Sasaguri Pilgrimage Temples 22 Kirinokidani Yakushi-do, 2 Matsugase Amida-do, & 56 Matsugase Jizo-do

 

Temple 22, Kirinokidani Yakushi-do is in the same area as the last couple of temples, an Amida-do and a Dainichi-do.

Like most temples on the pilgrimage, it is small, unmanned, and packed with statues.

It was located at the base of the mountain but moved up here several generations ago by the current caretakers grandfather.

Not sure what the dragon statue is about, nor the "ascetic master" statue.

The main hall has the new, golden honzon as well as the origanl small, stone honzon. This seems to be the case with many of the temples, indicating to me that originally many of the temples when the pilgrimage was originally established were just simple roadside altars with a stone statue. Over the years since the local people have gradually built up each site with buildings and many, many statues.

Kirinokidani Yakushi-do was at the top of the mountain, and the next temple was way down at the base.

Matsugase Amida-do is temple number 2,  just across the river from the first temple, the huge Nanzoin.

For me, it was nice to once again come across numerous Fudo statues...

Among the statues in the main hall, the most interesting was a kami statue... Awashima Daimyojin, on the far right of the photo below, and the subject of the 3rd photo below.

It was believed to be effective against women's diseases, especially sexually transmitted ones.

Women from the geisha district of Hakata would make the journey out to the temple....

The final temple of the day for me was the Matsugase Jizo-do. This was the end of the second day, and like the first day was filled with so much......Anyone visiting the area should explore this wonderful pilgrimage, and get away from the obvious attraction of Nanzo-in, which I will be visiting tomorrow.

It was very close to the previous temple and was relocated here in 2011; I suspect because of road-widening work on the main highway.

Outside is a small 6 Jizo hall, and inside the main hall are ten Jizo statues, including the honzon.

Another small snake statue fashioned out of a twisty tree root. No idea what the Kewpie dolls are about; photo below and the top photo of the post.

The previous post in this series covered two pilgrimage temples plus a non-pilgrimage temple filled with dolls.

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Sasaguri Temples 53 & 55 Kirinokidani Amida-do & Dainichi-do, and Koyasukannon

 

I catch a glimpse of the huge reclining Buddha on the other side of the valley, about 500 meters away.

The small mountain valley I am entering is called Kirinokidani, so the neighbourhood has that name.

The first stop is number 53 on the pilgrimage, an Amida Hall. Sometimes it goes by the name Enmyoji, the 53rd temple on the Shikoku Pilgrimage.

Like many of these small "temples" in Sasaguri, the original small, stone honzon is on the altar with a modern, gilded honzon.

As well as a Daishi-do, there is a 13 Buddhas hall, as well as numerous statues in the grounds.

From the Amida Hall a set of metal stairs heads up to a non-pilgrimage temple, Koyasukannon

A branch of Anjoji Temple in southern Nara, Koyasu Kannon is a deity for safe-childbirth and fertility.

Here, the original feature is the hundreds of dolls on display in the main hall. I am guessing these are from mothers who have experienced safe childbirth.

From here it is a very short walk to the Dainichi-do, temple 55 of the pilgrimage...

The honzon here is a Daitsuchisho Nyorai, the Great Penetrating Wisdom Buddha, who, if I understand correctly, taught the historical Buddha.

It is the only temple on the pilgrimage with this Buddha.

I am running out of things to say about this pilgrimage.... there is just so much to see in a short distance.... approaching the end of the second day I have already visited about 50 temples, including some not part of the pilgrimage, but passed along the route. The number of statues is uncountable... must be in the thousands by now.....

Ther are a few Fudo statues at these two temples, but actually fewer than the other...

The previous post was on the previous two temples in the Tanoura area....

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Tanoura Kannondo Temple 80 & Tanoura Yakushido Temple 59 Sasaguri Pilgrimage

 

A striking feature of temple 80, Tanoura Kannondo, is the Seigando Hall with around 300 small statues of a seated Kobo Daishi.

Temple 80, Tanoura Kannondo, and temple 59 Tanoura Yakushido, are located adjacent to each other.

Unfortunately there is very little in terms of dates and history.

As usual there are lots of Fudo Myoo statues as well as others....

The "main hall" is a small cave that was a sutra repository about 300 years ago.

The honzon is a Thousand-armed Kannon. There are numerous other Kannon statues at the temple.

There is one particularly fine, huge sugi tree.

A Benzaiten statue next to yet another Kannon statue....

Nest door is the Yakushi-do, temple 59....

A statue of Fujiki Tosukethe founder of the Sasaguri Pilgrimage. It is believed his hermitage was located near here.

There are also many Fudo statues here...

The honzon is a Yakushi Nyorai, commonly known as the Medicine Buddha.

The statue of Kobo Daishi with his dog relates to a legend that while travelling with his dog they were attacked by a wild boar and the dog dies defending Kobo Daishi.

I have not come across this story anywhere else so it may be a local story...

The previous post was on the nearby temple 30, Higyokudo.

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