Chokokuji Kannon Katada Hase

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Chokokuji 長谷寺 Chokoku-Ji, Katadahase
近田山 Kindenzan 長谷寺 （ちょうこくじ） Chokokuji
Also called 遠長谷寺 The Far Chokoku-Ji.

三重県津市片田長谷町230 / Mie, Tsu city, Katada Hase town

The Kannon statue is 十一面観音 Juichimen Kannon.

- Chant of the temple
No matter how many times you go to pray,
my heart is pure like the clean valley water
as it was the first time I visited this place.

- quote -
Chōkoku-ji temple was founded between 701 and 704 by 徳道上人 a monk called Tokudō.
Because it was modeled after Hase-dera temple (the characters it is written with can be also read as Chōkoku-ji) in Nara, it is also referred to as Enchōkoku-ji (Far Chōkoku-ji).
It is believed that the temple was a praying place for 佐々木氏 the Sasaki clan and the clan of provincial governors 北畠氏 Kitabatake.
Unfortunately the temple lost its records in fires caused by frequent wars of the 16th Century, and almost seized to exist.
It was rebuilt by a 2nd daimyo of Tsu province 藤堂高次 Tōdō Takatsugu (1602-1676)
and since then the temple became an important praying place for all next generations of Tōdō clan.
The original main statue enshrined in Chōkoku-ji temple was the 7.9m high Jūichimen Kannon (Eleven-Faced Kannon).
It was one of many Japanese big size Buddhist statues,
but unfortunately it was almost completely destroyed during the war in Tenshō period (1573-1592).
The statue burned down together with the temple during the fight with the troops
of the first “Great Unifier” of Japan – Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582).
Currently the remnants of Jūichimen Kannon are wrapped in white clothes and shown to the public only once per 18 years.
The current main statue of the Chōkoku-ji temple is a life-size standing Jūichimen Kannon.
It is made from wood and covered with dark brown lacquer.
The statue was carved at the beginning of the 17th Century.
Six Kannon statues (Kannon in six basic forms to protect people in each of the Six Realms of karmic rebirth)
and a statue of Bishamon (God of Treasure, Wealth, & Warriors) all made from stone stand within the temple’s grounds,
just at the end of the road leading to the temple.
It is said that these statues were made in Korea during the ruling of Joseon dynasty and brought from Korean peninsula by Tōdō Takatora (1556-1630).
勢陽雑記 Seiyōzakki Records
Kindenzan Chōkoku-ji is located 2 ri west from Tsu in a mountain of Hase village.
The main statue is a Jūichimen Kannon (Eleven-Faced Kannon).
It is said that the temple was founded by 天外和尚 Tengai of 東福寺 Tofuku-ji temple after moving from Hase in Yamato province.
At the beginning there were many buildings in its precinct and the temple’s land was worth 80 kan
but after the turbulent times of Tenshō period it fell into ruin.
The temple’s buildings had no thatch roof anymore, no sound coming from the inside and no light,
even a vague one, could be seen.
It is temple number 13 of Ise Pilgrimage.
- source : otera_list_en/chokokuji ...

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shuin　朱印 stamp

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- - - - - Homepage of the temple
- source : chokoku-ji.com ...
- reference source : isekannon.jp/english ... -
- reference source : nippon-reijo.jimdofree ... -

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This temple is Nr. 15 of the pilgrimage
. Ise Saigoku 33 Kannon 伊勢西国三十三所観音巡礼 Pilgrimage .

. Kannon Bosatsu 観音菩薩 Avalokiteshvara .

. Juichimen Kannon 十一面観音 Senju Kannon 千手観音 Kannon with 11 faces and 1000 arms .

. Hasedera - Temple Legends .

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. Temples with legends .
. Japanese Legends - 伝説　民話　昔話 – ABC-List .
. Japan - Shrines and Temples - Index .

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