Gakuen-ji Temple 25 Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage

 

Gakuenji has always been one of my favourite temples. Located in fairly remote mountains, it takes some effort to visit.

Unfortunately, even in the twenty or so years I have known it the temple has lost several large structures. As well as being number 25 on the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage, it is also number 3 on the Izumo Kannon Pilgrimage. Some shots from that visit can be seen here.

The temple is very, very old, being founded in the last decade of the 6th century. A monk prayed at the waterfall here and Empress Suiko's eye problem was healed and so she ordered a temple built.

It was a major shugendo centre and later became a Tendai sect temple.

Legend has it that Benkei trained here and carried a bell here from Mount Daisen, an obvious mirror of the famous story of him taking a bell up to Mount Hiei.

The current main hall was built while the Mori controlled much of Chugoku in the late 16th century.

Between its original founding and the current site, the temple was destroyed and moved several times, including having two separate precincts.

Because of this is has two honzons, a Kannon and a Yakushi, both secret.

These are just about the only statues you can see inside the very dark interior...

About twenty years ago the treasure hall was broken into and thieves made off with numerous treasures... an indication of how remote it is.

The grounds become packed with visitors during the autumn colours season.....

Next to the main hall is the Matarajin Shrine. This used to be located at Izumo Taisha and was disassembled and carried up the mountain when Izumo Taisha removed all Buddhist elements in the 16th century. Matarajin is a fairly obscure deity, mostly seen at Tendai temples. Curiously, Matarajin is equated with Susano, and it was Gakuenji that stated that Susano was the primary deity of Izumo Taisha until the 16th century, a fact that is now recognized by historians but ignored by everyone else.

One of the few structures still left at Gakuenji is the magnificent priests quarters and library.

It has an Imperial Gate only used by imperial messengers, and in fact the current Emperor visited here when he was Crown Prince.

The previous post was on the walk over the mountain to get here.

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From Kasubuchi to Hamahara Bridge

 

I start day 4 of my walk up the Gonokawa River to its source from the same place I ended dsy 3, the defunct Kasubuchi Station.

Not sure of the protocol for naming riverbanks left or right...... but I am sticking to thye right bank as I walk upstream.

At the end of day 3 I was walking directly north, and now early on day 4 I am heading directly south. The river has done a serious horseshoe at Kasubuchi.

The old railway bridge in the photo above has now been dismantled..... The former Sanko Line ran the length of the river from the mouth at Gotsu to Miyoshi in the mountains of Hiroshima..... part of the reason for this walk is to see what changes the loss of the railway has wrought. I miss it.... it was a truly beautiful ride...

As always, no matter where you go in Japan, roadside altars.....

Just up ahead, the first new bridge of the day, the Hamahara Ohashi...

Hamahara, on the opposite bank, was the terminal of the Sanko Line railway until the 1970s, running upriver from Gotsu. From Miyoshi the line ran downriver as far as Kuchiba. The section I will be walking today and tomorrow was not built until the 1970's and then the whole line closed about 50 years later.

It's April 1st, 2022, and the cherry blossoms are already in bloom....

Not sure which species this one is.....

The Hamahara Bridge was built in 1975, and is a double arch construction.

The previous post was on the walk up to Kasubuchi.

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Through the Mountain Forest to Gakuenji

 

Day 41, and I cross Izumo and head into the small range of mountains that form the western section of the Shimane Peninsula.

Gakuenji, the next temple on the Chugoku Pilgrimage, lies on the other side, and a trail crosses over and connects with other trails in the mountains that are part of the Chugoku Nature Trail.

When I walked the Izumo Kannon Pilgrimage, I used this same trail but in the opposite direction.

This post shows one of the mildly gruesome sights I encountered on that walk...

After climbing for a while, an opening gives views back down onto the Izumo Plain and the landmark Izumo Dome, one of the biggest wooden buildings in the world.

It's nice to be walking alone through the forest..... no bears here, but plenty of deer..... In all the times I have walked the trails in these mountains, I have yet to meet another human....

The numerous little statues along the way indicate that this was once a well-travelled route....

After reaching the pass and a cross trail heading along to Izumo Taisha, the trail descends...

Gakuenji is not too far down the other side....

The previous post was on Kandoji Temple just to the south of Izumo...

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Ayuchaya Hiranoya & Ayu no Yado Tsutaya

 

After visiting the delightful 1200 Rakan at Otagi Nembutsuji Temple I descended the narrow mountain road and came into the area known as Saga Toriimoto, an absolutely delightful area of old thatched buildings at the top end of Arashiyama.

The area is an historic preservation area, but in this post I will concentrate on just two buildings, both of them eateries with long traditions.

The top one, just above the vermillion torii, and therefore the first one I visited first is Ayuchaya Hiranoya.

It was still a couple of hours till opening time, but it was open, and I could peer inside....

Said to have been in business for 400 years, it was originally a teahouse and an ayu (sweetfish) wholesaler. The road is the route to Atago Shrine a very popular pilgrimage site and the torii is the first torii marking the route.

Ofuda left by pilgrims are plastered over the woodwork....

The ayu were caught up in the mountains, and "rested" in fresh water barrels overnight, and then carried into the restaurants of Kyoto the next morning. Nowadays the ayu are served directly to customers. I believe it is like a small trout.

The current proprietress is the 15th generation.

Nearby, just below the torii, is Ayu no Yado Tsutaya.

It is also about 400 years old.

Tsutaya has a similar history to Hironaya, starting out as a teahouse and then serving meals, especially ayu.

In 1989 the guest rooms were refurbished by leading designers and craftsmen.

I believe that advance bookings are necessary.

But even if you are not eating or drinking there, the walk up from Arashiyama rewards the visitor with  remarkable historical scenery.

The previous post in this series on Arashiyama was on portraits of the unique rakan statues at Otagi Nembutsuji Temple a little up the hill from here...

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