2014/07/28

Nishiarai Daishi Adachi

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Nishi-Arai Daishi 西新井大師

西新井大師 Nishiarai Daishi - Nr. 26 第二十六番 - 不動堂
. 関東三十六不動霊場
Pilgrimage to 36 Fudo Temples in Kanto / Bando .



CLICK for more photos !

Sooji Ji 総持寺 Soji-Ji, Sojiji - Nishiarai Daishi
東京都区西新井1−15−1, Tokyo Adachi ward

This temple was founded by Kobo Daishi when he travelled in the Kanto area.
He carved the main statue, a Kannon with 11 heads, and prayed to it for 21 days. Then a dried-out well began to bring water again and the farmers nearby were saved from drought. This well is now at the western side of the hall 西新井 "new well in the west", hence the name.

The temple sells amulets for many situations.

- source : www.nishiaraidaishi.or.jp - ogoma_ohuda -




The temple holds a service for old Daruma dolls and old amulets
each year on the 3rd of Feburary
This is one of the largest だるま供養 Daruma Kuyo rituals in Japan.

- Homepage of the temple
- source : www.nishiaraidaishi.or.jp


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Fudoo Doo 不動堂 The Fudo Hall in the temple compound.

mudooson 無動尊 Mudo-Son

Inside is a statue of Fudo Myo-O whith his two attendants at the side.









The Fudo Statue at Mount Hieizan temple is also called 無動尊.

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source : facebook, Takayoshi Shitara
From 西新井大師参道

. Stones and Daruma 石、岩とだるま .


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. Pilgrimages to Fudo Temples 不動明王巡礼
Fudo Myo-O Junrei - Fudo Pilgrims - INTRODUCTION .



. Japan - Shrines and Temples - ABC .


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2014/07/20

Tsugaru Three Fudo

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Tsugaru San Fudoo 津軽三不動 Three Fudo Statues in Tsugaru, Aomori

All three statues in Tsugaru are said to have been carved of one large tree.
As brothers, Nagaizawa is the eldest, Nakano the middle and Kogake the youngest brother.

All three statues have been carved in 610 by the Chinese priest
Saint Enchi 円智上人 / 圓智上人.
Enchi had made the vow to promote Buddhism in the Northern parts of Japan and worked a lot near Tsugaru Azumayama 津軽阿津摩山, where he built a small retreat to venerate Dainichi Nyorai 大日坊.
He build five Shingon temples in Tsugaru 津軽真言五山 and found his last meditating place at the temple 最勝院 Saisho-In - see below -

The five Shingon temples of Tsugaru are
最勝院(田町現在銅屋町)- Saisho-In
百澤寺 / 百沢寺(岩木町百沢の現在 岩木山神社)- Hyakutaku-Ji
国上寺(碇ヶ関村古懸)- Kokujo-Ji
橋雲寺(岩木町植田)- Kyoun-Ji
久渡寺(旧小沢村現在坂元) - Kudo-Ji

Enchi was a disciple of the Chinese priest Chisha Daishi 智者大師 Chigi ちぎ / 智ギ (538 - 597), the third founder of the Tendai sect.

. Chisha Daishi Ki 智者大師忌 Memorial day for Chisha Daishi .
kigo for mid-winter


- - - - - Introducing the five Shingon temples of Tsugaru
. 津軽弘法大師霊場 - Tsugaru Kobo Daishi Reijo
Pilgrimage to 23 Kobo Daishi temples in Tsugaru .



. The Birth of Enchi and Kasuga Myojin 春日明神 .

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- There are more "THREE FUDO" groups in Japan -
. Three Most Famous Fudo 三大不動尊 - 不動明王
日本三大不動 - 日本三体不動尊
Nihon Sandai Fudo Son .

- Introduction -


There is also a pilgrimage in Tsugaru to 33 Kannon temples
津軽三十三霊場
- source : www.mutusinpou.co.jp

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Nagaizawa Jinja 長谷沢神社 Kuroishi town

Nakano Jinja 中野神社 - Kuroishi town

Kokujo-Ji 国上寺 - Hirakawa town

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Nagaizawa Jinja 長谷沢神社

青森県黒石市上十川長谷沢壱番囲100-2 - Kitaharayoban-8 Kamitogawa, Kuroishi

- Deity in residence
Yamato Takeru no Mikoto 日本武尊

This shrine and Nakano Shrine were founded by
Sakanoue no Tamuramaro 坂上田村麻呂 (758 - 811)
- see below -


At the Fudo Hall 不動堂 in the compound, there are three paintings of Fudo Myo-O.
But the wooden statue of Fudo seems to be seated elsewhere now.

- reference - 黒石市 長谷沢神社 -
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Nakano Jinja 中野神社

青森県黒石市南中野字不動舘27 - Fudodate-27 Minaminakano, Kuroishi

This mountain region is famous for the red autumn leaves 中野もみじ山.
And the village is named after the Fudo Hall, Fudo-Date 不動舘.



In the Nakano gorge is a waterfall dedicated to Fudo Myo-O 不動の滝.


