Kannon Falls

 

While on my walk up the right bank of the Gonokawa River to its source I took a side-trip when I reached Shikaga to once again visit Kannon Falls, the tallest waterfall in Sakurae Town.

Its about 2k from the river up a small, narrow road that passes by a small quarry producing crushed rock for road construction. The only habitation is a homestead right next to the car park. With an older, thatched minka, I always thought it would be an ideal location for a tea room or cafe. there arent  enough visitors to make it a big business, ut I thought it would attract more visitors to the falls.

From the parking lot it is an easy walk a few hundred metres along the bubbling stream to reach the falls.

The lowest fall is about 30 meters, and above it are two smaller drops that bring the total to about 50 meters. However, after a good rainfall it flows much heavier and becomes a single fall.

The pool at the base is shallow and many families come here in the summer to cool off ....

There is  small altar to Kannon at the base. When we first moved here we were told that in earlier times a young woman committed suicide by jumping from the top of the falls and the Kannon was to pray for her spirit.

However another story tells of a local farmer who encountered a dragon that lives in a pool upstream of the falls and that the Kannon was to pacify it.

The previous post was on the walk from Watari to Shikaga.

Daishoin Temple 81 Kyushu Pilgrimage

 

Daisho-in is located in the small Teramachi near Karatsu Station in downtown Karatsu.

These unusual statues are a complete mystery to me. The only reference I can find is that they are said to be in Korean-style. If anyone knows more please leave a comment.

The approach also has a nice pair of small komainu.

The honzon of the temple is a Fudo Myo. The Daishi statues in the main hall next to the fudo (top photo) was originally in Konpira Shrine on Shikoku and was moved here in 1885 after spending a couple of years at Zentsuji Temple in Shikoku.

The temple was originally called Daihoji and stood near Kishidake Castle. It burned down when the castle fell and was moved here in 1645 and renamed Daisho-in.

In the treasure hall, and only shown to the public once a year, is an 11-faced Kannon known as the Karatsu Kannon as it was originally enshrined in Karatsu Shrine. Originally claimed to have been carved by Gyoki, upon renovation it was discovered to have been made in the 14th century.

The temple is known for its Daikoku statue and is on a local Seven Lucky Gods circuit.

This was my last stop in Karatsu before heading up the coast towards Fukuoka. The previous post was on the oldest rice paddies in Japan.

Daihoji Temple 44 Sasaguri Pilgrimage

 

Daihoji, the 44th temple on the Sasaguri Pilgrimage is a Koyasan Shingon sect temple located just below Narufuchi Dam.

It was previously known as Narufuchi Kannon-do, and was relocated to its current location in 1993 because of the construction of the dam.

The honzon of the temple is an 11-faced Kannon, seen in photo 5.

As with all the temples on this short pilgrimage, the smallish temples still have a lot of statuary on display. Above is a statue of En no Gyoja, the legendary founder of Shugendo.

There were several Fudo Myo's, including this one that looks quite youthful.

The last two photos are of a Bato Kannon, I think, on horseback, and an unusual Bishamonten looking like Santa...

The previous post was on Narufuchi Dam.

Kiyama Temple a remnant of Shinbutsu

 

Kiyama Temple is located at more than 400 meters above sea level on a mountain in the northern part of Okayama prefecture.

With a large torii at the entrance one might be forgiven for thinking that it was a shrine, and not a temple, but it is an example of what was very common in the old days, a religious site with elements of both Buddhism and Shinto, Shinbutsu.

In 1868 the government decreed that Kami and Buddhas were to be separated, a process akin to unscrambling eggs. This was done for ideological and political reasons, to create a "national" religion.

Here on Kiyama, the site used to be called Kiyama-Gu, but in 1868 it became Kiyama Temple and down below a new site, Kiyama Shrine was constructed. I covered Kiyama Shrine in a post with 24 photos earlier.

The founding legend says that Kobo Daishi himself was in the area in 815. An old woodcutter guided him to the mountain and suggested it was a good spot for a temple.

Kobo Daishi recognized the man as a manifestation of Yakushi Nyorai and founded the temple here with  a Yakushi Nyorai statue.

I visited in early August after climbing up from Kiyama Shrine, and there was not another single person, visitor or staff, around the whole time I was there. Kiyama Temple is temple number 4 on the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage, and this was late on my fifth day of walking it.

The entrance is across a big lotus pond with a Benzaiten Shrine in the middle of it, photo 3. 

Benzaiten is another deity that is problematic if you want to think in terms of a distinction between Buddhism and Shinto. Originally a Hindu deity, introduced into Japan by esoteric Buddhism, she later became a kami in Shinto.

The main gate, photo 4, here called Furomon, is said to be the oldest structure at the site, though I can't find an exact date for it.

The main hall also has a big torii in front of it. As well as Yakushi Nyorai, it also enshrined the two guardian deities, Gozu Tenno, and Inari.

Gozu Tenno was the deity of Gion-sha, the origin of the famous Gion Matsuri and now called Yasaka Shrine. Some sources suggest he was originally from India by way of Tibet and China, but most suggest a Korean origin for this deity.

Long equated with Susano, in 1868 the "kami" previously known as Gozu Tenno officially became Susano.

Inari as also a problem for those who think in terms of a pure, Indigenous "shinto".

There is no mention of Inari in the Kojiki and Nihongi, the texts seen as fundamental to "native" shinto. Inari is now equated with Ukanomitama, the post-1868 identity. rior to that Inari was often equated with Dakiniten, a Buddhist deity with Indian origins.

There are actually numerous secondary, small shrines to different Inari within the grounds of Kiyama Temple.

There is also a Koshin-do, a shrine to the Koshin deity, Daoist in origin, and very popular in pre-modern Japan, the Koshin cult brought us the Three Wise Monkeys, and the Sarubobo dolls.

Pictured above, the Kannon-do with its carved reliefs looks like a shinto honden, because that is what is was until 1868. It held the shintai that were moved to the new Kiyama shrine further down he mountain.

Pictured above, the Daishi-do was originally the main hall of the temple.

As well as Kobo Daishi it also enshrines Fudo Myo and Aizen Myo

So, a very complex mix of deities at this site, indicating a much richer and more diverse religious history than a simplistic shinto-buddhist duality.

There are some other large structures within the grounds, including a large guesthouse and storehouse, yet, as I mentioned before, not a soul around.

The previous post in this series of day 5 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage was Kiyama Shrine down below.

Sokoji Temple the first Soto Zen Temple in Izumo

 

Sokoji was a delightful surprise for me.

From the main road I spotted a splash of autumn colour among a stand of huge trees behind a traditional wall and headed up to explore....

What I discovered was a fairly large Zen temple....

Sokoji was founded in 1394 by a man who became a monk at an early age and after studying under various sects returned home and founded this Soto sect temple.

After falling into disrepair, the temple was rebuilt in 1652. It was rebuilt again in 1728 and that main hall still stands.

In 1994 to mark the 600th anniversary of the founding most of the structures were renovated, including replacing the thatched roof of the main hall with tile.

At that time a new garden was constructed behind the main buildings, but I was unable to see it.

A smaller garden to the left of the main buildings was however quite delightful.

The honzon is an Amida. The temple holds monthly zazen sessions and is open to the public, to view the garden, twice a week.

The previous post in this series on Okuizumo was on the Oni no Shitaburui Gorge.