Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Akashi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #9 Entsu-ji Temple

 

     Haoka Hill used to be the Akashi Domain's hunting grounds.  Matsudaira Nobuyuki (1631-1686), the 6th lord of the Akashi Domain, developed new rice fields there, and Toba Village was organized from 1659 to 1679.  At the request of village headman, Iwasa Uemon, Nobuyuki built a Kannon-do hall.  Some say Toba Village was already nearby and 12 households immigrated from the village and developed the new rice fields in the nearby hilly area.

     Nobuyuki was transferred to the Yamato Koriyama Domain and then to the Shimousa Furukawa Domain, where he died in 1686.

     With the cooperation of the villagers, Zensho, a traveling monk from Usuki, Bungo Province, rebuilt the Kannon-do Hall in 1688.

     In 1735, the villagers erected a monument to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Nobuyuki's death, in memory of his virtue.

     Some time between 1688 and 1735, the hall became a Buddhist temple and was named Josui-ji.

     Nun Gyoshun rebuilt the main hall in October, 1965, and changed the temple's name from Daihi-san Jousui-ji to Jigan-san Entsu-ji.

     Part of the temple was rebuilt in 1993, and the Jizo-do hall, which used to be the Kannon-do hall, was converted into a two-story building.

     The monument for Yukinobu was rebuilt in 2000.

     The temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:

Even those who lose their children

Can be saved without exception.

Give a try to the flowers falling from the compassionate temple.

Address: 3-chome-8-1 Sawano, Akashi, Hyogo 673-0008

Phone: 078-928-0174

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Akashi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #8 Gokuraku-ji Temple

 

     Ei-jima or Ei-ga-jima Island was located at the mouth of Akane River.  In 726, Kasa Kanamura composed a poem mentioning the island as Nakisumi-no-funase:

I have heard that in Matsuho Bay on Awaji Island,

which can be seen over Nakisumi-no Funase,

Young female divers collect seaweed in the morning

And parch seaweed to get salt in the evening.

I have no way of going to see these girls.

Without a man's heart but with the broken heart,

I just go back and forth in the same place,

Yearning for the female divers.

I have neither a boat nor a helm.

     Funase was an inlet where boats waited for favorable or weaker winds.

     In 744, Gyoki (668-749) built a breakwater for the port and overhauled it as Uozumi Port.  The port was one of the 5 important ports in Harima and Settsu Provinces: Muro, Matogata, Uozumi, Owada, and Kawajiri Prots, which were located in today's Tatsuno, Himeji, Akashi, Kobe, and Amagasaki Cities.

     In 832, Kiyohara Natsuno (782-837) put his personal money into the reconstruction of Uozumi Port.  Later, the reconstruction was supported by public money.

     In 914, Miyoshi Kiyoyuki (847-919) submitted a petition to restore Uozumi Port.  The restoration was archaeologically supported by the surveys carried out in 1986, 2012, and 2013.

     It is unknown if Ei-jima or Ei-ga-shima was a land-connected island in historic times, but, in the Kamakura Period (1185-1333), it was already a peninsula.

     When Matsudaira Nobuyuki (1631-1686) was the 6th lord of the Akashi Domain, Ei-jima or Ei-ga-shima was renamed Nishi-jima, namely West Island, because the area was located in the west of Akane River.

     In 1733, Urabe Kiyobe built a Kannon-do hall for the temple.  The hall became today’s main hall.

     When Ino Tadataka (1745-1818) carried out his fifth expedition across Western Japan to draw Dai Nihon Enkai Yochi Zenzu, or Maps of Japan's Coastal Area, he stayed in Gokuraku-ji Temple for a night.  He left Edo on February 25th, 1805, and arrived at Gokuraku-ji Temple on October 11th.

     The Urabe Family is said to be the offspring of the Urabe Clan, who was a Japanese noble family and did Divination for the Royal Family.  The family was not only the head of the village but also ran a sake brewery, and their descendants still manage Eigashima Shuzo CO.,LTD.

     Gokuraku means Pure Land of Perfect Bliss, and Gokuraku-ji Temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:.

Nishi-jima, or West Island, sounds like Western Pure Land.

Speaking of Pure Land, we have Gokuraku-ji Temple here.

The teachings of Buddhism never fail to pass people to Pure Land.

