Trees In the Town

 

Kako County Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

 

The date of compilation of Harima no Kuni Fudoki, which lists Kako County, but it must have been around 715.  Although the county is very old, the Kako County Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized quite new.  The origins of the Kako County Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage (est. 1922) are shrouded in mystery, with no record of its founders. However, its simultaneous creation alongside the local Saigoku and Chichibu routes suggests a deliberate, coordinated effort. Let’s see how the organizers gathered another set of 33 Kannon temples in a small county.

Trees In the Town

 

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

 

     Saiho-ji Temple was founded in the mid-Edo period (1603–1867) in Nagasuna Village, Kako County, Harima Province. A defining moment in the temple’s history occurred in 1717, during a nationwide cultural boom surrounding the legend of Princess Chujo (Chujohime). In this year, the temple's 14th chief priest, Giryu, dedicated the Taima Mandala, a sacred and intricate Buddhist painting depicting the Pure Land (Buddhist Paradise). This masterpiece was painted by Takuma Ryoga, a celebrated Buddhist painter who held the prestigious title of Hokkyo during the Kamakura period (1185–1333).

      Desiring to share the profound teachings of this mandala and the inspiring faith of Princess Chujo with the local community, Priest Giryu established the temple's signature annual event: the Chujohime Twenty-Five Bodhisattva Procession Ceremony (Amida Raigo Neri-kuyo). To ensure its spiritual authenticity, the ritual’s sacred masks, dazzling costumes, and ceremonial procedures were formally brought to Saiho-ji Temple from Tokusho-ji Temple in Arida (Wakayama Prefecture), a historic sanctuary where Princess Chujo once lived.

     Held every year on May 3rd to commemorate the anniversary of Princess Chujo's passing, this Buddhist folk ritual remains a profound spiritual spectacle. A solemn procession of twenty-five bodhisattvas, adorned in radiant costumes and golden masks, quietly crosses the vermilion Raigo-bashi bridge leading to the main hall, which symbolizes the Pure Land of Amida Buddha.

Address: 567 Noguchicho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0016

Phone: 079-423-5588

Trees In the Town

 

Sanuki no Suke's Diary: Note on the Ice (Kori 氷) and Icehouses (Himuro 氷室)

 

In the mid-seventh month of the lunar calendar (mid-August in the modern calendar), ice was an extraordinary luxury, practically exclusive to the Emperor and high-ranking aristocrats. Without modern refrigeration, obtaining ice in the sweltering Kyoto summer required a sophisticated system of winter harvesting, storage, and logistical transport managed by the Imperial Office of Water (Mondo-no-tsukasa 主水司).

During the coldest winter months, thick ice was harvested from frozen ponds and rivers, then stored in semi-subterranean icehouses (himuro 氷室) packed with straw and thatch for insulation. According to the 10th-century legal code Engishiki (延喜式), six official icehouses were established in Yamashiro Province (present-day Kyoto) to supply the Imperial Court. Most were strategically hidden in the cool, elevated valleys north of the capital:

Kurusunono & Tsusaka (Nagasaka) Icehouses (栗栖野・土坂氷室): Located in modern-day Nishigamo-Himuro-cho, Kita Ward. Situated in a mountain basin at an elevation of about 380 meters beyond the Kyōmi Pass (north of Kinkaku-ji and Takagamine), this was the primary and closest major icehouse complex. Today, visitors can still explore the historical site (Himuro-ato, a designated historic site of Kyoto) and visit Himuro Shrine (氷室神社), which is dedicated to the deity of ice.

Iwasaki Icehouse (石前氷室): Located near the Kinugasa area just north of Kinkaku-ji (modern-day Kinugasa-Himuro-cho, Kita Ward).

Ono Icehouse (小野氷室): Nestled in the mountains along the Takano River near Yase and Ohara, southeast of Kurama (modern-day Kamitakano-Himuro-yama, Sakyo Ward).

Tokuoka Icehouse (徳岡氷室): Located in the Omuro district north of Ninnaji Temple (modern-day Omuro-Sumiyoshi-yama, Ukyo Ward).

Sakakibara Icehouse (賢木原氷室): Situated in the hills west of the Katsura River (modern-day Katagihara, Nishikyo Ward).

Transported under cover of night to prevent melting, this precious ice arrived at the palace as a rare comfort for the gravely ill Emperor Horikawa. Understanding this historical background illuminates the deep devotion of the court attendants who presented it in a metal bowl to soothe his high fever, as well as the poignant image of the weakened emperor attempting to carve it himself.

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #32 Encho-ji Temple

 

     The exact founding date of Encho-ji Temple in Nagasa Village, Kako County, Harima Province, remains unknown. The earliest recorded mention of both the temple and the village appears together in a historical document dated August 1515.

     Geographically, the temple's modern precincts sit directly upon the leveled front section (zenpo-bu) of the Seiryozan Tumulus, an early Kofun period (4th century) burial mound. The tumulus is estimated to have a total length of approximately 78 meters, with a rear circular section about 45 meters in diameter and 6 meters in height.

