Trees in the Town

 

Virtual Kasai Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #32 Yosho-ji Temple

 

     Yosho-ji Temple is located directly south of the ruins of Kodani Fortress in Kasai City, Hyogo Prefecture.

     Kodani Fortress was originally built by the Akamatsu clan. During the Kakitsu Incident in 1441, the castle fell and Akamatsu Sukehisa was killed in battle. After the Akamatsu clan was restored to power following the Onin War, the Uno family—descendants or key vassals of the clan—took control of the fortress from 1532.

     In 1532, Sukehisa’s descendants or the Uno family founded Yosho-ji as their family's ancestral temple to dedicate it to Sukehisa's memory. The temple's sango (mountain name), Yosho-zan, was derived from Sukehisa's name. Memorial graves dedicated to Sukehisa and his retainers still stand just to the north of the temple.

     However, tragedy struck the castle again in 1542, when Sukehisa's descendants were killed in a fierce battle.

     Local tradition states that Sukehisa’s descendants died in battle against the Amago clan around 1542. However, modern historical interpretation suggests that during the confusion following the Amago clan's withdrawal from Harima, the Uno family may have been defeated by neighboring warlords and surrendered the castle, later becoming local farmers.

     It is believed that during the Edo period, when loyalty was deeply venerated, the family tradition was reshaped to frame their lineage as heroic martyrs who fell in battle against the invaders.

     Yoshun-ji Temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:

How blest to feel her mercy, warm and deep,

Which lifts my soul and safely light my feet.

To Kodani’s sacred grounds I make my way,

With joyful heart to worship and to pray.

Address: Kodani-369 Hojocho, Kasai, Hyogo 675-2301

The Grave of Akamatsu Sukehisa (The Lord of Kotani Fortress)

Address: Hojocho, Kasai, Hyogo 675-2301

Kodani Fortress Site

Address: Kasai, Hyogo 675-2301

Trees in the Town

 

Virtual Kasai Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #31 Shoraku-ji Temple

 

     Shoraku-ji Temple was founded in Nishitani Village sometime between 1532 and 1555.  In 1531, Hosokawa Takakuni (1484-1531) was cornered to kill himself in today's Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture.  Takakuni was from the Yashu-Hosokawa Family, who were based in Bicchu Province, and looked for a chance to be the head of the Keicho-Hosokawa Family, the head family of the Hosokawa Clan in today's Kyoto.  Although Akamatsu Harumasa (1495-1565) helped eliminate Takakuni, Harumasa himself was being eliminated as the lord of Harima, Mimasaka, and Bicchu Provinces.  Japan was in the Warring States Period (1467-1568).

     The temple was burned down in battles sometime between 1573 and 1592, presumably when Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598) invaded Harima Province.  It was revived sometime between 1624 and 1644.

     Shoraku-ji Temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:

Both old and young, together we will tread,

Along the righteous path where we are led.

Hand in hand, as all souls walk as one,

To find the purest joy in journey done.

Address: 379 Nishitanicho, Kasai, Hyogo 675-2366

Phone: 0790-42-1623

Trees in the Town

 

Virtual Kasai Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #30 Choen-ji Temple

 

     Choen-ji Temple is said to have been founded by the hermit Hodo sometime between 650 and 654.  It burned down but was restored sometime between 990 and 995 by Priest Choen.  So, its original name should have been different.  Anyway, the temple buildings were burned in battles in 1577, when Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598) invaded Harima Province.  Its main hall was rebuilt in 1678.  In the 17th century, the danka system was established by the Tokugawa Shogunate.  Under the system, the Tokugawa Clan made the affiliation with a Buddhist temple compulsory to all citizens.

     Choen-ji Temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:

How sacred is the Buddha's solemn vow,

At Choen-ji we offer prayers now.

The virtue gathered on this holy ground

Will in the future life for us abound.

Address: 328 Fukuicho, Kasai, Hyogo 675-2351

Phone: 0790-42-4988

Trees in the Town

 

Virtual Kasai Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #29 Shozen-ji Temple

 

     In 1390, Kusunoki Masakatsu and Kajiwara Keizen—retainers of the Southern Court—built a temple and named it Shozen-ji by combining a character from each of their names.  Although the temple subsequently fell into decline due to the ravages of war, Yamashita Muneharu, a former retainer of the Takeda clan of Kai Province, settled in the area and restored the temple buildings in 1597.

     Shozen-ji Temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:

With endless mercy open wide, He saves in every place,

Bestowing on all living souls His deep, abundant grace.

What could ever turn to tears or cause a soul to fear,

Beside the pure and sacred spring that flows so crystal clear?

Address: 1922 Yamashitacho, Kasai, Hyogo 675-2354

Phone: 0790-46-0037

Trees in the Town

 

Virtual Kasai Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #28 Jogyo-in Temple

 

     Legend has it that the temple was originally founded on a hill along the watershed between the Kako and Ichi Rivers by Prince Shotoku (574–622). Later, the hermit Hodo—a legendary monk said to have flown from India to Japan on a cloud during the 6th or 7th century—constructed the main hall and other structures for the temple. Emperor Amanonunahara Okinomahito (?–686) bestowed the name Denpuku-ji.  This succession of historical events aligns surprisingly well with the actual timeline.

     While the exact date of Jogyo-in's founding remains unknown, a stone seven-story pagoda dating back to 1451 stands on the grounds, suggesting the ancient origins of the temple complex. It is believed that the original Denpuku-ji was destroyed during the civil wars of the late 16th century, and Jogyo-in later carried on its spiritual lineage, with its main hall rebuilt in 1663.  After the Meiji Restoration, Denpuku-ji was disestablished even nominally.

