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

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Arima County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #4 Zenpuku-ji Temple

 

     According to the Settsu Meisho Zue, or the Illustrated Guide to Famous Places in Settsu Province, which was first published in 1796, Zenpuku-ji Temple was founded by Gyoki (668-749) and revived by Ninsai.  In 1331, the temple was transferred to Caodong Chan Sect.  The temple is said to have run a kind of a public bathhouse called Ichinoyu.  Zuikei Shuho (1392-1473) wrote that he visited Zenpuku-ji Temple to take a hot spring cure on April 24th, 1452, in his diary Gaun Nikken-roku.  He learned from the temple's monks that Emperor Karu (596-654) had his temporary palace on the mountain opposite.

     During the Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1573-1603), Zenpuku-ji Temple was appointed the magistrate of Arima Hotsprings.  Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598) held a grand tea ceremony in the temple, and the annual tea offering ceremony, the Arima Grand Tea Ceremony, is held even today.

Address: 1645 Arimacho, Kita Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-1401

Phone: 078-904-0127

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Arima County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #3 Onsen-ji Temple

 

     According to the legend, in 724, Bhaisajyaguru inspired Gyoki (668-749) to revive Arima Onsen, or the Arima Hot Springs, which was in decline.  He founded Onsen-ji Temple with Bhaiṣajyaguru as its main deity.

     In 1097, a flood destroyed Onsen-ji Temple, but it was rebuilt in 1191 by Priest Ninsei, who restored Arima Onsen, inspired by Kumano Gongen.

     The entire temple was destroyed by fire in 1576, but was quickly rebuilt.  It subsequently suffered another fire, and, in 1590, the Yakushi-do Hall was rebuilt by Nene (1549-1624).  After it burned down during the Edo Period (1603-1868), the current Yakushi-do Hall was rebuilt in 1781.

     With the anti-Buddhist movement at the beginning of the Meiji Period (1868-1912), Onsen-ji Temple was abolished, and all of the buildings and pagodas except for the Yakushi-do Hall were demolished.  Subsequently, Seiryo-in Temple, which was the inner sanctuary of the abolished former Onsen-ji Temple, took over the temple's status and continues to this day.

Address: 1643 Arimacho, Kita \ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-1401

Phone: 078-904-0650