Suspected of rebellion by the Kamakura Shogunate, the ancestor of the Takeda family committed suicide on Mt. Tenmoku where Seiun-ji Temple is located, and the family was once extinct, but the Muromachi shogunate revived the Takeda family, and after that for the Takeda family, Mt. Tenmoku was recongnized as the place of rebirth, and Seiun-ji Temple became the family temple. Later, after the death of Takeda Shingen, who ruled the province of Kai, his son Katsuyori Takeda was defeated by Oda Nobunaga’s army and headed for Seiun-ji Temple in hopes of being reborn, but committed suicide on the way. Indeed, history repeats itself.
Autumn leaves in front of seiunji
Mt.Fuji from seiunji
seiunji (2)
seiunji (3)
seiunji (5) kuri
The founder of Seiun-ji Temple trained on Mt. Tenmoku in China, and opened his temple here as a meditation training hall. It is called a rock garden, but the huge rocks that fell down are left in their original forms, and people can meditate on them and become one with nature, gaining an understanding of the truth.
seiunji rock gardenseiunji rock garden (14) Mt.Fiji
The head of Mt.Fuji can be seen from the temple garden, but if you climb further up the rock garden, you can see Mt. Fuji poking its head out from the gap in the mountains. Even if you meditate on a stone, you can’t help but worry about the state of Mt. Fuji.
seiunji rock garden (2) meditation of child
seiunji rock garden (3)
seiunji rock garden (4)
seiunji rock garden (5)
seiunji rock garden (6) buddha statue
seiunji rock garden (7) buddha statue
seiunji rock garden (8) meditation on the rock
seiunji rock garden (9)
seiunji rock garden (10)
seiunji rock garden (11)
seiunji rock garden (12)
Mt.Fuji from seiunji rock garden
In addition, up until then, soba was called “sobagaki” and was eaten in the form of manju, but thiswas also the birthplace of soba, which adopted Chinese culture and began eating it in the form of noodle. I learned this for the first time when I came here. [Link Yamagata]
seiunji soba service (1) birthplace of soba kiri
seiunji soba service (2)
seiunji soba service (3) soba plant
The time I visited was during the annual Treasure Window Exhibition held in early November. One of the treasures was a original military flag of the Takeda army written as “Fu-Rin-Ka-Zan.” (>>For meaning, read this post)
In the event, I was also treated to matcha tea with a sweet named as a moon hidden by cloud and autumn soba noodles.
Konpira-san has a strong character of the god of sea routes, but in the feudal era when people were prohibited from moving from distant regions, they were allowed to visit Konpira. It is said that Konpira pilgrimage became very popular in the Edo period because no one could reach the main shrine unless they climbed 785 steps on their own, and because rumors were exaggerated after the people who visited the shrine returned home.
konpira10 a dog worships on behalf of its master
It is said that those who could not go by themselves wrapped money, goods, and addresses around their dogs, and entrusted those who went to the shrine to visit with their dogs. If the entrusted person gave up on the way, it is said that he entrusted the dog to another person who was visiting. This is a surprising system because it is close to the idea of modern Internet protocols.
Before starting the climb, first fill yourself up with “Sanuki Udon”. Shrines are often decorated with wooden sacred horses, but here there are two real horses that are not ornaments. In addition, perhaps to pray for safe navigation, even a large screw is decorated.
sanuki udon dinning
sanuki udon cool
sanuki udon side menu chicken
konpira11 real divine horse 72 years old in human terms
konpira11 real horse exercise
konpira11 screw
konpira16 one step down
If you count the stone steps up to the main shrine, there are 786 steps. However, when the number is read in Japanese, it becomes “worry”(Na-Ya-Mu in Japanese), and it is bad luck even though you came to the shrine. Therefore, inserting a stone stair that goes down one step to make a total of 785 steps is a very Japanese solution. It’s a people who likes puns. I don’t know where to go down one step when I’m dazed, but if I know in advance that I’m going to go down one step somewhere on the long stone steps, I feel nervous and have a little fun.
Click above to refer to stone steps to Mt.Haguro Shrine
A similar story can be found at the 2446 stone steps on Mt. Haguro Shrine in Yamagata Prefecture. Here, masons engraved something on the stone steps and mixed and matched stylishly designed stones to make you look forward to discovering them. It makes me happy that Japanese people have had that kind of sense for a long time.
konpira1 first step
konpira2 steps
konpira3 steps
konpira4 step slope
konpira5 looking back
konpira6 daimon gate
konpira7 sculpture on gate
konpira8 over gate
konpira9 horse road with cherry blossom
konpira12 still steps
konpira14 asahisha
konpira15 sculpture of wind cloud under the roof
konpira17 last steps
konpira18 donors
When you climb up to the main shrine, you will be so impressed by the view of the Sanuki Plain from there that you won’t even care about visiting the shrine (it’s a lie). Beautiful cone-shaped small mountains are scattered in the flat plain, and this looks like small Mt.Fuji. I believe that people who visited the shrine in the Edo period must have spread playful rumors that they could have seen “real” Mt.Fuji from Konpira.
konpira23 sanuki Fujikonpira19 goal
konpira21
konpira20
konpira13 special presentation to the public of Jakuchu
The Shoin in the middle of the stone steps was the residence of Shinto priests. This was where the high-ranking people visited, and in the room for visitors, you can always see the fusuma paintings of Maruyama Ohkyo and others. The purpose of this travel is Jakuchu’s fusuma painting, which is extravagant because it is in the private room of the priest. It is said that Jakuchu sent this to celebrate his inauguration as a Shinto priest, partly because the Shinto priest at the time had learned painting from Jakuchu. How cool is that? In addition to Jakuchu, there are wall paintings of countless butterflies by Gantai, and their detailed expressions make me stare at them. I hope it will be published again someday.
NHK Kagawa is filming the video, so you may be able to watch it on NHK’s favorite rebroadcast (archive). There are many rebroadcast programs in recent years. Even though I pay the same amount of NHK subscription fees, the number of broadcasting channels seems to be decreasing.
