Mitakidera Temple 13 Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage Part 2 Up Above

This is a continuation of a previous post on the lower parts of Mitakidera, a beautiful temple complex near Hiroshima City centre.

The top waterfall is behind the main hall, and then the water runs underneath the main hall and come out as a small purification waterfall.

So, of course there is a Fudo.

On the same level as the Hondo is the Mikigongendo, with a pair of large, wooden tengu  flanking the entrance. It is a branch of Miki Daigongen established by Kobo Daishi on Mount Misen on nearby Itsukushima Island in 806.

With a pair of Tengu as companions, Miki Daigongen is three "demon gods", Tsuichokishin, a trace of Dainichi, Jibikishin, a trace of Kokuzo, and Marakishin, a trace of Fudo Myoo. I believe that Mt. Misen and here are the only sites connected to this deity. It is said that Japan's first Prime Minister, Ito Hirobumi, was a devotee of Miki Daigongon.

The main hall as seen from the the Mikigongendo.

There are a lot more statues scattered around the grounds at this upper level.

Many of the statues in this part of the temple grounds appear to my eyes to be Indian in style

Some even look more Southeast Asian in style....

Inrerestingly, on my first visit to Mitakidera many years ago, I marvelled at the flowers in front of the many, many statues. I imagined how much work it must be to keep freash flowers on so many statues. A little later I noticed they were plastic.

To my untrained eye this looks Chinese or Thai...

The highest of the three waterfalls is Yumei no taki.

These are a kind of toba, a kind of memorial tablet usually placed on graves and tombs. I have not seen them purified in water like this before...

On the veranda of the Main Hall is a really interesting pair of statues. This first one has fangs like Fudo Myoo, one up, one down, and he is holding a Jaki, a kind of small demon. Usually it is the four Shitenno who are depicted holding down Jaki under their feet, but I have never seen any of the Shitenno with fangs and I don't remember seeing them holding the Jaki.

I wonder if this is a statue of one of the Mikidaigongen enshrined nearby. The one that is considered a trace of Fudo?

There are also a pair of Nio on the veranda too.

The other statue with them is also unlike anything seen before, with great spiky hair or head.

It is flinging a Jaki, again something I have not seen a Shitenno do, nor does it look like any Shitenno I have seen. Could this also be one of the Mikidaigongen? If anyone has a clue, please let me know.

The previous post, which included another 28 photos, focused on the lower part of the Mitakidera complex.

Sakagawa Shrine to Itoga Inari Shrine Over The Itoga Toge Pass

 

After leaving Yuasa I continued north on the Kumano Kodo Kiiji Trail, first up river and then into the mountains.

First stop was Sakagawa Shrine, site of the Sakagawa Oji.

The main kami enshrined here are Izanami, Susano, and Hayatama. 

Versions of the three kami of Kumano,...... not surprising

From here a small, narrow road that later becomes a track, then a trail, heads up towards Itoga Pass.

I am heading into "orange" country. While oranges are grown in many places in Japan, in the mountains in this area the crop dominates....

Beacuse so much of the natural forest has been cut down to make way for the orange orchards, there are more views over the surrounding area....

The path is not so steep

I believe that nowadays a few more people are walking this section of the Kumano Kodo, but back in 2016 when I walked it, I didn't pass a single other walker/pilgrim.

Orange farmers tend to work on very steep slopes, so the preferred method of carrying things is small, motorized monorails. Construction workers also use such things when working on steep slopes.

Itoga Pass, 190 meters above sea level, used to have a couple of teahouses servicing the multitudes of pilgrims who passed this way in the Edo Period.

The way down to the Arida River is steep.

This was the end of March, so the colours are not of approaching Autumn but the pink and red of cherry blossoms forming.....

I very much enjoyed this section of the Kumano Kodo..... I found the most popular section, the nakahechi, a little bit too over-touristed, somewhat pretentious, and too much of it covered in sugi tree farms.....

Coming into Itoga on the south bank of the Arida River, I spied Itoga Inari Shrine, so headed over to investigate. The previous post in this series on my walk along the oldest pilgrimage route in Japan, the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, was on the birthplace of soy sauce, Yuasa.

Mitakidera Temple 13 Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage Part 1 Down Below

 

Mitakidera is a real hidden gem in Hiroshima. Tucked away in a narrow, steep, valley, it is only a few kilometers from the epicenter of the atom bomb blast, but was mostly unscathed.

There are many things to see in the steep climb up to the main hall, the first being theTahoto-style pagoda.

This was not here until 1951 when it was donated to the temple as a memorial to the bomb victims.

Until then, it was located at Hiro Hachiman Shrine near Yuasa in Wakayama.

It was built in the 1520's and has many colourful carvings that are worth checking out.

Mitakidera is said to have been founded in 809 by Kobo Daishi.

The honzon of Mitakidera is a Kannon, but also an unusual triple deity Sanki Daigongen, more of which in the next post.

Mitaki means three waterfalls, named after the three small waterfalls within the grounds.

Interestingly each is from a different souirce.

One of the many tsukubai, water basins, within the temple.

Mitakidera is known for its autumn foliage. I was here in early November, so they were just starting.

The Soshin Kannon Hall, built in the Edo Period and renovated in early Meiji.

Theer are so many things to see, and I took so many photos, that I have split this post into two parts...

Founders Garden..... not sure if this refers to only the major founders of this temple, or Shingon Buddhism in general. Obviously, Kobo Daishi is here..... Is it four variations of Kobo? Four monks or abbots connected to Mitakidera,... or 4 Shingon Patriarchs?

Behind the group of statues is Komaga Falls, the lowest of the three...

Incidentally, water from the three falls is used in the Peace Ceremony every year at the Peace Park and Museum.

From here the path leads up to the Bell Tower, which did suffer damage during the bomb blast.

There are many, many statues along the path. Quite a few are Kannons.

I think these are some of the Rakan.

Next you pass a small thatched teahouse and garden.

This is the Fudaraku Garden and Teahouse.

Unfortunately, it only opens during the fall foliage season.

The garden was built in the 1950's by the famous garden designer Mirei Shigemori.

Behind it is Bon no Falls, the second of the three.

Next I will post on the upper part of the temple. The previous post was on the Brush Museum in Kumano.

The second part on Mitakidera, with 30 more photos is here.