Myoo-in Temple 8 Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage

 

Myo-o-in Temple on the bank of the Ashida River in Fukuyama is home to two National Treasures, the pagoda and the main hall.

Though early records don't exist it is said to have been founded by Kobo Daishi in 807.

The honzon, an 11-faced Kannon is dated to the ninth century so it is certainly possible to be that old.

The temple was originally called Saikozan Richi-in Jofukuji.

The temple was supported by the nearby settlement of Kusado Sengen which grew wealthy through trade and became one of the bigger temples of the region.

The current main hall was built in 1321 and the 5 storey pagoda in 1348.

It is the fifth-oldest pagoda in Japan.

Much of the temple was damaged by a landslide in 1620 and rebuilt by Mizuno Katsunari a few years later.

The third Mizuno Daimyo, Katsutada, merged a nearby small temple, Myoo-in, with it and renamed the temple.

A small Good Luck Daikokuten altar and stone carving.

The torii and steps leading up to the Atago Shrine.

I'm not sure what the kokeshi dolls were doing hung up by the 6 Jizo statues.... but they are not there anymore...

As well as the Pagoda and Main Hall National Treasures, plenty of the other buildings are also quite old. The gate is dted to 1614, and the Shoin is dated to 1621, the bell tower to 1647.

The main hall is classed as "eclectic" as it incorporates architectural features from a range of traditions.

There is a Benzaiten pond and statues of the 6 other "Lucky Gods" nearby.

The previous post was on Kusado Inari Shrine next door.....

Fukushoji Temple 7 Shikoku Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage

 

I made a mistake at Fukushoji. Many sites list it as the 7th temple of the Shikoku Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage, however the real 7th temple is Kamo Fudoin, the okunoin of Fukushoji, located about 2k up the mountain.

Fukushoji does have a Fudo statue and altar although it is for "worshipping from afar" for those not willing or able to climb the trail to Fudoin.

The temple is said to have been founded by Kobo Daishi in 828 and was originally called Iwaya-ji. He is said to have carved the Fudo in a single night.

Curiously it is enshrined in "shinto" style, with photos showing a honden type structure behind the main hall. No information on why this is. The temple was quite large in its heyday but suffered under the Chosokabe campaign.

The previous post in this series was temple number 6, Fudoin which I had visited a little earlier in the day.

Shuzenji Temple 25 Sasaguri Pilgrimage

 

Starting day 2 of our walk along the Sasaguri Pilgrimage and it is already promising to be filled with hundreds of statues of Fudo Myoo, just like the first day yesterday.

Even before reaching Shuzenji, temple 25, there was a strange roadside "chapel" that had a couple of Fudo statues ( photos 2 & 3 )

Shuzenji was a small, unmanned temple up the narrow road leading up the mountain to Ichinotaki Temple.

Shuzenji is a Shingon temple and was relocated to this spot in 1960.

The honzon is a One Vow Jizo that does not grant multiple wishes, rather just your one most important wish. Photo 13.

It is said the statue came from Shinshoji, the 25th temple on Shikoku.

Since I visited the statue, which had become dark from numerous goma fires, has been restored and is now very colourful.

There are numerous smaller, "folk" stone statues of Fudo, as well as a larger tableau with two attendants, shown below.

The temple also has a Toyokawa Inari Shrine.

Just about every single small "temple" on this pilgrimage so far has had dozens of statues on display, an inordinate amount of them being Fudo's....

The previous post was on the first stop of the day, Yamate Kannon-do, temple 52,  just a few hundred meters down the road.

Entsuji Temple 7 Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage

 

Entsuji is a small Soto Zen temple on a hillside near Kurashiki.

It is the 7th temple on the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage and also number 17 of the 24 Flower Temples of Sanyo, as well as being on the Bitchu Asakuchi Pilgrimage and the 108 Kannon Pilgrimage.

Though not large it has a delightful garden on the approach and several buildings are thatched.

There is no extant record of exactly when the temple was founded, but it is sid to have been by Gyoki in the 8th century.

At the nd of the 17th century it was rebuilt and established as a Soto sect temple named Entsu-an and about ten years later renamed Entsuji.

The honzon is a Shokannon, said to be carved by Gyoki himself. Shokannon has only one face and only two arms and is usually holding a lotus blossom. I believe it is a secret buddha here.

Entsuji is most famous for being the temple where the mink-poet Ryokan lived for ten years.

Taigu Ryokan (1753-1831) was born in what is now Niigata. While training at a local temple he was impressed with a visiting monk and asked to become his disciple. They returned to Entsu-ji.

I can't comment on his poetry as I am not at all a poetry buff, but while doing research I did come ton feel an affinity for his life and attitude. My favorite story is that because he was banned from attending Bon Odori festivals as he was a monk, he used to dress as a woman and sneak in.

Several of the structures are thatched, including the main hall. Built in the mid-18th century, it is unusual in that it has not been altered in the succeeding centuries.

I wish I had spent more time exploring here.

I also wish I had seen the garden in late spring when the azaleas were in bloom.

The previous post in this series on day 9 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage was on the former Yunoki Residence & Garden, a wealthy merchants property in the town below.