Address: Nishijima-1100 Okubocho, Akashi, Hyogo 674-0065

Phone: 078-946-2149

EIGASHIMA SHUZO CO.,LTD.

Address: Nishijima-919 Okubocho, Akashi, Hyogo 674-0065

Phone: 078-946-1006

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Akashi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #7 Yakushi-in Temple

 

     According to legend, when Gyoki (668-749) visited the area, he thrust his Buddhist staff into the ground, and holy water gushed forth, from which a statue of Bhaisajyaguru, or Yakushi Nyorai in Japanese, emerged.  Yakushi-in Temple was founded to enshrine the statue.

     Or, in 730, Gyoki founded Seiryo-zan Akai-dera Temple.  In the 880's, it thrived to have over 20 sub-temples.  One of the sub-temples could have been Yakushi-in.  Akai-dera Temple fell into ruin during the Southern and Northern Courts Period (1336-1392), involved in battle.

     The present main hall was built in 1657 and was repaired in 1990.

     The temple's precincts have Akai Well.  Aka comes from argha in Sanskrit.  Argha means the water offered to Buddhas and priests.

     The temple is now known as Peony Temple, and its origins date back to the early Meiji Period (1868-1912), when the head priest at the time planted peonies to use their roots for medicines.  A 2,000 square meter peony garden has been maintained within the temple grounds.  During the flowering season, around 2,000 peonies of around 50 species bloom.

     The temple’ Buddhist tanka poem is:

The water drawn from Aka Spring is very pure.

We offer the water to Buddha

With the same purity in mind.

Address: Nishioka-1636 Uozumicho, Akashi, Hyogo 674-0084

Phone: 078-942-0330

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Akashi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #6 Raigo-ji Temple

 

     In 717, Gyoki carved 8 Avalokitesvara statues in Nyoi-ji Temple.  He is said to have founded Raigo-ji Temple and enshrined one of them, an Eleven-Faced Ekadasamukha statue.  Unfortunately, the statue was reduced to ashes in fire in 1924.

     Another Eleven-Faced Ekadasamukha statue was made in 1925.  It is recorded that Sakurai Shozaemon supported the revival of the temple.

     In 1982, an outward Ekadasamukha statue was made by Matsuhisa Horin (1901-1987), his son, Sorin (1926-1992), and his daughter, Maya (1954-).  As 3 generations of sculptors of Buddhist images took part in its production, the statue is called Sanze Kannon, or Three-generation Avalokitesvara.  If prayers are made to the statue, wishes for the past, present and future are supposed to be granted.

     The temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:

Again and again,

Spirits and minds visit Raigo-ji Temple

To see purple clouds hanging over the moonlit mountain.

     Raigo-ji Temple used to have a hermitage with a spring, which gushed pure water.  The hermitage is An in Japanese, and the spring is called An-no-ido.  Because this area is close to the sea, seawater mixes with the well water.  Although it is difficult to obtain good quality water in the area, fresh water springs up in the well.

Address: Yagi-310 Okubocho, Akashi, Hyogo 674-0063

Phone: 078-936-1323

Nyoi-ji Temple

Address: 259 Hasetanicho, Nishi Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-2237

Phone: 078-991-0009

An-no-ido Spring

Address: Yagi-294 Okubocho, Akashi, Hyogo 674-0063

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Akashi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #5 Ryosen-ji Temple

 

     Ryosen-ji Temple was founded in Fujie Village, Akashi County, Harima Province, in 1254 by Priest Kakushin (1207-1289).  Later, in 1701, Priest Houn revived it and converted it to the Linji Chan Sect.  The hall was destroyed by fire in 1803, but was rebuilt three years later in 1806.

     In Fujie Village, Kakinomoto Hitomaro (662-710) composed a tanka poem:

I fish for sea bass at the Fujie Cove.

I wonder if they take me to be a local fisherman

While I'm just a traveler.

     The village was documented in the Wamyo Ruijusho, namely Japanese Names for Things Classified and Annotated,  which was a Japanese dictionary compiled in 938.

     A temple school was held in the main hall, and when the school system was established in 1872, Futae Elementary School was opened.  Futae refers to Fujie and Matsue.  The current main hall was newly built in 1941.

     The temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:

Ryusen-ji Temple transforms itself

According to each of our enlightenments.