     A close historical connection between the temple and the tumulus is supported by both artifacts and temple records. The temple precincts house a composite-type stone sarcophagus made of Ryuzan stone (tuff), which is said to have originated from the tumulus. According to local tradition, it was once used as a bridge over a nearby stream before being preserved at the temple. Furthermore, Encho-ji’s own temple chronicle records that in 1543, twelve iron arrowheads (yajiri) were discovered from a "cave" on the site, which strongly suggests that the temple utilized or managed the tumulus grounds during the medieval and feudal periods. Given that the transition from bronze to iron arrowheads occurred during the early Kofun period, these twelve iron arrowheads signify that the local rulers of this region possessed advanced iron technology and held significant power at a very early stage in Japanese history.

Address: Nagasuna-1051 Noguchicho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0016

Phone: 079-422-7365

Enchoji Stone Coffin

Address: Nagasuna-1051 Noguchicho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0016

Seiryozan Tumulus

Address: Nagasuna Noguchicho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0016

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #31 Sennen-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Sennen-ji Temple was founded in Sakai Village, Kako County, Harima Province.  The village was first listed in the Keicho Kuni-ezu, the map published in 1611.

     Sennen-ji Temple enshrines the standing wooden statue of Amidabha of India as its principal image, with the seated wooden statues of Shandao (613-681) of China and Honen (1133-1212) of Japan as its attendant images, when India, China, and Japan were supposed to constitute the whole world.

Address: Sakai-292-2 Noguchicho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0015

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #30 Hase-dera Temple

 

     It is unknown when Hase-dera Temple was founded in Shinobe Village, Kako County, Harima Province. Shinobe Village first appeared in historical documents in 1515, when some villagers made donations to Kakurin-ji Temple, which suggests the temple might have owned the village at the time.

     On August 28th, 1582, the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–1598) granted the village to Yamana Akihiro (1559–1627), presumably replacing its former ownership. Later, in 1600, following the Battle of Sekigahara, Ikeda Terumasa (1565–1613), the lord of the Himeji Domain, transferred the village to Fukuda Gyusuke.

     It is also unknown exactly when Hase-dera Temple fell into ruin. Today, only the Jizo-do Hall remains on its original site, while its Eleven-Faced Ekadasamukha statue was relocated to the nearby Yakushi-do Hall (located in Shinobe).

Address: Shinobe-2517 Befucho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0131

Yakushi-do Hall

Address: Shinobe-761 Befucho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0131

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #29 An'yo-ji Temple

 

The Early History and Economic Context of An'yo-ji Temple

1. Textual and Physical Origins

     The precise founding date of An'yo-ji Temple in Ishiki Village, Kako County, Harima Province, is undocumented. However, its historical presence is firmly established through both literary and physical evidence. The temple first appears in a 1515 entry of the Tenmangu Sarugaku Zojicho, recording a donation of approximately 12 go of rice to support a sarugaku theatrical performance. This documentary history aligns with the physical artifacts on the temple grounds, which feature three Hokyointo (stone miniature pagodas). While one pagoda carries an inscription from 1516/1517 , the oldest of the three structurally dates to the early 15th century, suggesting the temple's origins predate its earliest literary mentions.  

2. Financial Reality of a Local Institution

     The scale of the 1515 donation reflects the humble reality of a community-oriented temple. A later document from 1601 (Wakahara Ukyonosuke An’yojo) records the temple’s official fief (jiryo) as a mere three koku—historically equivalent to the annual food supply for only three adults. While the temple supplemented its livelihood through parishioner donations, the 12 go contribution—roughly equivalent to a single meal for 12 people—demonstrates a modest yet sincere engagement with local village culture, proportionate to the temple's economic capacity.

3. Connection to the Ishiki Fortified Residence

     Traditionally, An'yo-ji Temple is said to stand on the former site of the Ishiki Fortified Residence, the base of the warrior Ishiki Umanosuke Tokinori. Although mainstream historical documents lack definitive verification regarding the existence or fall of the Ishiki Family, local genealogy records Tokinori as a great-grandson of Ogasawara Tokitada. Based on the genealogical naming convention of inheriting the kanji character "tada" (忠), Tokitada is hypothesized to be a descendant of Ogasawara Nagatada (1202–1264), who held the official title of Umanosuke, which was also inherited by Tokinori. Following the purported destruction of the Ishiki Family during the Siege of Miki (1578–1580), the temple either expanded into the neighboring residence site or was relocated to this strategic location from a nearby area, preserving the memory of a localized history otherwise overlooked by major historical narratives.

Address: Ishiki−24, Hiraokacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0115

Phone: 079-437-9135

Isshiki Fortified Residence Site

Address: 24 Hiraokacho Ishikinishi, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0115

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Kako County Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #28 Shofuku-ji Temple

 

     The exact founding date of Shofuku-ji Temple in Nakano Village (Kako County, Harima Province) remains unknown. However, historical records first mention the village in 1354 as part of Ae Manor, which was then under the control of Sumiyoshi Shrine. At that time, Akamatsu Norisuke (1314–1372) served as the Shugo (Samurai Guardian) of Harima Province. Although Norisuke had briefly aligned himself with the Southern Court in 1351, he returned to the Northern Court the following year.

     Within the temple precincts stands a Hokyointo (a treasure chest seal pagoda), which is believed to date back to the latter half of the Muromachi Period (1336–1573).

     Taking these factors into account, it is highly probable that as the authority of Sumiyoshi Shrine declined, local samurai emerged in the area. These warriors likely established the temple to pray for their own salvation and peace in the afterlife amidst the uncertainties of warfare.

Address: Nakano−94−1, Hiraokacho, Kakogawa, Hyogo 675-0113

Phone: 079-490-7678