- source and more photos : 5.pro.tok2.com/~tetsuyosie

This is a stone statue of Fudo near the waterfall, with a stone frog on each side. This reason is not quite clear.
The wooden statue made by Enchi could not be located yet.


source : madamada888.blog.fc2.com

- reference - 黒石市 中野神社 -

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Kogakesan Fudoo-In Kokujooji 古懸山不動院国上寺 Kokujo-Ji



Kokujo-Ji 國上寺 temple is dedicated to Yakushi Nyorai, Buddha of Healing.
青森県平川市碇ヶ関古懸門前1−1 / Monzen-1-1 Ikarigasekikogake, Hirakawa-shi Town

It has been built in the Heian period on request of Shotoku Taishi at Mount Ajarayama 阿闍羅山 Ajara Yama ( 442 meters) to appease the realm in the Northern districts of Japan.
There were three halls in the compound, one for Fudo Myo-O, one for Dainichi Nyorai 大日坊 and one for Kannon Bosatsu 補陀洛寺.
It is now Nr. 23 on the pilgrimage to 33 Kannon temples in Tsugaru.

In 1154 the regent Hojo Tokiyori (1227 - 1236) re-located the halls to its present location.
They were called 三森山不動院古懸寺 and many warriors of the Kamakura period came here to pray.
In 1588 the first local lord, 津軽右京亮為信 Tsugaru Tamenobu (1550 - 1608) had the temple re-named to 国上山不動院古懸寺 and offered prayers for the safety and peace of the country. Further buildings were also erected at this time, as more land was allocated to the temple.
In 1871 the land was returned to the state and in 1893 during a fire on January 7 many buildings were lost due to a fire.
Munakata Shiko stayed here and promoted the faith in Fudo Myo-O with his art works.


- Temple Chant
むかしより 古懸の山に 法の灯を ともす大師の ありがたきかな
いつまでも 宿りおりたや 国上寺 衣の裾の その下にして





古懸山不動院 Kogakesan Fudo-In (another spelling : Hudouin)
Gomadoo 護摩堂 Goma-Do hall with the statue of Fudo Myo-O
Ajarayama Fudo-In 阿閣羅山不動院




座っている不動尊 - the statue of a seated Fudo Myo-O

- The local story knows this -
The third lord of the region, Tsugaru Nobuyoshi 津軽信義 (1619 - 1655) was at Edo castle when the talk came to statues, so he proudly said "A statue of Fudo Myo-O has to be seated".
But the other daimyo lords did not agree:
"Oh no, this can't be. A statue of Fudo Myo-O always has to be standing!"
The lord of Tsugaru became angry and said:
"Well, if you do not believe me, send an envoy to Tsugaru to have a look at the seated statue."

When Nobuyoshi reached his estate in Edo, he thought by himself:
"Oh dear, I said the statue is seated, but I have never seen it myself really!"
He ordered a fast horse to go to Tsugaru and have the chief retainer at the castle go to the temple to look at the statue.
When the retainer saw the statue, well, it was a standing Fudo Myo-O!
So the retainer, agast at what would happen to his lord in Edo, talked to the statue:
"Please, Fudo sama, sit down. You have to sit down to save the domaine of Tsugaru from great disaster. If you do not sit down now as I order you to, you will be called the "Ungreatful Fudo 恩義知らずの不動" for the rest of your life.

Fudo showed his intimidating face, but then he said:
"Very well then, I will help you and sit down!"
And he kept sitting down till our day.


source : ikarigaseki.xii.jp

The statue of a seated Fudo is also called nemari Fudo Sama ねまり不動様 (lit. "crouching Fudo").

When something bad is going to happen in Tsugaru, the statue starts to sweat (to get wet 湿ってくる).
Maybe it just gets wet when the weather becomes very humid in Tsugaru.

. asekaki Fudo 汗かき不動 / あせかき不動 sweating Fudo .

- The local story knows this -
The second lord of the region, Tsugaru Nobuhira 津軽信牧 (1586 - 1631) had to deal with a long drought and famine in his domaine. He had all the usual rituals for rain and help performed at the temple and was on his way back home. Then suddenly dark clouds came up and it began to rain and rain and rain and thunder ever more. Just when he thought "Well, I better not go home right now ... " he saw a light at the other side. He later learned that at this moment the castle was all aflame, because a producer of fireworks had an accident and fire broke out.
The whole castle burned down, even the large tower and all the historical records he had collected so far.
Legend knows that right before this tragic fire event, the statue of Fudo Myo-O had been sweating. But this time it was foreboding not another famine or flooding, but the fire at the castle.


source : www.hirosaki-taxi.co.jp

- A legend about the Ema votive tablets of this 古懸不動 Fudo:
The horse of the Ema, painted by 狩野法眼 Kano Hogen, used to take off at night and devastate the fields. So he had to paint a chain for the horse to keep it in its place.
(This kind of legend about Kano Hogen is known in other places.)
. Kano Motonobu 狩野元信 Kanō Motonobu .
1476―1559)
Artist name : Kohoogen, Kohōgen こほうげん (古法眼)



津軽弘法大師霊場 - Tsugaru Kobo Daishi Reijo
Pilgrimage to 23 Kobo Daishi temples in Tsugaru
. Nr. 23 - 古懸山 國上寺 Kokujo-Ji(こがけさん こくじょうじ) .

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In the temple are also some Fudo by Munakata Shiko 棟方志功.




source : madamada888.blog.fc2.com

. Shotoku Taishi 聖徳太子 - (574 - 622) .


13 國上寺 - ねまり不動 - Nemari Fudo
Nr. 13 on the pilgrimage
. 東北三十六不動尊霊場 Pilgrimage to 36 Fudo Temples in Tohoku .

