Aki Kokubunji Temple

 

Aki Kokubunji was one of the monasteries that were established by Emperor Shomu in the mid 8th century as a national system of temples to both spread Buddhism and also solidify political control.

Each temple was to enshrine Yakushi Nyorai and have a 7-storey pagoda. Often government offices were built nearby. The Kokubunji for Aki Province was established here in what is now Saijo.

Excavations in the area around the current temple have revealed many details and the area is now a history park.

The original temple disappeared long ago, and the oldest remaining structure is the Niomon built in the mid 16th century.

The  Goma Hall was built in the early 19th century.

The main hall was rebuilt in 2004.

The Yakushi honzon was burnt several times and has been extensively repaired. It is a secret Buddha shown every 33 years, te next time in 2038.

Another Yakushi statue can be seen in a small Yakushi-do. It has also been extensivey repaired and dates back to the late Heian Period.

In the Heian Period the government offices were moved to what is now Fuchu, and many monks moved there too...

At some point many Shingon monks settled in the area and it became a Shingon temple.

The previous post in this series on day 14 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage was on Mitate Shrine, the main shrine of Saijo.

Mitate Shrine

 

Mitate Shrine is the main shrine of Saijo in the mountains of Higashihiroshima, and is located just north of the towns main railway station.

It moved to this location in 1910, along with the nearby Wakamiya, Hachiman, Ebisu, Kanazaki, and Daiichi shrines.

The Otateinari Shrine is on the approach to the main shrine.

The original Mitate Shrine is said to have been founded in 706 after the local people prayed to Gozu Tenno and successfully stopped a plague.

Gozu Tenno has been associated with Susano for a long time, but since the Meiji Period all instances of Gozu Tenno have been officially changed to Susano.

Along with Susano, the other main kami listed are Kotoshironushi, and Ichikishimahime.

The shrine has numerous pairs of komainu, in a variety of styles.

Most seem to date to the mid 19th century before the shrine moved to the current location.

One pair date to the early 20th century, after the move.

It seems that before the Meiji Period it was called Gion Shrine.

In the mid 20th century a branch of Matsuo Shrine was established in the grounds.

Matsuo Shrine is the patron shrine of sake brewing, and, like Fushimi Inari, was established by the Hata Clan.

Saijo is one of the major sake brewing towns in Japan, and often calls itself  the Sake Capital.

Though right in the centre of the town the shrine is within a large park and so has plenty of greenery

The previous post was on Yamatogen Shrine....

I have not seen anything like this before.... a tanuki dressed as a Shinto priest and a device for, I guess, whispering something into iys ears.....

Yamatogen Shrine

 

Along an uninhabited stretch of the Numata River north bank, with Kochi being the next settlement, stands Yamatogen Shrine.

After the torii the way to the shrine crosses the railway tracks, a not too uncommon situation and when I appraoched the shrine I was very, very surprised to see this.....

A rope snake wrapped around a tree!!!!!.... this was called Omoto in my area, and ojin in Izumo and on the Oki Islands.

It is a remnant of a type of religious practice that was much more common in earlier days, a serpent representing the local land kami.

This was the first time to see one in Hiroshima although I have visited quite a few shrines in the mountains of Hiroshima, especially along the Gonokawa River and around Miyoshi...

The shrine was obviously of some importance as the banners were up for the annual matsuri

But I could find almost no information on the shrine except for one site suggesting the kami was Amenokoyane, the ancestral kami of the Fujiwara....

The way the serpent was wrapped around the tree and climbing up it was very reminiscent of how I had seen some in the Oki Islands. An enigma wrapped in a mystery.

The previous post in this series on day 14 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage was on the Hiroshima Airport Bridge a little downstream...

Hiroshima Sky Arch Biggest Arch Bridge in Japan

 

Nicknamed the Hiroshima Sky Arch, this bridge that crosses the Numata River is the biggest arch bridge in Japan.

The bridge is 800 meters wide and the arch measures 380 meters.

The road is 190 meters above the river, and the tallest piers supporting the bridge are 95.6 meters and 89.5 meters, the second and third highest concrete piers in Japan.

The bridge was opened in 2011 and was expected to improve traffic access to Hiroshima Airport from the northern part of the prefecture. I cant find the exact figures, but I believe not much traffic uses it...

The previous post was on Bakusetsu Waterfall a little downstream.

Bakusetsu Waterfall

 

Bakusetsu Falls is a picturesque waterfall located just off the Numata River in the mountains of Hiroshima, north of Hongu.

A narrow road from Prefectural Route 33 passes under the railway line.

Only a few hundred meters and you reach the falls.

30 metres high and about 4 metres wide, it is a popular spot as it is so close to the main road.

From here a 1.3-kilometer trail leads to Seishinji Temple.

Mori Motonari, the great daimyo of the 16th century who ended up controlling most of the Chugoku region is said to have bathed here on his way to a banquet at Seishinji Temple.

A little further along the trail is a much smaller falls.

The previous post was on the sights and scenery of the Numata River.