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Geibi-kei Gorge (猊鼻渓) Madame Kanko's Grave (管公夫人の墓) Mokusa-jinja Shrine (舞草神社) [Mokusa Swordsmith Remains (舞草鍛冶遺跡)] Fujitsubo Waterfall (藤壷の瀧) Okago Christian Remains (大籠キリシタン遺跡) Kirishitan Execution Place (キリシタン処刑の地) |
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| Geibi-kei Gorge (猊鼻渓), located in Higashiyama Town (東山町) of Ichinoseki City (一関市), is a deep, 2 km-long ravine with beautiful 100 m-high crags. Geibi-kei Gorge offers a remarkable contrast between the deep gorge and the quiet pool in the river, which attracts so many tourists coming all over the country. | ||
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(Thursday 12 August) Geibi-kei Gorge, viewed from the river boat | |
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(Thursday 12 August) Geibi-kei Gorge, viewed from the river boat | |
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(Thursday 12 August) Geibi-kei Gorge, viewed from the river boat | |
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(Thursday 12 August) Geibi-kei Gorge, viewed from the river boat | |
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(Thursday 12 August) Geibi-kei Gorge | |
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(Thursday 12 August) Fish in Geibi-kei Gorge, viewed from the river boat | |
| Madame Kanko (管公夫人) was the wife of Michizane Sugawara(菅原道真, 845-903), the legendary politician and later the saint of learning.
Sugawara finally became "U-Daijin" (右大臣; the Minister of the Right, the second most important ministerial position) in the reign of Daigo Tenno (醍醐天皇; Emperor Daigo, 885-930; r.897-930), but was relegated to Dazai-fu (太宰府; now Dazaifu City, Fukuoka), Kyushu in 901 by his rival Tokihira Fujiwara (藤原時平)'s slander and died in despair in 903. His wife Kisshome (吉祥女) and three (or two?) children were sent to Motai, County Isawa, Oshu (奥州胆沢郡母体; now Mesawa, Oshu City, Iwate): His wife reportedly died there soon after she received his obituary in 903. In 1970 the local people began to celeblate the millenary festival of Michizane Sugawara's family. In 1994 the 39th chief priest of Dazai-fu Tenman-gu Shrine (太宰府天満宮) visited this grave and transplanted their famous ume tree "Tobi-ume" from Dazai-fu, Fukuoka. Finally on September 12, 2005 they celebrated the 1,100th anniversary festival for Madame Kanko's death. This grave hall is located in Higashiyama Town, Ichinoseki City: About 6 km east of Motai. For more information of Michizane Sugawara, go to the Kyoto City Central (Rakuchu) page and the Dazaifu City page. |
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(Thursday 4 May) Foundation Stone of Madame Kanko's Grave, Higashiyama Town | |
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(Thursday 4 May) Concept image of the Madame Kanko's Grave Improvement Project (Kochi-no-sato Project: 「東風の里」構想) starting in 1999 | |
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(Thursday 4 May) The external appearance of Madame Kanko's Grave | |
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(Thursday 4 May) "Torii" (Shrine Gate) of Madame Kanko's Grave | |
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(Thursday 4 May) Stone steps of Madame Kanko's Grave | |
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(Thursday 4 May) Prayer Hall of Madame Kanko's Grave | |
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(Thursday 4 May) Main Shrine covering Madame Kanko's Grave | |
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(Thursday 4 May) Inside of the Main Shrine: Three grave stones of the Sugawara family | |
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(Thursday 4 May) The external appearance of Madame Kanko's Grave | |
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(Thursday 4 May) The external appearance of Madame Kanko's Grave | |
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(Thursday 4 May) The main hall of Madame Kanko's Grave with ume (Japanese apricot) trees. The following