- reference -


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. Tamura Shi 田村氏 The Tamura clan .
- Edo 田村小路 Tamura Koji Alley district

Sakanoue no Tamuramaro 坂上田村麻呂 (758 - 811)
Sakanouye Tamuramaro -
... a general and shogun of the early Heian Period of Japan.
Serving Emperor Kammu, he was appointed shogun and given the task of conquering the Emishi
(蝦夷征伐 Emishi Seibatsu), a people native to the north of Honshū, which he subjugated and drove from the Tohoku region of Honshu to the island of Hokkaido. After emperor Kammu's death, the general continued to serve the emperors Heizei and Saga.

Recent evidence suggests that a migration of Emishi from northern Honshū to Hokkaidō took place sometime between the seventh and eighth centuries, perhaps as a direct result of this policy that pre-dated Tamuramaro's appointment. However, many Emishi remained in the Tōhoku region as subjects of the expanding Japanese Empire, and later established independent Fushu domains. After Emperor Kammu's death, the general continued to serve Emperor Heizei and Emperor Saga as Major Counselor (大納言 dainagon) and Minister of War (兵部卿 Hyōbu-kyō). He was the second man to given the title of shogun.
The first to receive this title was Ōtomo no Otomaro 大伴弟麻呂 (731 - 809).



Sakanoue no Tamuramaro first built Kiyomizu Temple (Kiyomizu-dera), one of the most famous landmarks to be seen in Kyoto.

... It is said that the famous Tanabata festivals and parades of Aomori prefecture (also celebrated in the city of Sendai in Miyagi prefecture), which draw over 3 million people to the prefecture a year, were popularized in remembrance of Sakanoue no Tamuramaro's campaign to subdue the tribal societies then living in Tōhoku. These annual matsuri are called the Nebuta festival in Aomori City and Neputa festival (ねぷた祭り) in Hirosaki City.

... Tamuramaro is reputedly buried at Shōgun-zuka, and his spirit is said to be guarding Kyoto still; but even if part of that tale is only myth, the recorded final resting place of the old warrior was near the village of Kurisu (Kurisu-mura 栗栖村) in Yamashiro's Uji district.

According to the Shoku Nihongi, an official historical record, The Sakaue clan is descended from Emperor Ling of Han China. And Sakaue clan's family tree shows that Tamuramaro is a 14th-generation descendent of Ling.

© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


Sakanoue no Tamuramaro is known for having founded the

Three - (Six) Kannon Temples in Oshu province 奥州六観音 Oshu Roku Kannon
also called 奥州三観音や6カ寺

to appease the dead bodies of the Emishi burried, and also their "demon deities" 鬼神.
He usually erected mounds for their heads (kubizuka 首塚) and a temple.

奥州三観音 - Three Kannon of Oshu

1 牧山観音(石巻市)- Ishinomaki (Iwate)
2  箟嶽観音(涌谷町)-  Wakuya (Miyagi)
3  富山観音 (松島町)- Matsushima (Miyagi) 

6カ寺 - Six Kannon Temples of Oshu

1 牧山観音(石巻市)- Ishinomaki (Iwate)
2  箟嶽観音(涌谷町)- Wakuya (Miyagi)
3 大武観音(登米市)- Tome (Miyagi) 
4  長谷観音(登米市)- Tome
5 鱒淵観音(登米市)- Tome
6 小迫観音(栗原市)- Kurihara (Miyagi)

- Check this link for further information and photos:
- source : chiyukihirosi.air-nifty.com

. roku Kannon 六観音 six Kannon .


. Chookonji 長根寺 Chokon-Ji - Miyako, Iwate .
The first Yakushi Hall 薬師堂 had been founded by
Sakanoue no Tamuramaro 坂上田村麻呂 in 807.
A bronze bell from this time is still existing. Sakanoue seems to have founded three Kannon temples in Nagane (Chookon) 観音長根.


Fudo Temple 23 達谷西光寺 天台宗 - 姫待不動尊 - Himemachi Fudo
Takkoku Saiko-ji
... Probably the Japanese people in later generations blindly wanted to believe Tamuramaro Sakanoue as a most respectable hero and "Akuo-o" 悪路王 who fought with Sakanoue as an evil figure.
. Himemachi Fudo, Hiraizumi, Iwate .


. Kubizuka, memorial stone pagodas and mounds for the beheaded ... 首塚 .


. beraboo tako ベラボー凧 kite with a face sticking out the tongue .
from Akita, Noshiro 能代市, said to be used by Tamuramaro

One of the most respected leaders of the Emishi and also by Tamuramaro was
Aterui / Akuro-o / Acro-o アテルイ / 阿弖流爲 (? - 802)
Akuro Jin 悪路神 The Deity Akuro

"Tamo-no-kimi Aterui took up the leadership of this resistance. In 789, Aterui defeated a larger force at the Battle of Kitakami River, and remained at-large until 801, when he was defeated by Sakanoue Tamuramaro. Fighting continued until a court edict in 805, with one last campaign in 811, after which the pacification of the area was considered complete by Imperial edict."
. Mutsu 陸奥 in Tohoku 東北 .



