Entsuji Temple 7 Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage

 

Entsuji is a small Soto Zen temple on a hillside near Kurashiki.

It is the 7th temple on the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage and also number 17 of the 24 Flower Temples of Sanyo, as well as being on the Bitchu Asakuchi Pilgrimage and the 108 Kannon Pilgrimage.

Though not large it has a delightful garden on the approach and several buildings are thatched.

There is no extant record of exactly when the temple was founded, but it is sid to have been by Gyoki in the 8th century.

At the nd of the 17th century it was rebuilt and established as a Soto sect temple named Entsu-an and about ten years later renamed Entsuji.

The honzon is a Shokannon, said to be carved by Gyoki himself. Shokannon has only one face and only two arms and is usually holding a lotus blossom. I believe it is a secret buddha here.

Entsuji is most famous for being the temple where the mink-poet Ryokan lived for ten years.

Taigu Ryokan (1753-1831) was born in what is now Niigata. While training at a local temple he was impressed with a visiting monk and asked to become his disciple. They returned to Entsu-ji.

I can't comment on his poetry as I am not at all a poetry buff, but while doing research I did come ton feel an affinity for his life and attitude. My favorite story is that because he was banned from attending Bon Odori festivals as he was a monk, he used to dress as a woman and sneak in.

Several of the structures are thatched, including the main hall. Built in the mid-18th century, it is unusual in that it has not been altered in the succeeding centuries.

I wish I had spent more time exploring here.

I also wish I had seen the garden in late spring when the azaleas were in bloom.

The previous post in this series on day 9 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage was on the former Yunoki Residence & Garden, a wealthy merchants property in the town below.

Kimiidera Temple 2 Saigoku Pilgrimage

 

Kimiidera is a major temple in the south of Wakayama City with many things to see inlcuding the tallest wooden Senju Kannon statue.

It is temple number 2 on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, possibly the oldest "circuit" pilgrimage in Japan.

Depending on the route you take it is between 150-190 kilometers from temple 1, Seigantoji, and it took me 6 days to walk it. This section of the Saigoku follows the Kumano Kodo, so there was plenty to see.

I entered from the small north gate, photo 2, which has a narrow road up to the main temple buildings.

The main entrance, to the south, has a long flight of 231 steps, the final three photos of this post.

Kimiidera is said to have been founded in 770 by a Chinese monk who has been given the Japanese name Tamemitsu Shonin.

According to the legend he saw a ray of light emanating from the top of Mount Namakusa and upon investigating saw a golden, Thousan-Armed Kannon.

He is said to have carved an Eleven-Faced Kannon which is the honzon of the temple, and also enshrined the Thousand-Armed Kannon.

Both are "hidden Buddhas" and are only unveiled every 50 years.

However, in the main hall there are numerous statues not hidden, including the delightful Thousand-Armed Kannon below.

5 of the statues, including the 2 hidden ones, are Important Cultural Properties.

A well-visited Binzaru statue sits on the balcony.

Much of the architecture dates back to the 18th century, but some buildings are much older and are registered as  Important Cultural Properties.

The Tahoto-style pagoda, pictured below, dates back to possibly the mid 15th century.

The Bell Tower, photos 20 & 21, is dated to 1588 although was repaired in 1781 and 1937.

The tower Gate, the last three photos of the post, houses a fine pair of Nio and is dated to 1509 and was repaired 50 years later.

Many cherry trees are planted around the temple, with one particular one said to usually be the first cherry tree to blossom in the Kinki region and so is used to make the official start of Ohanami in Kinki.

The temples proper name is Kimiizan Kongoho-ji, and is also named Kongohoji Gokoku-in, but is mostly known by the name Kimiidera, named, it is believed, after the three sacred springs on the mountainside.

At the end of the Heian Period it was favored by Emperor Go-Shirakawa and flourished. In the Kamakura Period it is though the temple supported 500 monks.

When Hideyoshi invaded in 1581 he confiscated all the temple lands and also many historical records were lost.

When a branch of the Tokugawa took over the domain they started supporting the temple and of course during the heyday of the pilgrimage in the Edo Period the temple was very popular.

This modern structure, made of concrete, opened in 2002 and is 25 meters tall.

It houses the 12 meters tall gilded statue of a Thousand-armed Kannon that was completed in 2007.

It was prefabricated by Kyoto sculptor Matsumto Myokei in his studio and then assembled on site around an earthquake-resistant steel and wood frame.

It is claimed to be the tallest wooden statue in Japan, although I have seen the biggest Benzaiten statue down in Kyushu, made by the same sculptor, and it is 18 meters tall, but I guess that includes the base.

From the temple grounds there are great views over Wakanoura, the Bay of Poetry, immortalized in numerous Japanese poems over the centuries. There are quite a few interesting sites there so its well worth a visit. Please check an earlier post I wrote on Waknoura.

I believe that there is now a small entrance fee, though when I visited it was free. There is also a new cable-car and elevator that allows those who wish to avoid the long climb.

The previous post in this series on my walk along the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage was on the syncretic Shinto-Buddhist site of Tanga Daigongen.

Seisotei the Yunoki Residence & Gardens

 

I discovered the former Yunoki Residence quite by accident as I was walking the streets of Tamashima on my way to Entsu-ji Temple as part of the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage.

I had not heard of the place and was surprised to find entry was free and so went in to explore.

In the mid 17th century Tamashima grew into an important port serving the Bitchu Matsuyama domain on reclaimed land around several small islands.

Some of the historical warehouses and merchant properties still remain and the area has been made a historical preservation area by the prefecture.

It has also become a Japan Heritage site linked to Kurashiki and the Kitamaebune trade.

The oldest part of the house was built in the late 18th century and was named Seisotei by the Confucian scholar Suga Chazan.

It, along with the gate, gardens, and teahouse, are all registered Tangible Cultural Properties.

The gardens are particularly fine with some garden experts rating them higher than the garden of the Ohashi House in the Bikan District of Kurashiki.

The Yunoki family were owners of trading ships that operated along the Inland Sea

There are two main gardens, both dry, and a small courtyard garden.

The family operated as magistrates for the daimyo and were the village heads.

Many famous guests have stayed here over the years, including domain officials, though I can not find it defined as a honjin.

When I was there the friendly guide pointed to stains on the ceiling of one room and said it was blood from the time when Kumada Ataka, a local samurai, committed ritual suicide so his followers could get clemency. However, no sources now mention the supposed blood stains.

All in all, a very interesting site made all the more pleasant by the complete absence of tourists and a free entry.

Well worth the detour from the overly-gentrified and crowded Bikan District.

The previous post in this series on day 9 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage was on Haguro Shrine and its amazing art and decorations.