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| ・Kanayama | ・Kinryu-ji | ・Daikoin Temple | ・Sazae-do |
| ・Kanmuri Inari Shrine | ・Sorimachi Yakushi | ・Choraku-ji Tenple |
・Kanayama(Kanayama Historical Site and the Kanayama Ruins) Kanayama used to be called, “Nittayama”, which appears in Manyoshu, the first anthology of Japanese poetry edited in the 8th century. Standing out in a field that extends as far as the Kanto Plain, Kanayama has been a major landmark in the area. It is also well known for its early history and castle. Recently, the ruins were restored. It is now possible to tell what `a mountain castle’ of the ancient days looked like. You can trace some of the interesting restored ruins on the hiking course, as well as enjoying the seasonal trees and flowers. The Castle Pathways Taking advantage of the geological features, Kanayama Castle was well-fortified and difficult to attack. The pathways are narrow, winding, and tricky. If you attempted to attack the castle, you would be unsure which path to take to get to inside. At “Dobashi Point”, the path comes to an overwhelming wall of stacked-up rocks. Then the path leads you to the left, where you could be attacked by two possible ways; one from platforms in front and from a lookout above. After crossing the wooden bridge, the path splits into two again; one goes up some stone steps to the observatory and the other leads you to a dead end. The Moon Pond and the Sun Pond Both ponds were used for drinking water. The Sun Pond was also used for ceremonies and praying for rain or victory in battle. Zelkova Tree There is a big zelkova tree that is over 500years old at the base of the stairs leading up to the Nitta shrine. The Watch Tower It commands a view of the northeastern area as far as the eye can see. On a clear day you can see Mt. Akagi, Mt. Haruna, Mt. Myogi, and even Mt. Asama. ・Kinryu-ji  Behind DaikoinTemple, there is a mountain path that leads you up to the top of Kanayama Mountain. It is a comfortable one-hour hike with lots of beautiful scenery. Along the way, you’ll find a temple on the left with long stone steps going up to the main building. This is “Kinryu-ji”. Its formal name is “Ota-yama Yoshisadain Kinryu-ji”. The temple was established in 1398 for the repose of Yoshisada Nitta’s soul by his descendants, the Iwamatsus. Yoshisada Nitta, taking sides with the emperor Godaigo, fought against Takauji Ashikaga, but was defeated and lost his life in 1338. There is a wooden statue of him in the temple, and a memorial pagoda in the graveyard. The God of Bravery and Knowledge “Bishamonten” is also enshrined here and the Seven Gods of Fortune are featured as well. At Kinryu-ji, the atmosphere is always peaceful and tranquil and in spring the leaves on the trees are fresh green and in autumn they are very colorful. ・Daikoin Temple  This magnificent temple was built in 1613 by Ieyasu Tokugawa, the first Shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunnate. It is dedicated to Yoshishige Nitta who was the founder of the Nitta family. He was one of the strongest lords of the manors in the northern Kanto district. Ieyasu was a descendant of the Nitta family and a supporter of the Jodo sect. He hoped to build a temple for them, so he sent for a chief priest. The priest’s name was Donryu. In those days, people lived in poverty and had great difficulty raising their children, so Donryu decided to help them by taking in their children at the temple and educating them until they reached the age of 7. In order to look after them, he spent government aid, but it was against the rules. We call Daikoin Temple “Kosodate Donryu” which means “taking care of children”. Today, people still visit Daikoin temple to pay respect to Donryu's generosity on special days. Some of them are: l Setsubun ? The day before the beginning of spring l The Great Tea Ceremony l The Azalea Festival l The Chrysanthemum Festival l 7 ? 5 ? 3 - A special day to pray for the health and happiness of children aged 7, 5, and 3. l The bell toll on New Year’s Eve - It is rung 108 times to remove our 108 worldly desires And if you have the chance, you can consult an oracle or even purchase amulets. Also, “Benzaiten” the Hindu goddess of music, eloquence, wealth and wisdom is enshrined at Daikoin. If you are interested in graveyards, you can find Donryu’s grave in an obscure place. It is always bestrewn with flowers. ・Sazae-do  Sazae-do is famous for its unique internal structure. The corridor spirals up and down, letting the visitors go through from the entrance to the exit without going to the same place twice. This spiral structure resembles the shape of a turban shell. A turban shell is called “sazae” in Japanese. Therefore this building is called Sazae-do. “Do” means building. The building is considered an important cultural asset by Gunma Prefecture. Along the spiral corridor, the 100 Kannons “the Goddesses of Mercy” are lined up. The first 34 Kannons are from Chichibu, the western part of Saitama Prefecture; the next 33 are from Bandou, Kanto area’s old name; the last 33 are from the western part of Japan. Sazae-do is built of wood and is almost a square structure. It is 16.3 meters by 16.3 meters and about 16.8 meters high. The front faces east. Sazae-do is the main building of Sogen-ji （“ji” means temple）. The