tanka poem by Sugawara in Dazai-fu, is very familiar to the Japanese people:
Kochi Fukaba (東風吹かば) Nioi Okoseyo (匂い寄こせよ) Ume-no-hana (梅の花) Aruji Nashitote (主なしとて) Haru na Wasureso (春な忘れそ) (When the easterly wind brows, Send your fragrance to me, The ume blossoms, Although your master is no longer there, Never forget to bloom in spring.) (trans. Eishiro Ito) |
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(Thursday 4 May) The main hall of Madame Kanko's Grave with ume (Japanese apricot) trees | |
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(Thursday 4 May) The red and white ume (Japanese apricot) trees transplanted from Kitano Tenman-gu Shrine, Kyoto and Dazai-fu Tenman-gu Shrine, Fukuoka. Madame Kanko's Grave | |
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(Thursday 4 May) The red and white ume (Japanese apricot) trees transplanted from Kitano Tenman-gu Shrine, Kyoto (北野天満宮) and Dazai-fu Tenman-gu Shrine (太宰府天満宮), Fukuoka. Madame Kanko's Grave | |
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(Thursday 4 May) The red and white ume (Japanese apricot) trees transplanted from Kitano Tenman-gu Shrine, Kyoto and Dazai-fu Tenman-gu Shrine, Fukuoka. Madame Kanko's Grave | |
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(Thursday 4 May) Stone steps of the shrine, viewed from the main hall. Madame Kanko's Grave | |
| Mokusa [or Maikusa]-jinja Shrine (舞草神社) is located at 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City (一関市舞川字舞草太平５) or near the top of the Hill of Kannon-yama (観音山, 325.2 m high); about 5 km northeast of JR Yamanome Station (山目駅) or about 5 km southeast of JR Hiraizumi Station (平泉駅). As legend tells, it was originally located in the peak of Hakusan-dake (白山岳; 700 m northwest of the present site; part of Kannon-yama), also known as Tetsuochi-yama (鉄落山) by the Satetsu-gawa River (砂鉄川). Both place names strongly indicate that the area was full of iron ore or ironstones.
It was founded by Tamuramaro Sakanoue (坂上 田村麻呂) in the 2nd year of Daido (大同2年) or AD 807 as a Buddhist temple with the main image of "Sho-Kannon" (聖観音; Ch. Kuan Yin; Skt. Avalokitesvara). It had been called Kissho-san Tojo-ji Temple (吉祥山東城寺), though local people also called "Kiba-dera" (きば寺) or "Uba no Kannon" (羽場の観音). It was most prospered in the late Heian Period (11th Century) when Hiraizumi (平泉) was most prospered with Oshu-Fujiwara family (奥州藤原氏). It was converted to a Shinto shrine in the 4th year of Meiji (明治4年) or AD 1871. The present shrine is dedicated to Ukano-Mitama-no-mikoto (蒼稲魂命; the God of Harvest [esp. Rice]), Izanagi-no-mikoto (伊邪那岐尊; The Primeval Father of Shinto) and Izanami-no-mikoto (伊邪那美尊; The Primeval Mother of Shinto who was the sister spouse of Izanagi). Mokusa Area was famous for legendary swordsmiths in the Heian Period (AD 794-1185). They are considered as the original producers of the Japanese swords known as "Warabite-to" (蕨手刀) which can date back to the sixth to eighth centuries. "Warabite-to" was its fame through the series of battles between Emishi people (蝦夷) and the Yamato-chotei government (大和朝廷) in the late eighth century. Using "Warabite-to," the small number of Emishi soldiers could resist against the numerous Yamato-chotei army over Thirty-Eight Years' War (三十八年戦争) (AD 770-811). The present site of Mokusa-jinja Shrine (舞草神社) is considered to be the site of Mokusa Swordsmith Remains (舞草鍛冶遺跡). |
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(Saturday 28 August) Information board of Mokusa-to (舞草刀) in the opposite side of the entrance to Toko-zan Kanpuku-ji Temple (東光山 観福寺), Ichinoseki City along the prefectural road no. 14 | |
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(Saturday 28 August) Information board of Mokusa-to (舞草刀) in the opposite side of the entrance to Toko-zan Kanpuku-ji Temple (東光山 観福寺), Ichinoseki City along the prefectural road no. 14 | |
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(Saturday 28 August) The black gate to the main approach to Mokusa-jinja Shrine (舞草神社表参道黒門), 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City.
