Fujishiro Oji Shrine

 

Fujishiro Oji Shrine in Kainan, Wakayama, used to be considered the entrance to Kumano. The Kiiji Route, the main route of the Kumano Kodo, ran from Kyoto and then through Osaka and Wakayama. This route was primarily coastal or following rivers. From Fujishiro Oji the route heads into the mountains for the first time.

Of the 99 Oji, shrines where pilgrims stopped on the way to Kumano, Fujishiro was considered to be in the group of five most important Oji.

The shrine claims to have been founded during the reign of Emperor Keiko, said to have ruled in the first and second centuries. Historically, this is absurd, so let's say it's an ancient shrine.

The primary kami enshrined is Nigihayahi, a kami claiming descent from heaven and claimed as ancestor by the Mononobe. Seems Nigihayahi ruled over Yamato until Jimmu's expedition from Kyushu. Nigihayahahi submitted to Jimmu.

Other kami enshrined include Amaterasu and of course the Kumano trio.

The Ezra Stone, above photo left, is explained by the signboard below. If you offer sake to the stone and pray, you will become averse to alcohol.

Quite a delightful wooden horse.

The main hall of the shrine dates to mid 17th century.

The shrine is very proud to still have a trio of Heian Period Buddhist statues that represented the Kumano trio. The statues were not destroyed in 1868 like at many other shrines....

There are a multitude of secondary shrines within the grounds, including an Arima Oji Shrine enshrining Prince Arima who tragically died on the pilgrim trail above Fujishiro.

This giant camphor tree is listed as Komorigusu Shrine and is connected to Minakata Kumagusu. At the end of the post is an even bigger and older camphor tree.

Other shrines in the grounds include an Ebisu Shrine, Gion Shrine, Akiba Shrine, and Sumiyoshi Shrine.

The shrine is registered as a museum that includes all these sites as well as a reconstructed residence and garden of the Suzuki family. I Can't show it because it was built after my visit.

For generations, the Suzuki have been hereditary priests of the shrine, and it is believed that this is the origin of the Suzuki name.

Suzuki is a common family name as well as being a manufacturer of motorbikes and cars. My wife's sister married a Suzuki.

The previous post was on the last leg of the Kumano Kodo coming down to Fujishiro Shrine.

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Down the Isa River from Hachimangu to Izuchi Shrine

 

After passing by the entrance to Mount Sanbe, my route continued west down the Isa River.

My first stop, in the village of Yamaguchi, was the village Hachiman Shrine.

It was established in 1095, but I can't find from which "mother" shrine it is from, Usa, or Iwashimizu I think it is a little too early to be a branch of Tsurugaoka.

Curiously it only lists Ojin and Jingu. No mention of Chuai or any consort kami.

The style of architecture with glass doors on three sides of the worship hall is unusual.

Heading down the Isa River, the Yaezakura, the late cherry blossom with thick, pink blossoms appears several times.... I find it much nicer than the Yoshino cherries that dominate...

Of course, lots of other flowers are around at this time..

At some point as I approach Izuchi Shrine I pass from Iwami into Izumo..... it would have been clearly demarcated in earlier times....

Izuchi Shrine is written as Ijitsu Shrine on Googlemaps. It was known as Wakaichi Gongen until 1868.

It enshrines Kunisatsuchi no mikoto, a fairly obscure kami mentioned early in the myths and then disappearing. The honden dates back to 1812.

The previous post was on the delightful scenery of flooded rice paddies around the base of Mount Sanbe.

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Shodoshima Temple 55 & 56, and Into Tonosho

 

After leaving the giant Juniper tree at Hoshoinji, I pass a small Inari shrine on the way to the next little temple. Number 55, Kannon-do.

The way is slightly on the hillside so views of Tonosho and the sea and islands beyond are plentiful.

Kannon-do was a small building and enshrined Bato Kannon, the Horse-head Kannon. It is the only pilgrimage temple to do so.

In earlier times, people would come here to pray for their livestock.

Temple 56 is close by, and slightly higher on the hillside, so the views become wider..

Temple 56, Gyoja-do, has En no Gyoja as its honzon, the only pilgrimage temple here to do so.

It seems that for most pilgrims this is the final temple, the finishing point. Most people arrive in Tonosho, by far the biggest town on the island, and then head clockwise around the island.

I chose to start in the SE of the island and so pretty much followed the traditional numbering system.

Other than a busride from the port on my first day, this was the first time I was seeing Tonosho.

The legendary origin of the Gyojado lies in the huge boulder behind the temple.

According to the legend Kobo Daishi was walking here with a group of pilgrimas and a huge boulder came rolling down the hillside. Everyone panicked but Kobo Daishikept walking and praying and the rock came to an abrupt stop. The pilgrims decided to establish the Gyojado here.

Coming down into Tomosho the vermillion pagoda of Saiko-ji is clearly visible.

The final photo of the post is looking back beyond the last two temples to Tamamitsu Shrine.

The previous post was on the three temples clustered around the ancient Juniper tree.

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Reflecting Paddies Around Mount Sanbe

 

I awake long before the sun at my perch overlooking the reservoir behind Sanbe Dam. I get up, stuff my bag into my pack, visit the public toilets for ablutions, grab a cold drink from the vending machine, and set off.

From here, there is more climbing until I get closer to Mount Sanbe, and I want to do as much of it as possible before the day warms up too much.

I am treated to a lovely surise....

Close to where the road cuts off and heads up to the facilities at the base of the mountain, the road tops out and gratefully, a slow descent begins

Since starting my walk yesterday morning, I have not passed by a single convenience store.

It's May 1st, 2015, around the time that Japanese now call Golden Week for the cluster of national holidays.

It's become one of my favorite times of the year to go walking in the real countryside of Japan, not the rice paddies dotted with factories and criss-crossed by Shinkansen lines and expressways that many see as "rural Japan", rather the mountain valleys that comprise 60% of the country.

It's a good time to sleep out..... hotels are outrageously expensive during Golden Week....

Mostly its for the rice paddies that have all been flooded, and if planted already, the rice seedlings are still small...... wonderful reflections....

The previous post was on yesterday afternoon's walk up to Sanbe Dam

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