NEFT is a web media that provides all kinds of information about the six prefectures of Tohoku, including sightseeing and gourmet spots, the local area, customs, and history.
There are many ``33 Kannon'' left in the Aizu region. It became a stronghold of people's hearts. The ``Thirty-Three Kannon'' refers to 33 temples where Kannon is enshrined, numbered from 1 to 33, and visited in order. Temples are called ``fudasho,'' where you put the amulets you have brought with you and write your wishes on them, and receive a goshuin seal from the temple as a souvenir. It could take several months to visit the Thirty-Three Kannons, but people saved money and enjoyed the trip.
The Thirty-Three Kannon Tour dates back to the Nara period when it was established by Hasedera Temple in Nara.
The Thirty-Three Kannon Tour enshrines the Kannon, which was said to transform into 33 forms and save people by Tokudo Shonin, who founded Hasedera Temple in Yamato Province (Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture) in the early Nara period. It is said that it began when 33 temples were designated as sacred sites.
The Thirty-Three Kannon Tour has spread throughout the country over many years. During the Edo period, the Saigoku Thirty-Three Temples Pilgrimage (Nara Prefecture, Osaka Prefecture, Kyoto Prefecture, Shiga Prefecture, Hyogo Prefecture, Wakayama Prefecture/Hasedera Temple is No. 8/Japan Heritage) and Bando Thirty-three Kannon Temples (Kanagawa Prefecture) 400, including those that cover a wide area such as Saitama Prefecture, Tokyo, Gunma Prefecture, Tochigi Prefecture, Ibaraki Prefecture, Chiba Prefecture / Sensoji Temple is No. 13), and those that cover a small area such as Chichibu 34 Kannon Sacred Sites (Saitama Prefecture). It is said that there was a sacred place that was more than just a place.
"Aizu Thirty-Three Kannon" was started by Masayuki Hoshina, the lord of Aizu domain during the Edo period.
The ``Aizu Thirty-Three Kannon'' was established by Masayuki Hoshina, who became the first lord of the Aizu domain in 1643 during the Edo period. This made it possible to tour the 33 Kannon statues within the territory so that there was no need to go on a pilgrimage. As a result, the people of the domain did not have to spend money on long trips, and the domain was able to prevent large amounts of money from flowing outside the domain.
``Aizu Thirty-Three Kannon'' originally centered on Wakamatsu (Aizu Wakamatsu), where the castle was located, and designated the thirty-three Kannon temples in the Kita-Aizu region as the Thirty-Three Kannon Temples. It became extremely popular as an excursion for both socializing and entertainment, especially for women in rural areas, who originally believed in Kannon.
A number of 33 Kannon statues were established in each area in Aizu.
The first ``Aizu Thirty-Three Kannon'' were gathered in Kita-Aizu, so there was a growing momentum from the far-off, mountainous Minami-Aizu region to create a local 33 Kannon temple, and in 1698 In 2007, the ``Okairiri Thirty-Three Kannon Temples'' were established, which tour the thirty-three Kannon statues in the Minamiaizu region.
“Mikuraniri” comes from the name of the Minami-Aizu region, centered on Tajima (Tajima, Minamiaizu Town), which was under direct control of the Shogunate in the early Edo period.
There are many other 33 Kannon statues in the Aizu region, such as the ``33 Inawashiro Kannon,'' ``33 Kubota Kannon,'' ``Nagata Saikoku 33 Kannon,'' and ``Sairyuji Otome 33 Kannon.'' Most of the areas were covered, and people enjoyed the pilgrimage to the Thirty-Three Kannons.
These 33 Kannon statues, along with the surrounding temples, roads, and post towns such as Ouchi-juku, have been certified as a Japanese heritage site, ``Aizu's 33 Kannon Tour: Aizu's Culture Seen Through Pilgrimage''.
The ``33 Kannon in Mikuran'' is located in Tadami-cho, the deepest part of Minami-Aizu, with ``Johoji Kannon-do'' as the first temple, and goes clockwise around Aizu Sakashita-cho, Aizumisato-cho, Shimogo-cho, and Minami-Aizu-cho. There are 33 Kannon-do halls spread over five towns that have been designated as temples. The 33rd temple is ``Izumida Senkodo,'' and we will soon return to the 1st temple, ``Jihoji Kannondo.''
The entire journey of the ``Mikurairi Thirty-Three Kannon'' is said to be 44 ri and 31 towns, and is approximately 180 km long. Of the 33 Kannon-do temples, the 8th temple, ``Higashiogi Kannon-do'', currently does not have a building due to disasters and other factors. In addition, the 20th temple, Kawashima Iwato-do, is located on a cliff and cannot be climbed. You can visit Kannondo other than these two places.
Unfortunately, it seems that you cannot receive Goshuin stamps at this time, except at the 10th temple, Ono Kannon-do.
There are many cultural properties, and with the exception of a few, you can also visit by car.
The ``Mikurairi Thirty-Three Kannon'' contains many extremely valuable buildings and Buddhist statues that have been designated as important cultural properties of the country.
The first temple, ``Jihoji Kannon-do,'' is a pure Tang-style building that is said to have been built in the early Momoyama period. It's architecture. ``Johoji Kannon-do'' has been designated as a national important cultural property. The principal image of Johoji Temple, the wooden seated statue of Sho Kannon Bodhisattva, is an important cultural property of Fukushima Prefecture.
The 11th temple, Nakanosawa Kannon-do, is a Kannon-do hall located at Kyokudenji Temple, and is said to have been rebuilt during the Muromachi period. It is a purely Japanese-style building with a very beautiful curved roof. National important cultural property.
In addition, the 10th temple "Ono Kannon-do" has a crocodile mouth (an important cultural property of Fukushima Prefecture), an votive tablet (a cultural property designated by Shimogo Town), the 14th temple "Yakushiji" has a wooden seated statue of Amida Nyorai, and a wooden standing statue of Yakushi Nyorai. (both important cultural properties of Fukushima prefecture), No. 15 temple "Tokusho-ji" main hall, kuri, Konpira-do (registered tangible cultural property of the country), No. 19 temple "Omamewata Nansenji Kannon-do" tower gate (Important Cultural Property of Fukushima Prefecture), the 24th Temple Betto Zendoji “Furumachi Eiyo-do” wooden seated statue of Amida Nyorai (Fukushima Prefectural Important Cultural Property), the 29th Temple “Tokisu Shodan-do” The wooden Nyorai-shaped seated statue (Tangible Cultural Property designated by Minamiaizu Town) has been designated as a cultural property.
There is another 33 Kannon in Minamiaizu. ``Nagata Saikoku Thirty-Three Kannon'', 33 stone statues of Kannon are lined up along the 1km approach to Sagi Shrine in the Nagata district of Minamiaizu Town. It all began in the early 1800s, when a wealthy local enshrined a Kannon stone Buddha within the precincts of Sagi Shrine in hopes of bringing peace to the area.Since then, two generations of the same family have continued to carve a total of 33 stone statues and place them on the approach to the shrine. It was. It was completed in 1878 (Meiji 11), and since then, many worshipers have visited the shrine, believing that just by walking around the approach, they can gain the same merit as a pilgrimage to the Thirty-three Kannon Temples.