How grateful we are!

Address: 1305 Fujie, Akashi, Hyogo 673-0044

Phone: 078-923-6001

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Akashi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #4 Otaki-san Shogo-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when a Kannon-do hall was built in Hayashizaki Village, Akashi County, Harima Province.  The village was first mentioned on June 2nd, 1176, that Fujiwara Narichika (1138-1777) passed through the village when he was exiled to Bizen Province, where he was starved to death on July the 9th.

     In 1364, fundraising for the revival of Fukusho-ji Temple, whose nick name is Suma-dera, was held by copying the sutra.  It is unknown whether before or after the fundraising that the hall became Shogo-ji Temple.  In 1449, the villagers made a bell for the temple but the bell was moved to Myokei-in Temple, which was founded by Fukushima Masanori (1561-1624) for his late mother, Shounin (?-1602).  After the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Masanori became the lord of Aki Province, but it is unknown why the bell was moved but the temple seems to have been abolished in those days.

     In February, 1700, Priest Yukai of Jinno-ji Temple built a Kannon-do hall in the site of Shogo-ji Temple, supported by the village head, Zenbei.  It was restored in 1794, and the current hall was rebuilt in 1966.

     Shogo-ji Temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is: 

The river water from Mount Otaki

Is the same with that in Fudaraku

The water can tie up your wishes.

Address: 410 Matsue, Akashi, Hyogo 673-0036

Fukusho-ji Temple (Suma-dera Temple)

Address: 4 Chome-6-8 Sumaderacho, Suma Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 654-0071

Phone: 078-731-0416

Myokei-in Temple

Address: 2-1 Komachi, Naka Ward, Hiroshima, 730-0041

Phone: 082-241-7471

Trees In the Town

 

Virtual Akashi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #3 Jinno-ji Temple

 

     Jogan-ji Sairin-bo Temple was founded west of Hayashi-jinja Shrine in 716 by Fujiwara Umakai (694-737), who was appointed to be the vice ambassador of the 9th Japanese Mission to Tang China in the year.

     When Umakai recuperated at Mayadani Hot Springs, he received a revelation in a dream, which led to him making 7 Bhaisajyaguru images (the Akashi Seven Yakushi Buddhas) and enshrining them in 7 locations within Akashi County.  The main deity of Jinno-ji Temple is said to be one of the 7.

     Besides Jinno-ji Temple, Chorin-ji, Koke-ji, and Jurin-ji Temples claim that they belong to the Akashi Seven Yakushi Buddhas.  Taisan-ji Temple doesn’t say it belongs to the Akashi Seven Yakushi Buddhas but it was also founded by Umakai, so it might be a member of the Akashi Seven Yakushi Buddhas.  Nothing is known about the other 2 temples.  Have they been abolished?

     We can’t find Mayadani Hot Springs today.  Was it today’s Arima Hot Springs?

     Jinno-ji Temple is a branch of Mitsuzo-in Temple, and was moved to its current location after the Meiji Restoration Government issued the Gods and Buddhas Separation Order in 1868, changing its name to Jinno-ji.  Presumably, the temple should have broken off its relation with Hayashi-jinja Shrine.

     The temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:

In the western forest,

The flowers safeguarding Buddhism bloom and colorful birds play

Even on the dead trees.

Address: 2 Chome-14-18 Hayashi, Akashi, Hyogo 673-0034

Phone: 078-923-4351

Hayashi-jinja Shrine

Address: 5-1 Miyanoue, Akashi, Hyogo 673-0031

Phone: 078-922-0150

Mitsuzo-in Temple

Address: 3-8 Funagecho, Akashi, Hyogo 673-0026

Phone: 078-922-4488

Chorin-ji Temple

Address: 9-4 Zaimokucho, Akashi, Hyogo 673-0893

Phone: 078-911-4727

Koke-ji Temple

Address: 2-chome-10-35 Taidera, Akashi, Hyogo 673-0845

Phone: 078-911-3755

Jurin-ji Temple

Address: 1074 Takasagocho Yokomachi, Takasago, Hyogo 676-0051

Phone: 079-442-0242

Taisan-ji Temple

Address: Zenkai-224 Ikawadani-chō, Nishi Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 651-2108

Phone: 078-976-6658