origin of Sogen-ji goes back to 1187, when Yoshishige Nitta, the founder of Nitta clan, built this temple in memory of his daughter-in-law. In Japan, there are three Sazae-do temples, but this is the biggest of the three. The others are in Saitama and Fukuoka prefecture. This temple is also known for one of the 7 Gods of Fortune and for the God of Safety, Hoteison, who is enshrined here. The garden, which has 100 hydrangeas, the same number of Kannons, is very popular in late June when the flowers bloom. ・Kanmuri Inari Shrine  Kinoe Torii Kinoene is an old expression to describe the special direction of northeast. And the gateway at the entrance of a Shinto shrine is called “torii”. Temizu-Ya Here, visitors to the shrine can purify themselves by washing their hands and rinsing out their mouths. When using the ladle "Hishaku", it is forbidden to drink from it directly. Japanese Quince (Boke) This protected plum tree blooms in spring. There are many varieties of the Japanese quince; the ones at the shrine are vermillions. It is said that about 400years ago, an infertile wife went to worship at the shrine everyday. One day, a messenger from the gods appeared and said, "You should take Boke extract and you will become fertile”. She did and she became pregnant. She planted Japanese quince tree as a token of her appreciation. Although it only looks like one tree, it is actually about 400trees that have grown together in a cluster. People come here to pray for conception, an easy delivery, and for a healthy body and mind. Boke can be used to make a revitalizing elixir. Boke actually means "senile”, but people believe it also prevents senility. Fragrant Olive (Kinmokusei) It is said that the famous military commander, Nitta Yoshisada planted these trees on Kanayama. These fourth generation trees at the shrine bloom in fall. Front Shrine and Main Hall. Ota city has designated the front shrine and main hall as historical and cultural landmarks. Kanmuri Inari shrine was founded 800years ago. The front shrine and main hall were built about 300years ago. They are dedicated to Ukanomitama-no-mikoto, the deity of the harvest. He is also a deity of business. Historically in Japan, having a good harvest led to social affluence. Shoten-gu This is dedicated to Izanagi-no-mikoto and Izanami-no-mikoto, the first god and goddess in Japanese mythology. The shrine was built by Mirokuji Otojiro and his son Otohachi. They were renowned master craftsmen during the late Edo period and Early Meiji period. ・Sorimachi Yakushi  It is said to be the site of the castle where the ancient samurai, Yoshisada Nitta, lived during his adulthood. The castle used to have a triple moat surrounding it; however, today you can only imagine where the castle stood. The site of the castle is now the home of the temple “Ruriyamamyokoin Shomei” and to the Healing Buddha that protects against evil. The spacious site has nicely trimmed camellias, roses among the hinoki trees, a ginkgo, the main temple, and other smaller temples. Behind the main temple there is a garden called “No Croaking Pond”. Its design is typical of that found in the Muromachi Era. There is a legend that Yoshisada Nitta thundered to the frogs to stop their loud croaking when he was thinking of a strategy to attack Kamakura. Since then, it has been called “No Croaking Pond”. This place is also known for its beautiful cherry blossoms and wisteria. ・Choraku-ji Temple  (1) Choraku-ji Temple as a “University” Choraku-ji Temple was founded in 1221 and was the first Zen temple in the Kanto region. Priests from all over the country came to study and then returned to their homes with new teachings of Zen Buddhism. In effect, Choraku-ji served as a university. (2) Three Buddhist Statues The three Buddhist statues at Choraku-ji Temple, Shaka Nyorai, Amida Nyorai and Miroku Bosatsu, are considered its most important treasures. It is said that they indicate past, present and future. (3) Miracle of Hasu-ike Pond Hasu-ike Pond was created in the shape of the Chinese character “heart (心)”. It is said that this pond used to have a special power. If you threw a piece of paper with the thing you desired most written on it into the pond, it would give it to you. However, a long time ago, a monk asked for and received a mosquito net from the pond. But, it was so beautiful that he didn’t want to give it back. The thing was, if you didn’t return to the pond what it had given you, it would lose its special power. Although he knew this, he never returned the mosquito net. And since then, no one has been able to get anything from the pond. (4) Togetsu-kyo Bridge Togetsu-kyo Bridge spans the middle of the pond. Togetsu means “the bridge the moon passes over”. People imagined that the moon scribed an ark over the bridge. (5) Taiko-mon Gate Taiko-mon “Drum Gate” was built in the 17th century. On the second story of the gate there is a Japanese drum. It was put up there to tell time and it was also used for special events. (6) The Gate that Never Opens The “Imperial Messenger Gate” was the main entrance to Choraku-ji temple. It was only opened for officials of the Shogun. Since such visitors seldom came to the temple, it was nicknamed “Akazu no Mon”, which means the gate never opens. Originally a fence surrounded this area but it was blown down by a typhoon. |