Rakuhoji and the Amabiki Kannon

Rakuhoji, house of the Amabiki (Rain pulling) Kannon, has sat on the flanks of Mt Amabiki in northern Ibaraki Prefecture for practically 1,500 years, wanting southwest over the huge plain beneath.

The surroundings of this gorgeous temple provides a captivating respite from the hustle and bustle of the trendy world. Ascending the hill from the bottom gate, one encounters castle-like stone retaining partitions, making the temple really feel like a mountain fortress. But, as soon as inside, it’s a advanced of lovely and well-maintained constructions the place peacocks roam the central courtyard and a hillside backyard has wooded trails, streams, ponds, and at all times one thing in bloom. Absorb the enjoyable environment or use the temple as a leaping off spot for hikes on Mt Amabiki.

Picture: Vicki L Beyer

One distinctive characteristic of Rakuhoji is its historic associations with the Japanese imperial home. It was based in 587AD with the endorsement of then-emperor Yomei (540-587). This appears to have been the heyday of distant mountain temples and Buddhist asceticism in Japan (though growth of the encompassing space over the centuries has rendered Rakuhoji’s location not as distant as a few of its sister temples).

A number of years after the temple was based, Yomei’s sister, Suiko (554-628), Japan’s thirty third emperor and the primary verifiable feminine to carry the place, grew to become unwell and requested that prayers be supplied on her behalf to the Kannon at Rakuhoji. She attributed her restoration to these prayers, popularizing the mountain temple’s Kannon as having particular powers.

Picture: Vicki L Beyer

The legend of those particular powers and the temple’s relationship with the imperial line was additional strengthened when Empress Komyo (701-760), consort of Emperor Shomu (701-755), supplied prayers for a secure supply at Rakuhoji round 730. As a part of her prayers the empress wrote out the Lotus Sutra in gold paint on darkish blue paper, a doc that the temple maintains as certainly one of its treasures. Based mostly on this historic incident, Rakuhoji is, even at this time, a preferred place for would-be dad and mom to wish to conceive or ship safely, and new dad and mom to provide thanks for a kid.

Any temple related to childbirth can be related to these infants who don’t get to develop up; that’s, misplaced pregnancies, stillbirths or toddler deaths. Rakuhoji isn’t any exception. The paths of part of the wooded hillside above the temple are lined with statues of Jizo, the St. Christopher-like bodhisattva identified to behave as a guardian of kids. Many dad and mom who lose pregnancies or infants set up Jizo statues at temples as memorials, together with right here at Rakuhoji. It’s usually touching to wander among the many statues and observe the flowers and different objects loving dad and mom have positioned on them.

Picture: Vicki L Beyer

The Amabiki (rain pulling) title additionally comes from one other of the temple’s imperial connections. In 821 whereas touring across the complete nation, Emperor Saga (784-842) visited Rakuhoji and whereas there copied out Empress Komyo’s Lotus Sutra, additionally enshrining it on the temple. The drought-breaking rains that adopted have been attributed to the emperor’s actions and the Rakuhoji Kannon grew to become the “rain pulling” Kannon.

For a hillside temple, there’s a shocking quantity of water at Rakuhoji, maybe one other legacy of Emperor Saga. A small stream tumbles down the hill, filling two separate ponds. One of many ponds surrounds a small shrine to the goddess Benten, certainly one of Japan’s seven fortunate gods and sometimes conflated with Kannon. The colourful shrine is adorned with ornate carvings; she is clearly nicely cared for right here!

Picture: Vicki L Beyer

Whereas a lot of the temple’s constructions are from the 18th and nineteenth centuries, there are some with even longer histories. The extra one explores the nooks and crannies of the temple (and being on a hillside, there are many nooks and crannies to discover!), the extra one finds. Get pleasure from!

Getting there by public transportation: Take a taxi (about 10 min.) or the Yamazakura-go bus from Iwase station on the JR Mito line. On weekdays, the bus solely stops at Motogi, on the backside of the mountain, from the place it’s a couple of 30minute stroll. On weekends, it goes all the best way to the Amabiki Kannon car parking zone.

Vicki L Beyer, a daily Japan In the present day contributor, is a contract journey author who additionally blogs about experiencing Japan. Observe her weblog at jigsaw-japan.com.

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