Achi Shrine Kurashiki

 

Achi Shrine is located on a hilltop overlooking the Bikan Historic District in Kurashiki, and is now the pre-eminent shrine of the area.

The chinowa, the circular "rope" of grass for purification can be found at different times of the year at diferent shrines. Here it was mid August.

It is believed that in ancient times this was the site of a garden belonging to the local ruling clan and there is supposed to be remnants of a cran and turtle island stone arrangement from that time.

Around tye time the area started to develop as a political and merchant centre, a Myoken Shrine was moved here from a nearby temple.

Until 1868 it was known as Myoken-gu and changed the name to Achi Shrine at the time of Shinbutsu bunri.

The first shrine buildings were built in 1620.

The three main kami are now said to be the Munakata Princesses, Tagirihime, Tagitsuhime, and Ichikishimahime, collectively known for marine safety.

Myoken was a very popular shrine in Japan, dedicated to the Buddhist deity of the North Star. When most Myoken shrines were changed in 1868 they switched to a pair of obscure kami from the Kojiki. Why they chose the Munakata Kami here is a mystery.

There are a wide variety of secondary shrines and kami in the grounds including a Susano shrine that also brought in several other local shrine kami in the so-called shrine mergers of 1910.

A Tenmangu shrine also enshrines Yamato Takeru, Sarutahiko, and Omononushi as well as Sugawara Michizane. Curiously there were lots of Daruma dolls at this shrine.

Another sub-shrine enshrines Okuninushi, Kotoshironushi, and Homusubi.

There is also an Inari shrine brought here from nearby in the early 20th century. The shrine grounds has quite a famous Wisteria, and a Noh stage also.

I visited at the start of day 8 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage as I headed south out of Kurashiki towards the next temple, Rendaiji. The previous post was on Kurashiki Silhouettes the evening before.

Asaharasan Anyoji Temple

 

Anyoji Temple is located just below Asahara Pass in the mountains between Kurashiki and Soja.

It was a large and important temple complex in earlier times and is now a little off any of the main tourist routes.

Its origins lie in the late 8th century when it is said Kobo Daishi performed ceremonies here before he travelled to China. Many sources suggest the involvement of a legendary mink, Hoon Daishi, who is said to have founded 48 temples in what is now the Okayama area, including Kinzanji 

The honzon of Anyoji is Bishamonten, and many statues of him, at least 42 I believe.

In the 11th century, when the temple was very powerful, 100 life-size statues of Bishamonten were carved. Some of the surviving ones are on display in the Jogando.

One of the pair of Nio guardians in front of the temple bell. Weighing about 11 tons is said to be the biggest temple bell in the Chugoku and Shikoku region.

During the height of its power quite a few high-ranking monks served here.

In 1201 the temple converted from Tendai to Shingon.

Many treasures have been excavated from sutra mounds built behind the temple in the 11th century.

A castle stood on the mountain not far from the temple complex and in 1336 much of the huge temple complex was destroyed in a battle between the Northern and Southern Courts.

The temple was rebuilt and continued to be an important centre.

In 1667 the temples surrounding Anyoji were closed down by the anti-Buddhist policy of the ruling Ikeda Clan. Perhaps Anyoji was spared because of its syncretic nature?

There is a lot to see at Anyoji. In previous posts I have covered the 

"floating" Dragon Kannon Hall

The Seven Lucky Gods

The Pagoda

The Teahouse.

More recently,

 the Tie-Cutting Fudo Myoo 

and Bishamonten statues nd other Treasures

In Japan Bishamnten has become associated with the Tiger because of a legend about Shotoku Taishi.

The main hall has a shimenawa and there are multiple Torii in the grounds, indicating this is a syncretic site where distinctions between Buddhism nd Shinto are blurred. In the Daishido, photo below, is a statue of Zao Gongen, protector of the mountain, and the main deity of the syncretic Shugendo.

The new Daishi-do was under construction when I visited but opened in 2018.

Inside the main hall.

Possibly this is a small sculpture of Fukurokuju, one of the Seven Lucky Gods.

The photo below is of what is now called Susano Shrine, though earlier it was known as Gion-sha and Gozu Tenno-sha. It was established here in the late 9th century.

Introducing Daruma

Daruma

Daruma is the Japanese name for Bodhidharma, a legendary figure who is credited with transmitting Zen teachings from either India or Central Asia to China. In Japan he is nowadays most commoly associated with the Daruma Doll, a small figure one uses in making wishes. He has no arms or legs as they "fell off" after years of sedentary meditation.

Small dolls are the form of Daruma one most encounters in Japan. The top photo however is I believe a wooden "fish drum". The second photo is a painting of Daruma. These are found usually at Zen temples.

In Matsuyama I found this small Buddhist "chapel" in the shape of Daruma. The next photo is also from a Zen temple.

I'm sure there is a story behind the very long eyebrows and facial hair of this large Daruma doll found near Arashiyama.

Buy dokudami tea from Japan

Hofukuji Jizo-Do

These are a unique form of Nio that I have not seen anywhere else. They are carved as diagonal spars that support the porch roof on the Jizo Do at Hofukuji, a small temple in the Teramachi district of Hagi. Only the Jizo Do remains, the main hall being destroyed in early Meiji.

I have been unable to find out anything about them, so if anyone has seen anything like this before, please leave a comment.

There is a legend connected to a Jizo statue here. A local man married a beautiful woman who died giving birth to a son. The father hired a nurse to take care of his son. Later he remarried and his second wife gave birth to a son. The nurse used to take both boys to play in the grounds of Hofukuji. The wife beacme increasingly jealous of the first so, believing that her son deserved to inherit the family business, so one day took a red-hot poker and struck the first son, apparently killing him.

Next day however, the son was fine with not a mark on him. Later a Jizo statue at the temple was discovered with a burn mark across its face, causing the wife to repent and become a devotee of the statue.

This is a rather unusual statue of Daruma Daishi, the Japanese name for Bodhidharma, the legendary monk who brought Buddhism to China and is represented in the daruma doll.

Takeuchi Shrine

Takeuchi Shrine is a very popular shrine on the outskirts of Matsue., It shares the ground with Hirahama Hachimangu and there is an Inari shrine halfway up the approach steps.

The Hachimangu obviously enshrines Ojin, though usually with either his mother Jingu or his father Chuhai or his wife Himegami. The Inari shrine, again obviously, enshrines Inari which nowadays is considered to be Ukanomitama.

Curiously, considering he is purely Buddhist, there was a Daruma!! Though not so curious if you have even a minimal understanding of the religious history of Japan :)

The main kami enshrined here is Takenouchi no Sukune, a legendary figure associated with Jingu and Ojin and who lived 280 years hence the reason why many people come here to pray for a long life. According to the myth his life spanned 5 emperors and many clans claim descent from him, most notably the Soga.

He is enshrined at Ube Shrine in Tottori