- quote -
..... the most prominent chief of the Isawa (胆沢) band of Emishi in northern Japan.
Aterui was born in Isawa, Hitakami-no-kuni, what is now Mizusawa Ward of Ōshū City in southern Iwate Prefecture.
"Lord of the Bad Road" (悪路王 Akuro-o).
..... In 802 Tamuramaro returned to Michinoku and built Fort Isawa in the heart of Isawa territory. Then on April 15 he reported the most important success of all in this campaign: The Emishi leaders Aterui and More surrendered with more than 500 warriors. General Sakanoue delivered Aterui and More to the capital on July 10. Despite General Sakanoue's pleadings the government, "...cut them down at Moriyama in Kawachi province." .....
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !



田村麻呂と阿弖流為 - 古代東北 / 新野直吉 
- reference source : jyo-sai.com/castle-report/nodonjon -

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- quote
The World of Sakanouye No Tamuramaro: Black Shogun of Early Japan
by Runoko Rashidi

“For a Samurai to be brave, he must have a bit of Black blood.”
– Japanese Proverb

... I have always thought of Japan as a fascinating country and felt extremely fortunate to be able to travel there. ...
... Meaningful indications of an African presence in ancient Japan have been unearthed from the most remote ages of the Japanese past. ...

SAKANOUYE NO TAMURAMARO: SEI-I TAI-SHOGUN OF EARLY JAPAN
Of the Black people of early Japan, the most picturesque single figure was Sakanouye no Tamuramaro, a warrior symbolized in Japanese history as a “paragon of military virtues,” and a man who has captured the attention of some of the most distinguished scholars of 20th century America.



Perhaps the first such scholar to make note of Tamuramaro was Alexander Francis Chamberlain (1865-1914). An anthropologist, Chamberlain was born in Kenninghall, Norfolk, England, and was brought to America as a child. In April 1911, the Journal of Race Development published an essay by Chamberlain titled The Contribution of the Negro to Human Civilization. While discussing the African presence in early Asia, Chamberlain stated in an exceptionally frank and matter of fact manner:

“And we can cross the whole of Asia and find the Negro again, for when, in far-off Japan, the ancestors of the modern Japanese were making their way northward against the Ainu, the aborigines of that country, the leader of their armies was Sakanouye Tamuramaro, a famous general and a Negro.”

Dr. W.E.B. DuBois (1868-1963), perhaps the greatest scholar in American history, in his book, The Negro (first published in 1915), placed Sakanouye Tamuramaro within a list of some of the most distinguished Black rulers and warriors in antiquity.

In 1922, Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950) and Charles Harris Wesley (1891-?) in a chapter called Africans in History with Others, in their book, The Negro in Our History, quoted Chamberlain on Tamuramaro verbatim. In the November 1940 issue of the Negro History Bulletin (founded by Dr. Woodson), artist and illustrator Lois Maillou Jones (1905-1998) contributed a brief article titled Sakanouye Tamura Maro.

In the article Jones pointed out that:
“The probable number of Negroes who reached the shores of Asia may be estimated somewhat by the wide area over which they were found on that continent. Historians tell us that at one time Negroes were found in all of the countries of southern Asia bordering the Indian Ocean and along the east coast as far as Japan. There are many interesting stories told by those who reached that distant land which at that time they called "Cipango".
One of the most prominent characters in Japanese history was a Negro warrior called Sakanouye Tamura Maro.”

Very similar themes were expressed in 1946 in In the Orient, the first section of Distinguished Negroes Abroad, a book by Beatrice J. Fleming and Marion J. Pryde in which was contained a small chapter dedicated to
The Negro General of Japan — Sakanouye Tamuramaro.


JAPAN --FUDO MY'O --
PATRON OF THE SAMURAI AND ONE OF THE FIVE WISDOM KINGS IN JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY

In 1940, the great Joel Augustus Rogers (1883-1966), who probably did more to popularize African history than any scholar of the 20th century, devoted several pages of the first volume of his book, Sex and Race to the Black presence in early Japan. He cites the studies of a number of accomplished scholars and anthropologists, and even goes as far as to raise the question, “Were the first Japanese Negroes?”

In the words of Rogers:
“There is a very evident Negro strain in a certain element of the Japanese population, particularly those in the south. Imbert says, ‘The Negro element in Japan is recognizable by the Negroid aspect of certain inhabitants with dark and often blackish skin, frizzly or curly hair. ... The Negritos are the oldest race of the Far East. It has been proved that they once lived in Eastern and Southern China as well as in Japan where the Negrito element is recognizable still in the population.’”

Rogers mentioned Tamuramaro briefly in the first volume of World’s Great Men of Color, also published in 1946. Regrettably, Rogers was forced to confess that “I have come across certain names in China and Japan such as Sakonouye Tamuramaro, the first shogun of Japan, but I did not follow them up.”

Sakanouye Tamuramaro was a warrior symbolized in early Japanese history as a “paragon of military virtues.” Could it be that this was what Dr. Diop was alluding to in his first major book, Nations negres et culture, when he directed our attention to the tantalizing and yet profound Japanese proverb:
For a Samurai to be brave he must have a bit of Black blood.

Adwoa Asantewaa B. Munroe referenced Tamuramaro in the 1981 publication What We Should Know About African Religion, History and Culture, and wrote that “He was an African warrior. He was prominent during the rule of the Japanese Emperor Kwammu, who reigned from 782-806 A.D.” In 1989, Dr. Mark Hyman authored a booklet titled Black Shogun of Japan in which he stated that “The fact remains that Sakanouye Tamuramaro was an African. He was Japanese. He was a great fighting general. He was a Japanese Shogun.”

