I was covering an old road in Minamiyamashiro.In the Kozoma area of Kizugawa City, I came across a large stone Buddha.

The Minamiyamashiro area is known for its tea cultivation, and there are about 40 tea wholesale stores in Kamikoma built between the end of the Edo period and the early Showa period.

prostitution quarter

Passing through the quaint tea wholesale district, I headed east along the road just before the right bank of the Kizu River. At the end of the street,Senkyoji Temple, built by the famous Nara-era monk GyokiThere is.

Senkyoji Temple in Kamikoma

 

 

The temple's most prominent feature is the presence of the temple's main gate,stone statue of Bodhisattva Jizo (guardian deity of children and childbirth)It is. The stone was quarried in Einin 3 (1295), and the Jizo Hall was built and dedicated in Tokuji 3 (1308).4.58 metersThere are also

If,When you stand up, it will be over 10 meters.It may be the case that theIt is surprisingly large as one might imagine from a common "Jizo-san". The largest Jizo in Japan.I was told it was.

 

This Jizo has suffered from a disaster once. It was partially destroyed by fire during the Onin War, which began in 1467 and burned Kyoto to the ground. The damage from the Onin War was not limited to the city of Kyoto; Minamiyama Castle also became a battlefield, and the forces of Masahiro Ouchi, who was a member of the western army, rushed to this Kizugou area. The Senbashiji Temple and the Jizo Hall within its precincts were burnt down, and the Jizo Stone Buddha was also destroyed by fire. After more than 200 years of exposure to wind and rain, the burnt head and arms were finally replaced in 1690. Now, looking up at the Jizo under the autumn sky, its expression is calm.

Jizo stone Buddha at Senbyo-ji Temple

It has been the object of people's faith since ancient times.Jizo Bodhisattva embraces and saves people with his compassion.It is said.Known as the Buddha who protects children, his benefits vary.The Jizo is a Buddhist temple that is believed to be a place where people can pray for safe delivery, childbirth, good health, a bountiful harvest, and traffic safety. Moreover, once you lay your hands on a Jizo,They take your place and save you from hell's torment.He was a very grateful bodhisattva.

Also,In the old days, Kamikoma was a strategic location for transportation using the Kizu River water transportation as well as the overland route between Kyoto and Nara.was.

Kizugawa

Whenever there was heavy rainfall in this area, the Kizu River would rise, often disrupting traffic. Izumihashi-ji Temple, where the Jizo stone statue is located, stands beside the Kizu River.

 

Jizo stone Buddha at Senbashiji Temple seen from the right bank of the Kizu River

People areWhile waiting for the river to recede, I prayed to this Jizo for traffic safety.It is said that The temple used to offer three boats to carry people and horses in case the bridge was washed away by rising water.

This Jizo, which has been protecting the people of the region by sitting in the open at a strategic point of transportation, is also introduced in "Chikuge-to Meisho Zue (Illustrations of Famous Places in the Capital)," published in 1787. Its size can be clearly seen when compared to the height of the buildings and the size of the people depicted at the time.

Metropolitan Meisho T圖會 4 vols.
(From the Digital Collections of the National Diet Library)

Now, on Jizo-bon (Jizo Bon Festival), children perform a million bead rounds around the Jizo to the accompaniment of the priest's Buddhist prayer, praying for good health and safety.It is said to be the largest in Japan,It seems to protect a number of children at once.It is.

From the Kamakura period to the present day and beyond, the Daizo of Senbyo-ji Temple will always be a familiar presence for local people and travelers, and a powerful Buddha who watches over them.