-1239), and the Kogitsune for Fujiwara Michinori (1106-1160).  He is known as a master swordsmith from the period when Japanese swords were changing from straight ones to curved ones.  His forging of Ichijo's sword, Kogitsunemaru, is mentioned in the Noh play Kokaji.  There are no swords dating from this period, and with no other corroborating evidence.  He is treated as almost a legend.

     Munechika is widely believed to have lived and worked at Sanjo in Kyoto, and was called Sanjo Munechika.

     Hata Shrine, however, claims that it keeps wakizashi made by Munechika.  Munechika worshiped the shrine and donated a Japanese sword known as Nihon-ichi, or Japan's No. 1.  The Settsu Meisho Zue, or the Illustrated Guide to Famous Places in Settsu Province, which was first published in 1796, also lists Munechika's former residence as being located near the shrine.  The shrine houses a wakizashi with Munechika's name inscribed, another wakizashi with the inscription "donated by Munechika" on its white scabbard, and the other wakizashi said to have been donated by Munechika.  The authenticity of all of the 3 items is uncertain.

     Meizukushi is supposed to have been written in 1316.  The one kept in Kanchi-in Temple was copied in 1423.  It lists the names of swordsmiths from the mythical times, including the names of swordsmiths, illustrations of their swords, and genealogies of swordsmith schools.

     Anyway, it is probable that Munechika mastered his sword making technique in the Hata Manor, where craftsmanship had been handed down from prehistoric time when the Hata Clan moved in from or through the Korean Peninsula.  He then might have moved to Kyoto to maximize his potential and profits.

Address: Kamionada-2372 Hatacho, Kita Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-1354

Phone: 078-952-1331

Sanjo Kokaji Munechika Residence Site

Address: Kamionada-1667 Hatacho, Kita Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-1354

Kanchi-in Temple

Address: 403 Kujocho, Minami Ward, Kyoto, 601-8473

Phone: 075-691-1131

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Arima County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #7 Eitoku-ji Temple

 

     Eitoku-ji Temple was founded in Yoshio Village, Arima County, Settsu Province, in 1533.

     Miyoshi Motonaga (1501-1532) cornered Hosokawa Takakuni (1484-1531) to committ suicide at 4 a.m. on June 8th in 1531.  Motonaga was cornered to committ suicide on June 20th in 1532.  In 1533, people should have known that everything is ephemeral.

     Yoshio Village was located in the basin of the Hata River, a tributary of the Muko River.  The Yoshio Family was based in Yoshio Fortress during the Warring States Period (1467-1573), but was destroyed by the Matsubara Family in 1560.  Yamazaki Sadatoki is said to have subsequently resided in the fortress.  The village name appears on Keicho Kuni-ezu, or the Keicho Maps of the Provinces.

     Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616), the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, conducted a land survey of the distribution and rice yields of the feudal lords' territories and the lands of temples and shrines across Japan in September, 1605.  He appointed Nishio Yoshitsugu (1530-1606) as magistrate in charge of Eastern Provinces and Tsuda Hidemasa (1546-1653) as magistrate in charge of Western Provinces.  The maps are said to have been made based on this survey.  There is no mention of the village's land area. It is believed to have been included in Yanagidani Village's land area.  According to the Settsu Province Account of 1617, it was the territory of Arima Toyouji (1569-1642).

Address: Yoshio-714 Hatacho, Kita Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-1353

Phone: 078-982-3615

Yoshio Fortress Site

Address: 347 Yoshio, Katsuura, Chiba 299-5242

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Arima County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #6 Gokuraku-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Gokuraku-ji Temple was founded in Tsukumono Hamlet, Hata Village, Arima County, Settsu Province.  Tsukumono means production.  It is said that there used to be the manor of Hata Clan when Emperor Tachibana no Toyohi reigned from 585 to 587.

     According to Nihonshoki, the Chronicles of Japan, whose editing was finished in 720, Hata Clan was an immigrant clan from or through Korea Peninsula.  The clan had been active in Japan since the Kofun period (about 300-538).

     Some members of the clan founded Hata Shrine and built a workshop in Tsukumono.  Sometime, Tsukumono came to have its own shrine, Tsukumono-Hachioji Shrine, and temple, Gokuraku-ji Temple.

Address: Tsukumono-884 Hatacho, Kita Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-1343

Phone: 078-982-0189

Hata Shrine

Address: Shimoonada−284 Hatacho, Kita Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-1352

Phone: 078-951-0320

Tsukumono-Hachioji Shrine

Address: Tsukumono-361-2 Hatacho, Kita Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-1343

Phone: 078-575-8724

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Arima County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #5 Eisho-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when and how Eisho-ji Temple was founded in Arino Village, Arima County, Settsu Province.  It is also unknown when and why it was abolished.

     Presumably, it was founded as a shrine temple of Gosha-Hachiman Shrine and/or to take care of the graves in Kirihata Cemetery.  If so, it might have been abolished after the Meiji Restoration Government issued the Gods and Buddhas Separation Order in 1868.

Gosha-Hachiman Shrine

Address: Arino-3988 Arinocho, Kita Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-1312

Kirihata Cemetery

Address 9 Chome−6−6 Arinodai, Kita Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-1321