However, the most comprehensive assessment to date of the Black presence in early Japan and the life of Sakanouye no Tamuramaro is the work of art historian and long-time friend and colleague Dr. James E. Brunson. Brunson is the author of Black Jade: The African Presence in the Ancient East and several other important texts. In a 1991 publication titled The World of Sakanouye No Tamuramaro, Brunson accurately noted that “In order to fully understand the world of Sakanouye Tamuramaro we must focus on all aspects of the African presence in the Far East.”

Sakanouye no Tamuramaro is regarded as an outstanding military commander of the early Heian royal court. The Heian Period (794-1185 C.E.) derives its name from Heian-Kyo, which means “the Capital of Peace and Tranquility,” and was the original name for Japan’s early capital city — Kyoto. It was during the Heian Period that the term Samurai was first used. According to Papinot, the “word comes from the very word samuaru, or better saburau, which signifies: to be on one’s guard, to guard; it applied especially to the soldiers who were on guard at the Imperial palace.”

The samurai have been called the knights or warrior class of Medieval Japan and the history of the samurai is very much the history of Japan itself. For hundreds of years, to the restoration of the Meiji emperor in 1868, the samurai were the flower of Japan and are still idolized by many Japanese. The samurai received a pension from their feudal lord, and had the privilege of wearing two swords. They intermarried in their own caste and the privilege of samurai was transmitted to all the children, although the heir alone received a pension.

The “paragon of military virtues,” Sakanouye no Tamuramaro (758-811) was, in the words of James Murdoch:
“In as sense the originator of what was subsequently to develop into the renowned samurai class, he provided in his own person a worthy model for the professional warrior on which to fashion himself and his character. In battle, a veritable war-god; in peace the gentlest of manly gentlemen, and the simplest and unassuming of men.”

Throughout his career, Tamuramaro was rewarded for his services with high civil as well as military positions. In 797 he was named “barbarian-subduing generalissimo” (Sei-i Tai-Shogun), and in 801-802 he again campaigned in northern Japan, establishing fortresses at Izawa and Shiwa and effectively subjugating the Ainu.

In 810 he helped to suppress an attempt to restore the retired emperor Heizei to the throne. In 811, the year of his death, he was appointed great counselor (dainagon) and minister of war (hyobukyo).

Sakanouye no Tamuramaro “was buried in the village of Kurisu, near Kyoto and it is believed that it is his tomb, which is known under the name of Shogun-zuka. Tamuramaro is the founder of the famous temple Kiyomizu-dera. He is the ancestor of the Tamura daimyo of Mutsu.” Tamuramaro “was not only the first to bear the title of Sei-i-tai-Shogun, but he was also the first of the warrior statesmen of Japan.”

In later ages he was revered by military men as a model commander and as the first recipient of the title shogun — the highest rank to which a warrior could aspire.”
- source : atlantablackstar.com


Sei-i-tai-Shogun 征夷大将軍
- List in the Wikipedia
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !



. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 月岡芳年 .

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- - - - - Legends - - - - -

. kinma 木馬(きんま) "wooden horse" amulet from Miharu, Fukushima .

................................................................................. Iwate 岩手県
気仙郡 Kesen district

When Sakanoue no Tamuramaro drove out the demon of this region, the teeth of this Oni were left over.
The boss of the native 蝦夷 Emishi group was called 赤頭 Akagashira.


赤頭 Head of Akagashira

and his oni no kiba 鬼の牙 demon teeth


Tamuramaro built a grave for Akagashira and offered a statue of Kannon Bosatsu to appease his soul. This is now at the temple 竜福山・長谷寺 Hasedera.
When they dug out the grave in 1704, they found 33 teeth in the skull of this Akagashira Oni.
ケセンの鬼の国 Kesen is the land of the Oni.

その昔、赤頭(あかがしら)と呼ばれた蝦夷の首領が気仙郡佐狩郷赤崎小田の地にいて、鎮守府将軍の坂上田村麻呂と一戦を交えた。
その首を埋めた墓上に田村麻呂はお墓を建て十一面観世音菩薩を安置したのが、現在の猪川町である。
竜福山・長谷寺(創建八〇七年)と伝わる。
鬼の歯それから九百年が経った宝永元年(一七〇四)に、寛応法印が寺内から発掘したという赤頭の歯、三十三枚が寺宝として現存している。鬼の牙といわれている。
- reference source : saitoseika.co.jp/adariHP/adariho40 -

. oni no ha 鬼の歯 teeth of an oni / kiba 牙 fangs .

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. Oodakemaru 大嶽丸・大竹丸・大武丸・大猛丸 Odakemaru .
Kijin 鬼神大猛丸 the Demon God Odakemaru alias Aterui アテルイ / 悪路王 Akuro-O / Acro-O 阿弖流爲 (? - 802)
And legneds about the fight with Tamuramaro.

- source : nichibun yokai database -
40 legends to explore about 坂上田村麻呂 !

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. O-Mamori お守り Amulets and Talismans .

. Tsugaru Glas Daruma 津軽のガラス工芸だるま .


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- - - - - Other Fudo temples from Tsugaru

. Saishoo In 最勝院 Saisho-In . - Hirosaki
Nekotsuki Fudo 猫突 Fudo stabbing a Monster Cat

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. Pilgrimages to Fudo Temples 不動明王巡礼
Fudo Myo-O Junrei - Fudo Pilgrims - INTRODUCTION .