     It is believed that the original precinct of Denpuku-ji may have once occupied a significant portion of the Site of Yamashita Castle.

     The Buddhist tanka poem for Jogyo-in Temple or for Denpuku-ji is:

Whatever relief a mortal heart may pray,

The Great Compassionate One turns none away.

Even souls burdened with sorrow and sin,

Are granted salvation and welcomed within.

Historical Context and Analysis

     Unlike many devotional hymns that incorporate specific mountain or temple names, this goeika is remarkably generic, expressing a universal prayer to Kannon (the Bodhisattva of Compassion). Rather than being an oversight, this lack of exclusivity offers a profound clue to the temple’s turbulent history.

     While a stone seven-story pagoda erected in 1451 testifies to the ancient roots of the original Denpuku-ji, the region was later devastated by endless civil wars during the late 16th century—particularly the brutal conflicts surrounding Yamashita Castle and the fall of the Bessho clan. The warfare left the surrounding three villages (Yado, Tono, and Higashi) completely desolate and ruined Denpuku-ji itself.

     Following the war, Yamashita, a masterless samurai (ronin) formerly serving the Takeda clan of Kai Province, settled in the area. He consolidated the three ruined hamlets into a single village, named Yamashita Village.

     By the early Edo period, when the Tokugawa Shogunate mandated the temple-danka system (terauke) to register all citizens under Buddhist temples, the main temple of Denpuku-ji had likely already ceased to function as an active institution. Instead, its sub-temple, Jogyo-in, was rebuilt in 1663 to serve as the spiritual and administrative anchor for the newly formed village. Adopting a conventional, universal goeika was a practical wisdom—it allowed the rebuilt temple to heal past political rivalries among displaced villagers while inheriting the sacred lineage of the ancient Denpuku-ji without conflict.

Address: 1394 Yamashitacho, Kasai, Hyogo 675-2354

Phone: 0790-46-1524

Site of Yamashita Castle

Address: 1130 Yamashitacho, Kasai, Hyogo 675-2354

Trees in the Town

 

Virtual Kasai Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #27 Myogan-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when the temple was originally founded in Nishi-Shimozato Manor as a Shingon sect temple, then recorded as Myogon-ji. The manor first appeared in historical records in 1188 and was later renamed Kensaka Manor. Prior to the Edo period, the manor was divided into Higashi-Kensaka and Nishi-Kensaka Villages. In 1560, the priest Kaichu converted the temple to the Caodong Chan sect, relocated it to its present site, and renamed it Myogan-ji.

     The temple's original location is believed to have been somewhere between the Kumano-shrine Tumulus (Kumano-jinja Kofun) and Bochi (the cemetery) in Higashi-Kensaka.

     Myogan-ji Temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:

High on Mount Kokoku, sacred and grand,

A vows for the future protects this land.

Like the timeless shine of the sun and moon,

The Buddha’s grace grants its holy boon.

Address: 519 Higashikenzakacho, Kasai, Hyogo 675-2346

Phone: 0790-46-0132

Bochi

Address: Higashikenzakacho, Kasai, Hyogo 675-2346

Kumano-shrine Burial Site

Address: 1330 Higashikenzakacho, Kasai, Hyogo 675-2346

Trees in the Town

 

Virtual Kasai Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #26 Ichijo-ji Temple

 

     The hermitage Hodo flew to Japan on a purple cloud from India via China and the Korean kingdom of Baekje.  He discovered a sacred mountain in the shape of an eight-petaled lotus flower in Kamo County, Harima Province.  He landed there, and named it "Mount Hokke," referring to the sacred mountain of the Lotus Sutra.  That is believed to have been the foundation of Ichijo-ji Temple.

     Ichijo-ji Temple’s Buddhist tanka poem is:

Spring brings the blossoms, summer orange flowers light,

Autumn holds the chrysanthemums in radiant sight.

Ever blooming through the seasons, calm and grand,

The flowers of the Law adorn this sacred land.

     Ichijo-ji is the 26th temple of the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, and this poem is its official pilgrimage hymn.

     When a temple belongs to multiple pilgrimage routes, its pilgrimage hymn (goeika) either remains the same across routes or is newly composed for each specific pilgrimage. This dynamic reflects the historical development of Japanese pilgrimage traditions, temple prestige, and local religious life during the Edo period.

1. Why Hymns Were Retained (The Case of Ichijo-ji)

     Authority of Major Routes: Hymns from prestigious, ancient circuits like the Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage carried immense spiritual authority. The poem of Ichijo-ji was so renowned that local communities preferred to retain it rather than create a new one.

     Copy Pilgrimages (Utsushi-reijo): During the Edo period, local replicas of the Saigoku circuit were established for practitioners unable to travel afar. These local routes often preserved the original hymns to recreate the spiritual merit of the grand pilgrimage locally.

2. Why New Hymns Were Composed

     Different Deities and Enshrined Objects: If a temple was included in a new circuit for a different deity (such as Fudo Myoo or Jizo), a new hymn was written to praise that specific manifestation.

     Regional Sequence and Local Identity: Hymns often incorporated specific station numbers or local landmarks. When local monks or literary figures organized new regional circuits, they frequently composed a fresh set of thirty-three hymns to give the local route a unified identity.   

Address: 821-17 Sakamotocho, Kasai, Hyogo 675-2222

Phone: 0790-48-2006