WARNING: Numerous snakes inhabit around this area. Most are "shima-hebi" (縞蛇: innocuous striped snakes: Elaphe quadrivirgata) while some are "yamakagashi" (山楝蛇: venomous ringed grass snakes [though few deaths have been recorded]: Rhabdophis tigrinus) or "mamushi" (蝮: Japanese pit vipers: Agkistrodon blomhoffi). If you have Snakephobia/Ophidiophobia or you want to avoid possible dangers of being bitten by a snake, please refrain from using this route to the shrine except in winter. ... I was lucky today. I saw only three "shima-hebi" (innocuous striped snakes) at my feet going up to the shrine: on the return trip only two "yamakagashi" (venomous ringed grass snakes) could be seen along the approach. |
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(Saturday 28 August) The main approach to Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City: Be careful of snakes! | |
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(Saturday 28 August) The main approach to Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City: Be careful of snakes! | |
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(Saturday 28 August) The main approach to Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Saturday 28 August) The main approach to Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City: Be careful of snakes! | |
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(Saturday 28 August) First Shrine Gate to Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Saturday 28 August) Second Shrine Gate to the main hall of Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Saturday 28 August) Third Shrine Gate [Deva gate] to the main hall of Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Saturday 28 August) Third Shrine Gate [Deva gate] to the main hall of Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Saturday 28 August) The left samurai deva of the Third Shrine Gate [Deva gate] to the main hall of Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Saturday 28 August) The right samurai deva of the Third Shrine Gate [Deva gate] to the main hall of Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Saturday 28 August) Third Shrine Gate [Deva gate] to the main hall of Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Saturday 28 August) Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Saturday 28 August) Hall of the Sacred Horse (神馬舎), Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Saturday 28 August) Old Buddhist stone carvings of Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Saturday 28 August) "Hai-den" (拝殿; the Worshippers' Hall) of Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Saturday 28 August) "Hai-den" (拝殿; the Worshippers' Hall) of Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Saturday 28 August) Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Saturday 28 August) The treasure hall (?) and the haiku monument dedicated to Basho Matsuo (松尾芭蕉), Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Saturday 28 August) The haiku monument dedicated to Basho Matsuo (松尾芭蕉), Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City:
Shibaraku wa (しばらくは) Hana no ue naru (花の上なる) Tsukiyo kana (月夜かな) (For the time being Over the [cherry] flowers The moon stays shining.) (trans. Eishiro Ito) *It was made in spring in the 5th year of Jyokyo (貞享5年) or AD 1688 when stayed in Yoshino (吉野), Nara. This poem first apeared in Hatsu-zemi (『初蝉』: lit. " (the) first cicada") (1688). |
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(Saturday 28 August) The haiku monument dedicated to Basho Matsuo (松尾芭蕉), Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City (see above) | |
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(Saturday 28 August) [Buddhist] stone monuments of Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Saturday 28 August) "Shinsen-den" (神撰殿; the Divine Dinner Hall) of Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Saturday 28 August) Belfry (鐘楼) of Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City. Normally a shrine does not have belfry, unlike Buddhist temples. | |
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(Saturday 28 August) Stone lanterns of Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City. Normally a shrine does not have stone lanterns like these, unlike Buddhist temples. | |
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(Saturday 28 August) Stone lanterns of Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Saturday 28 August) Going down on the approach from Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City. There are many rocks containing ironstones along the approach, which indicates this is the site of Mokusa swordsmith factory. | |
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(Saturday 28 August) Mokusa-jinja Going down on the approach from Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City. There are many rocks containing ironstones along the approach, which indicates this is the site of Mokusa swordsmith factory. | |
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(Saturday 28 August) Going down on the approach from Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City. There are many rocks containing ironstones along the approach, which indicates this is the site of the Mokusa swordsmith factory. | |
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(Saturday 28 August) First Shrine Gate along the eastern approach to Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Saturday 28 August) Signpost for the old swordsmith houses near Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Saturday 28 August) The site of the old swordsmith houses near Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Saturday 28 August) A roadsign along the eastern approach to Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Saturday 28 August) Along the eastern approach to Mokusa-jinja Shrine, 5 Taihei-Maikusa, Maikawa, Ichinoseki City: This is the site of the Mokusa swordsmith factory and iron mines. | |
| Fujitsubo Waterfall (藤壷の瀧) is located in the northern foot of Tabashine Hill (束稲山, 596 m) where the famous monk-poet Saigyo-hoshi (西行法師, 1118-1190) and the tragic lord Yoshitsune Minamoto (源 義経, 1159-1189) admired its beauty with cherry blossoms, or now precisely, Yanomori, Takozu, Higashiyama-cho, Ichinoseki City (一関市東山町田河津矢ノ森). The waterfall looks very beautiful in middle or late May when flowers of wisteria (藤の花) bloom around the fall.