. 津軽弘法大師霊場 - Tsugaru Kobo Daishi Reijo
Pilgrimage to 23 Kobo Daishi temples in Tsugaru .



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. - Join Fudo Myo-O on facebook - Fudō Myō-ō .

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. Japan - Shrines and Temples - ABC .


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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- #sakanoue #tamuramaro -
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2014/07/17

Ryosenji Nara

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Ryoosenji, Ryōsen-ji 霊山寺 Ryosen-Ji
大和國 登美山鼻高 霊山寺


3873 Nakamachi, Nara - 奈良県奈良市中町3879


- quote
Founded in the eighth century, the Hondō is a National Treasure and a number of other buildings and temple treasures have been designated Important Cultural Properties.

In the late seventh century Ono no Tobito erected a set of public baths on Mount Tomi 登美山 outside Nara and enshrined an image of Yakushi. In 734 Emperor Shōmu instructed Gyōki to erect a hall on the site, and two years later the Indian monk Bodhisena, noticing a resemblance to the Vulture Peak, founded the Ryōsen-ji.


Three storey pagoda 三重塔(重文) (1356), hinoki bark roof

The Hondō was rebuilt in 1283. Toyotomi Hideyoshi granted the temple lands valued at a hundred koku. In the Meiji period many of the monk's quarters were abandoned and over two hundred images were burned. Restored in 1940, the temple has been revived.

Jūrokusho Jinja (十六所神社) Jurokusho Jinja
is now an independent shrine, but before the Meiji period served Ryōsen-ji in a tutelary capacity. The Honden (1384) and subordinate Sumiyoshi Jinja Honden and Ryūō Jinja Honden (both 1386) have been designated Important Cultural Properties.
- source : wikipedia





. Gyoki Bosatsu 行基菩薩 and Bodhisena 菩提僊那 .
(668-749 AD) Gyōki - (704 - 760) Bodaisenna

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The great bell in the bell tower makes a sound reminding of the Buddhist Jodo Paradise. Visitors must ring it three times and listen to the reveberating sound of wisdom of the bell, considering life, death and re-birth and also peace in the world.

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Yakushi Yudono 薬師湯殿 The Yakushi Bath Hall



In 672 Ono no Tobito 小野富人, son of the famous Ono no Imoko 小野妹子 and now also called 鼻高仙人 Biko Sennin, took refuge on Mount Tomi 登美山 and planted a garden full of herbs to put in the water. He then erected a set of public baths and enshrined an image of Yakushi Nyorai. Many people from the villages around came here to heal their diseases and take a rest. In 1982 the hall was rebuild in its present form and open to the public.


. . Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of Medicine 薬師如来 . .


. byooki heiyu 病気平癒 healing a disease .


. Ono no Imoko 小野妹子 .


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The famous rose garden バラ庭園 - designed by the previous head priest in 1975 for visitors to relax and get refreshed and with the wish for peace in the world.
It relates to the circle of life. The first part considers the Mother-Child connection with red, light-colored roses. Up a few steps is a fountain, the symbol of the circle of birth and re-birth. In the back is a terasse to enjoy some tea.
Best visited from mid-May till mid-June or mid-October till mid-November

バラ園に詣でるなんて旬の技

making a pilgrimage
to the rose garden -
treat of the season


Gabi Greve, July 2014

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CLICK for enlargement to read.


- Homepage of the temple
- source : www.ryosenji.jp




Godai Myo-O 五大明王尊像
(不動明王・大威徳明王・金剛薬叉明王・軍茶利明王・降三世明王)





source : www.taleofgenji.org
At the graveyard are 12 statues of the protector deities for each of the 12 zodiac animal and people born in that year. Fudo Myo-O is one of them.

. Fudō Myō-ō, Fudoo Myoo-Oo 不動明王 Fudo Myo-O
Acala Vidyârâja - Vidyaraja .




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A torii 鳥居は神門 entrance gate to a Shinto shrine, here for the Benzaiten 辯財天 sanctuary, 弁天堂 Benten-Do

Every spring on the 17th of April, a great fire ritual is held in front of the hall, to honor Fudo Myo-O, who is located in the sub-temple 東光院 Toko-In within the compound. Benten here is said to please Fudo Myo-O with this fire ritual.




. Benten, Benzaiten 弁天 弁財天 .


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. Pilgrimages to Fudo Temples 不動明王巡礼
Fudo Myo-O Junrei - Fudo Pilgrims - INTRODUCTION .



. Japan - Shrines and Temples - ABC .


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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]

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2014/07/06

Kannon Special Statues

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. Japan - Shrines and Temples - ABC .
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Kannon Bosatsu - Special Statues

. . Kannon Bosatsu 観音菩薩 Avalokiteshvara . .
Introduction

One of the resources here is the
- facebook group - 仏像 -

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Ayumi Kannon あゆみ観音
Nyoirin Kannon 如意輪観音

This entry will be updated regularly !
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Ayumi Kannon あゆみ観音 “Kannon for going step by step”


source : facebook

- quote
Buddhist statue carved from tsunami-struck pine trees
RIKUZENTAKATA, Iwate Prefecture
About 7,000 people across Japan created a Buddhist statue from trees of a forest that was flattened by the 2011 tsunami.

Seizan Watanabe, a Buddhist statue sculptor based in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, was the main carver of the kannon (deity of mercy) statue.
But thousands of others also played a part.

