Monjusenji Temple 4 Kyushu Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage

 

Monjusenji is temple number 4 on the Kyushu Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage.

Located high in the remote mountains of the Kunisaki Peninsula, it lies to the NE of the highest point, Mount Futago.

It is part of the ancient Shugendo cultic system known as Rokugo Manzan, a mix of Usa Hachiman and Tendai Buddhism. Monjusenji is number 25 on the ancient Kunisaki Shugendo Pilgrimage.

However, whereas most of the temples associated with Rokugo Manzan claim their origin in the early 8th century with a monk named Ninmon, Monjusenji is older and claims to have been founded in the mid 7th century by the legendary En no Gyoja.

This makes it the oldest of what are now known as the Rokugo Manzan temples.

Halfway up the steps is the first group of buildings, and here can be found the Fudo statue that is part of the Kyushu Fudo Pilgrimage.

There are several other statues and altars in this small group of buildings and in fron is a very tall, stone stupa, aboiut 8 meters high and possibly the tallest in all Japan.

Further up the steps is the main hall, the Monju-do, enshrining Monju Bosatsu. Monjusenji is considered one of the top 3 Monju temples in Japan.

Known as the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, Monju is often prayed to for academic success.

Monju is often depicted riding a shishi or lion.

A sacred spring flows from the cave behind the main hall and the area around thetemple is filled with huge, ancient trees and towering rock formations.

6 Jizo statues.

A group of ema votive plaques, many asking for academic success. The second photo below an ema of Monju Bosatsu.

In a cave two statues of En no Gyoja, the legendary founder of the temple, is srrounded by numerous Fudo Myo statues.

Below is a statue of Gensan Daishi, a name of Ryogen the great Tendai priest of the 10th century. Also referred to as Tsuno Daishi and Oni Daishi, his likeness is commonly found on ofuda from temples to protect against misfortune.

Below is a statue of Monju Bosatsu, but this is not the honzon. The honzon is a "secret Buddha" and only opened every 12 years, in the Year of the Rabbit.

Below are examples of the unique style of masks found in the Kunisaki area.

Below is a goma ceremony being performed. Usually done on the 25th of each month, I was visiting on January 3rd, so I suspect special goma are performed for the new year.

Below a few of the rakan statues in the rock face near the main hall.

The previous post was on the Fudo cliff temple a little to the north, Itsutsuji Fudo.

Ikuta Shrine Sannomiya

 

Ikuta Shrine is the most important shrine in Sannomiya, part of Kobe in Hyogo. It was the third-ranked shrine in the province, the sannomiya, which is why the area around it took that name.

My room for the night was nearby so I passed through the grounds on my way there.

A "shinto" wedding was taking place. As I have mentioned before, Shinto Weddings are a very modern thing and not at all traditional.

Christian weddings have a much older history in Japan than Shinto weddings. The first shinto wedding was in 1904 for the Crown Prince. It was modelled on royal weddings of Europe and especially the UK.

Later a few elites had Shinto weddings and before the war it became popular with salarymen and army officers who chose it because it was modern and untraditional. Ikuta Shrine is known to have performed shinto weddings in the prewar years.

In 1945 it was suddenly made traditional and has gained in popularity since then.

According to myth, Ikuta Shrine was established by Empress Jingu when her ship was becalmed here.

She was told by the kami Wakahirume that she wished to stay here, so Jingu set up the shrine. Wakhirume is considered to be either  a younger sister of Amaterasu, although sometimes she is thought of as a daughter of Amaterasu or even Amaterasu as a girl.

Over the centuries numerous other shrines have been made inside the grounds, including Sumiyoshi, Hachiman, Suwa, Hiyoshi, Inari, and a Sai shrine. As is evident in the final photo, Ikuta Shrine is one of the increasing number of shrines "specializing" in matchmaking.

This visit was at the end of my third day walking the Kinki Fudo Myoo Pilgrimage. The previous post was on one of the Inari shrines at Ikuta.

