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In Sendai city, Miyagi prefecture, there are 12 shrines and temples dedicated to the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, and there is a belief unique to the Sendai region in which the principal image of God associated with each animal is called a "Kedegami-san."
Since ancient times, worshipping gods and Buddhas who protect people's lives as "guardian deities" has existed throughout Japan. Over time, the twelve zodiac signs and guardian deities were combined, and by the Edo period, this belief spread to the common people
At that time, in Sendai Castle Town, they were called "Ka-tai-shin," and the connection between shrines, temples, and the zodiac led to people's faith. There is no difference between "Ka-tai-shin" and "Guardian Deity," and I have heard that Sendai has long been an area where faith in the 12 animals of the zodiac has existed, with the only difference being the name
I will explain the shrines and temples associated with each hexagram god of the zodiac in order of the zodiac
zodiac
Hexagram Body God
Shrines and temples
child
Thousand-Armed Kannon
Haramachi Zen Hospital
Ox/Tiger
Void Bodhisattva statue
Mukaiyama and Kokuzodo
Rabbit
Manjusri Bodhisattva
Yawata Monjudo
Dragon and Snake
Fugen Bodhisattva
Mukaiyama Atago Shrine
Afternoon
Bodhisattva Seishi
Kitame Town, Nijusanya Hall
Un-Monkey
Vairocana
Yanagimachi, Dainichi Hall Ryukoin, Dainichi Hall Kankoin, Dainichi Hall
rooster
Fudo Myoo
Mount Mitaki and Fudoin Temple Nakayama
Dog/Pig
Amitabha Buddha
Hachiman and Osaki Hachiman Shrine
Excerpt from the Osaki Hachimangu Shrine website
When Sendai Castle was constructed, the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac were enshrined in accordance with the directions of the zodiac in order to protect the castle town, which is also connected to the faith and history of Sendai
This year's zodiac sign is "Rabbit," which is Reiwa 5, or 2023 in the Gregorian calendar. The deity represented by the hexagram is Manjusri Bodhisattva, and the shrine is Washizuyama Manjusri-do, located in Yahata, Aoba Ward, Sendai City
Washizuyama Monjudo
Washizuyama Monjudo is located on the Sendai-Murata Line heading straight towards Oritate, with Osaki Hachiman Shrine in Yahata, Aoba Ward, Sendai City on your right
In 1603, the 8th year of the Keicho era, Mine Hachibei, a retainer of Date Masamune, received the entire Washizuyama area from Masamune, and this year marks the 420th anniversary of the founding of the mountain
The deity of the hexagram of the Monjudo Hall is Manjusri Bodhisattva, and not only does it enshrine the rabbit sign of the Chinese zodiac, but because Manjusri Bodhisattva is also the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, the hall is also famous in Sendai for prayers for exams
This time we went by car, so we walked up the hill from the sign in the photo to the Monjudo parking lot
If you go up the slope, you will reach the parking lot in about 100m
Park your car in the parking lot and enter the grounds of Monjusri-do Hall, where you will find the Thirty-three Kannon Bodhisattva statues
In 2002, the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Manjusri Bodhisattva Hall, stone sculptor Minegishi Makoto received an offer from devout devotee Kazuo Okuda of Okuda Construction Co., Ltd. to erect 33 Kannon Bodhisattvas. The sculptor spent two years pouring his heart and soul into creating these Kannon Bodhisattvas, each one being hit by a waterfall, in the spirit of "oneness of matter and mind."
Once you pass through the gate, you'll find yourself in another world, the Monjudo Hall, decorated with rabbits
If you walk along the approach to the shrine, climb the stairs, and look into the Suishinmon Gate, you will see a large Sendai papier-mâché "U" statue enshrined on the right
It's a fairly large Sendai papier-mâché "U" and although it's hard to tell from the photo, it's probably about 1.8m tall and 1.5m wide
A carrot, which was probably his favorite food, was placed next to his mouth
You're looking at an amazing carrot
Once you pass through the Suishinmon Gate, you will reach the Manjusri Bodhisattva Hall
In front of the main hall, there is a sculpture of a lion dog, lion rabbit, or rabbit
The votive plaques are also full of rabbits
And although it's hard to see in the photo because it's far away, have you noticed the roof of the Manjusri Bodhisattva Hall above?
A rabbit is doing a handstand on the roof of the main hall
This is called Wave Rabbit and is modeled after a rabbit crossing tiles that represent waves
Rabbits are closely related to the moon, and in the Chinese theory of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements, fire represents the sun and the moon represents water. For this reason, rabbits are considered animals associated with water, and it is said that people would raise them on the roof to pray for a fire blaze. One theory is that the image of a rabbit standing upside down, superimposed on a "udachi" (rail-shaped platform), represents the wish for the udachi to rise
There are other interesting stories, too. During the reign of Date Masamune, the lord of the Sendai domain, it was customary to place a tile with the character "rabbit" on the roof, in honor of Masamune, the zodiac sign of Date Masamune, as a way to bring prosperity to business. There is also a story that the "udatsu" part of the roof is also called "U-Tatsu" and as a kind of pun, it became popular among Sendai merchants to place "U-Tatsu" on the roof
Nowadays, you can see the "Wave Rabbit" in Sendai city at the Monju Bodhisattva Hall and the main gate of the Governor's Official Residence
The roof of the Manjusri Bodhisattva Hall is so high that it is not possible to see the whole thing, but the previous "Wave Rabbit" is on display in front of the Sendai papier-mâché "Rabbit" at the Suishinmon Gate on the temple grounds, and you can get a close look at it
There is a bus stop called "Monjudo-mae" at Washizuyama Monjudo
When you get off at the Monjudo bus stop, the stairs leading down to the approach to Monjudo will be right in front of you
This staircase has 108 steps, and we recommend that you let go of your worldly desires as you climb
This time I parked my car in a parking lot near the main hall, but since I was there I decided to go down the stairs and then up again, which wasn't too difficult even for someone like me who is not very physically active
The view is great, so I recommend climbing the stairs
View from the parking lot after climbing the stairs
Washizuyama Monjudo has a history of 420 years since its founding, and although it is close to the city, it is a quiet place with a clear, beautiful breeze
This year's zodiac sign is the rabbit, so I put together an article, but it's also nice to pop in unexpectedly when you're feeling tired from your daily life
Each of the 33 Kannon Bodhisattvas has an explanation written on the sign, and just reading the explanation and putting your hands together will make you feel refreshed
Next New Year, I will visit Mukaiyama Atago Shrine to pay my respects to the Kedegagami-san
Monjudo <Information>
Name: Washizuyama Monjudo
Address: 6-10-18 Yahata, Aoba-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, 980-0871
I'm a member of the Neft editorial team. I love alcohol, music, and traveling, so I indulge in some drinks after work on weekdays, and on weekends, if I have free time, I travel to nearby areas. I work hard every day with the goal of eventually traveling overseas to find connections to Tohoku through NEFT reporting.