After the project started in January 2012, wood for the statue was sent to about 30 locations around the country where residents could each chisel a portion and make donations for the Tohoku region.
The project was planned to pray for those killed by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, and to support reconstruction of the stricken region.

The statue will be on display in Watanabe’s hometown of Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, starting on Jan. 24, before it is donated to Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, one of the hardest-hit areas in the disaster.

. . . Upon a request from the temple, Watanabe visited Rikuzentakata and was deeply touched by the words of the survivors.
“We owe it to those who were killed to remain firm and move forward,”
one of them said.
- source : ajw.asahi.com

. Japan after the BIG Earthquake .

. Watanabe Seizan 渡邊勢山 .

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Joogyoo Bosatsu 浄行菩薩  Bosatsu of Purity




at Shibamata Taishakuten 柴又帝釈天.
you can pour water over the statue to purify yourself.


Jōgyō 浄行 (Skt. = Viśuddhacāritra) Trans. "practice purity."

- Four Great Bodhisattva 四大菩薩 -
Mark Schumacher


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Nyoirin Kannon 如意輪観音 


source : facebook

at temple Mii-Dera 三井寺

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source : facebook

at temple Engyooji 圓教寺 / 円教寺 Engyo-Ji, Hyogo

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. suishoo no Kannon 水晶の観音 Crystal Kannon Statue .
Nagasaki 長崎県 森山町 Moriyama town

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. . Kannon Bosatsu 観音菩薩 Avalokiteshvara . .

. Japan - Shrines and Temples - ABC .


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- #kannon #kannonbosatsu -
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2014/07/05

Gotanjoji Echizen

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Gotanjoji 御誕生寺 Gotanjo-Ji
nekodera 猫寺 "Cat Temple"


. WKD : Cat (neko 猫) .



萬象山御誕生寺
福井県越前市庄田町32−1−1

The main statue is a Shaka Nyorai 釈迦如来.

- quote
Temple master Koshu Itabashi plays with cats kept at his Gotanjoji Temple in Echizen

- source : english.kyodonews.jp


- quote
Cats get the cream at Fukui temple
Nicknamed “the temple of cats,” Gotanjoji in Echizen, Fukui Prefecture, continues to draw thousands of tourists every year after more than a decade of caring for abandoned cats.

Since the monks at the Soto Zen temple took in the first four stray cats 12 years ago, Gotanjoji has become known as a place where people can easily make contact with felines. Now, with 52 cats at the temple, it attracts about 10,000 visitors each year.

The idea of creating a cat shelter on the temple grounds was initiated by head priest and cat lover Koshu Itabashi, 87, who built Gotanjoji in 2002.
Soon after establishing the temple, Itabashi, a former chief abbot at the Sotoshu Daihonzan Sojiji of the Soto Zen School in Yokohama, took in and provided a refuge for stray kittens.

About 30 monks who came to Gotanjoji from different places around Japan are taking care of the cats. Medical treatment and vaccinations are covered by contributions to the temple.

Tourists at Gotanjoji are greeted with a sign that says “Beware of Cats.” Strolling through the grounds, you might see cats sleeping, wandering around or even approaching and endearing themselves to visitors.

“You can tell from their expressions that these cats are relaxed and are enjoying life here,” said Ryota Ikeda, a 25-year-old photographer from Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, during a recent visit.

The temple’s vice chief priest, 39-year-old Shojun Inawashiro, said that although the number has decreased in recent years, unwanted kittens are still being brought to Gotanjoji.
Starting a couple of years ago, the monks started looking for new owners via social media. Last year alone, 47 cats found new home, Inawashiro said.

“I believe they’ve come here for a reason,” he said. “I’d like this temple to help people and cats make a connection, and we’re thinking about working with governmental or other organizations to match them with new owners.”
- source : www.japantimes.co.jp

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- CLICK for more photos !
- source : entermeus.com


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. Pilgrimages to Fudo Temples 不動明王巡礼
Fudo Myo-O Junrei - Fudo Pilgrims - INTRODUCTION .



. Japan - Shrines and Temples - ABC .


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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]

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2014/07/04

Tono Pilgrims

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Toono Shichi Kannon 遠野 七観音 The Seven Kannon of Tono

- quote
Tōno (遠野市 Tōno-shi) is a city located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2014, the city had an estimated population of 28,265 and a population density of 34.2 persons per km². The total area was 825.62 km².
Tōno is known as "The City of Folklore" for its rural nature, its preservation of traditional culture and especially for the collection of folktales, Tōno Monogatari, written by Kunio Yanagita in 1910.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


. Tōno monogatari 遠野物語 Tono Monogatari - Legends of Tono .
Iwate prefecture

. Tono Fudo Monogatari 遠野不動明王物語 .



seimei kikyoo 晴明桔梗 "Bellflower of Seimei"


. gobōsei 五芒星 Gobosei, pentagram, five-sided star .


- - - - - The group of Seven Kannon

Nyoirin Kannon
Juntei / Jundei Kannon
Fuku kensaku Kannon 
Juichimen Kannon (with eleven heads)
Bato Kannon (with a horse head)
Senju Kannon (with 1000 arms)
Sho Kannon


七観音の種字 - Seven Kannon Sylables



. Kannon Bosatsu 観音菩薩 Introduction .


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Toono shichi Kannon 遠野七観音 Seven Kannon Temples of Tono

遠野には観音堂が7つあります。一昼夜で7つすべてをまわると、願いが叶うそうです。


source : Tono Magokoro Net - facebook

If you make the pilgrimage in one day and night, your wish will be granted.