Karube Shrine the "boobs" shrine

 

Karube Shrine near Soja in Okayama is known locally as Oppai Jinja, with oppai being a Japanese slang word, used largely by children, to refer to female breasts.

Originally established on top of the mountain in the early 14th century, enshrining the three kami of the Kumano Sanzan, it was destroyed several times before being moved to its current site in 1678 after having a further two kami added, Amaterasu and Kunitokotachi.

For about 400 years, until 1940, there was a huge weeping cherry tree in the grounds that became known as a kami for ample breastmilk and safe childbirth and it was this tree that is the origin of the current tradition of offering votive plaques with representations of breasts on them, not any of the kami actually enshrined here.

It was not known at all outside the local area until being featured on a national TV program, but since then has drawn visitors from all over.

Many of the votive plaques are a standard design that can be bought online or from several local establishments, however some are hand-made and unique. The plaques can now also be found at several other shrines and temples.

Nowadays almost half the ema are prayers for relief from breast cancer, and most of the rest for ample breast milk and safe childbirth.

The rate of breast cancer in japan has doubled in the past 50 years.

Until the modern era womens breasts in Japan were not considered sexual or erotic, but a few of the plaques are asking for large breasts for "cosmetic" reasons....

The previous post in this series on day 7 of my walk along the Chugoku Kannon Pilgrimage was on the nearby Hofukuji Temple.

Miho Shrine

 

Miho Shrine is a major shrine located at the Eastern tip of the Shimane Peninsula and is the head shrine of about 3,000 Miho shrines throughout Japan.

It is also said to be the head shrine of all Ebisu shrines nationwide, though that is also claimed by Nishinomiya Shrine in Hyogo.

There are two quite distinct origins for Ebisu, one as the "leech child" born to Izanagi and Izanami, and the other as Kotoshironushi, one of the sons of Okuninushi in Izumo. The former si the basis for Nishinomiya Shrine, and the latter for Miho Shrine in Izumo. In early Meiji Period the government officially classified Ebisu as Kotoshironushi.

Miho Shrine was mentioned in the Izumo Fudoki, the 8th century local gazeteers published shortly after the more famous Kojiki and Nihon Shoki.

It seems quite possible that at first the kami Mihosumi was enshrined here but that later Mihotsuhime and Kotoshironushi became the two kami under the influence of the Kojiki and Nihnshoki.

Mihotsuhime is a wife of Okuninushi, and step-mother to Kotoshironushi.

Their twin hondens are in a unique architecture style and registered as Important Cultural Properties. They were constructed in 1813.

I have not noticed before at other shrines, so am not sure how prevalent the custom is, but above the entrance gate hang two Onusa purification wands.

Kotoshironushi used to go fishing often at his favorite spot on an offshore islet.

He was there when his father, Okuninushi, sent for him to consult about the offer from Amaterasu envoys to hand over the land to her descendants in what is known as the Kuniyuzuri myth.

This event is recreated in two unique festivals involving boats, the Murote Fune held on December 3rd involving two large canoes, and the Aoshibagaki held on April 7th.

The shrine also has an impressive collection of hundreds of musical instruments that have been donated over the centuries.

846 are registered as Important Tangible Folk Cutural Properties and include the first accordion and organ in the country

Often depicted carrying a Sea Bream, Ebisu is well known as a kami of fishing but also safety at sea, and prosperity in business.

Mihotsuhime, a daughter of  Takamimusubi, is known for abundant harvest, marital harmony, safe childbirth, prosperity of descendants, and music and dance.

Mihonoseki is a small port in a sheltered position that was used as a lay-over for the Kitamaebune ships in the Edo period.

Served by buses from Matsue, it is a nice place for a quiet visit and the guesthouse used by Lafcadio Hearn is still in business.

The previous post on sights to see in Matsue was on Jozan Inari Shrine, another shrine with a famous boat festival.