These seven temples have been built by . Ennin - Jigaku Daishi 慈覚大師 .
(794 – 864)

He took one huge tree and carved seven statues out of it.
According to legend, Ennin carved them near the well Nanaido 七井戸 at the village Zawanokuchi 沢の口部落 and purified them there.
Later people collected the scraps from his carving and carried them to Matsuzaki to keep them as treasures.


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01 山谷第一番札所・山谷観音 Yamaya Kannon

遠野市小友町37地割1番地 Otomochō, 37 Chiwari



The original temple 大慈山長福寺 has been built in 854.
It was reconstructed in 1354 and again in 1593, but again lost due to fire.
The Kannon Hall was built in 1699.
In 1742 the sculptor Matsuda Riemon 松田利右衛門 came from Kyoto and carved a new Kannon statue with 11 heads 十一面観音.




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02 松崎第二番札所・松崎観音 Matsuzaki Kannon

遠野市松崎町松崎11地割81、82、83番地 - 11 Chiwari-81 Matsuzakichō Matsuzaki,



The original temple 麦沢山松崎寺 has been bulit in 807.
The present-day Kannon Hall dates back to a reconstruction in 1742.
The Kannon Statue with 11 Heads 十一面観音 has an inscription from 1606.




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03 平倉第三番札所・平倉観音 Hirakura Kannon

遠野市上郷町平倉47地割34番地 - Kamigocho Hirakura



The original temple 谷行山細山寺 has been built in 808. The main statue is Kannon with 11 heads. It has an inscription for the year 1606.
When the temple burned down, the statue could be rescued in time and the Kannon hall was rebuilt in 1724.
The buildings have been reconstructed in 1760.




Kannon statue donated by 赤羽根源七 Akabane Genshichi in 1744.




Statue of Fudo Myo-O in the temple garden.

. Fudō Myō-ō, Fudoo Myoo-Oo 不動明王 Fudo Myo-O
Acala Vidyârâja - Vidyaraja .



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04 鞍迫第四番札所・鞍迫観音 Kurahasama Kannon

遠野市宮守町上鱒沢18地割79番地2 18 Chiwari-79-2 Miyamorichō Kamimasuzawa,



The original temple 鞍迫山福滝寺 has been built in 852.
In 1659 the Kannon Hall burned down in a fire and the statue became ashes.
The present-day Kannon hall was built in the early Edo period.


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05 宮守第五番札所・宮守観音 Miyamori Kannon

遠野市宮守町上宮守4地割 - 4 Chiwari Miyamorichō Kamimiyamori



The original temple 月見山平沢寺 has been built in 807. The main statue was a Kannon with 1000 arms 千手観音, about 77 cm high, a work from the late Edo period. But the original statue was lost in a temple fire.




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06 山崎第六番札所・山崎観音 Yamasaki Kannon

遠野市土淵町栃内15地割11番地 - 15 Chiwari-11 Tsuchibuchichō Tochinai



The original temple 大月山栃内寺 was built in 807.
The Kannon hall has been reconstructed in 1800.
The statue of a horse-headed Bato Kannon 馬頭観音 has an inscription from 1720.


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07 笹谷第七番札所・笹谷観音 Sasaya Kannon

遠野市附馬牛町東禅寺13地割 - 13 Chiwari Tsukimoushichō Tōzenji



The original temple 附馬牛山長洞寺 was built in 807.
The Kannon Hall dates to 1848. The statue is a 勢至観音 Seishi Kannon.
Around 1740 the villagers built a new temple but they did not find the statue. So a new one has been carved by a sculptor from Sendai.
The temple was built in 長洞 for a long time, but relocated about 70 years ago.



勢至観音 Seishi Kannon


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- reference : www.ayaori.net/YH_EVENT
- reference and photos : urawatono.exblog
- reference and statues - dostoev.exblog.jp
- - - - reference - 遠野 七観音 -

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Fukusenji 福泉寺 Fukusen-ji
岩手県遠野市松崎町駒木7-57 - Matsuzakicho Komagi, Tono, Iwate

a Shingon Buddhist temple housing the largest wooden Kannon statue in Japan. The grounds of the temple are quite extensive and have many buildings including a five story pagoda.
The Kannon statue is 17 meters high, said to be the largest of its kind in Japan.


Juuichimen Kannon 十一面観音 Kannon with 11 heads


- quote
Fukusenji Temple is located on a hillside about five kilometers from Tono City and features a five story pagoda, many smaller temples, beautiful Japanese gardens and immaculately maintained grounds. The grounds have a road that allows you to drive to the top instead of walking up the rather steep path, however I recommend taking your time to appreciate the size of the temple grounds and explore all the hidden features of Fukusenji Temple.
There are numerous smaller temples scattered amongst the lush foliage, with the largest being at the top of the hillside, one of the most impressive temples you're likely to come across in Tono. The five story pagoda is located halfway down the hill and is also very impressive. Expect to spend one hour wandering the grounds of Fukusenji Temple.
- source : en.japantravel.com/photos


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. gobōsei 五芒星 Gobosei, pentagram, five-sided star .

. Kannon Bosatsu 観音菩薩 Introduction .

. Tono Fudo Monogatari 遠野不動明王物語 .


. Japan - Shrines and Temples - ABC .


[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM . TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]

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