This waterfall is by the side of the entrance to a gold mine (金山坑入口) in the age of the 3rd Oshu-Fujiwara lord Hidehira Fujiwara (藤原 秀衡, 1122?-1187) when the city and culture of Hiraizumi (平泉) were at the zenith of prosperity. With numerous gold mines across the Tohoku District, Oshu-Fujiwara family and their city Hiraizumu flourished as the second largest city (with the estimated population is over 100,000) next to Kyoto in the late twelfth century. Hidehira died of a disease (apoplexy?) just two years before the "Oshu Kassen" (奥州合戦) in July - September, 1189 (文治5年) when Hiraizumi desperately had to fight with the Kamakura Shogunate's "Grande Armee" (280,000 soldiers according to the official record of Azuma Kagami [『吾妻鏡』; "The Mirror of the East," completed after 1266]). For further information of Hiraizumi, go to the Hiraizumi page. |
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(Monday 4 May) Information board at Fujitsubo Waterfall, Yanomori, Takozu, Higashiyama-cho, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Monday 4 May) Inscription stone of Fujitsubo Waterfall, Yanomori, Takozu, Higashiyama-cho, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Monday 4 May) A signpost for Fujitsubo Waterfall, Yanomori, Takozu, Higashiyama-cho, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Monday 4 May) Fujitsubo Waterfall, Yanomori, Takozu, Higashiyama-cho, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Monday 4 May) The entrance to a gold mine site by the side of Fujitsubo Waterfall, Yanomori, Takozu, Higashiyama-cho, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Monday 4 May) The entrance to a gold mine site by the side of Fujitsubo Waterfall, Yanomori, Takozu, Higashiyama-cho, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Monday 4 May) The entrance to a gold mine site by the side of Fujitsubo Waterfall, Yanomori, Takozu, Higashiyama-cho, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Monday 4 May) The entrance to a gold mine site by the side of Fujitsubo Waterfall, Yanomori, Takozu, Higashiyama-cho, Ichinoseki City | |
| The Okago (大籠) area, located in the southeast part of Fujisawa Town adjoining Tome City (登米市) in Miyagi (宮城), is well-known for its iron making and for the martyrdom of "Kirishitans" (Christians) during the seventeenth century (until 1560). Christianity was taught in Japan since 1549 when the famous Jesuit Francisco de Xavier (1506-1552) came to Kagoshima. The introduction of Christianity into the region is said to be attributed to the Senmatsu brothers (千松兄弟), Daihachiro (大八郎) and Kohachiro (小八郎), who were invited by the Kasai clan (葛西氏) to Okago as refined ironworkers from Bitchu (備中; now Okayama) in the 1st year of Eiroku (永禄元年, 1558). They learned the iron-making in Yamaguchi or Suo (周防) where many Catholic missionaries proselytized Japanese people while some of them also taught the Western technology including iron-making. The brothers were probably baptized there. They came to Okago to instruct the local people how to refine iron and settled here in Okago and gradually propagandized the local people, although it is doubtful that they could properly do missionary work from the beginning. However, they were qualified as the leaders of the Tohoku Christians in the Tensho era (天正年間; 1573-1591).
After the decline of the Kasai clan, Masamune Date (伊達 政宗, 1567-1636) protected Ogago's iron-making industry and the local Christians until 1612 when the Tokugawa Shogunate strictly began to ban Christianity. Still, Masamune tried to shelter the Christians from punishment until around 1620, mainly because the Date clan tried to protect the Christian ironworkers and his Christian retainers including Juan Goto (後藤 寿庵) and Tsunenaga Hasekura (支倉 常長), etc. According to some local historical record, the missionaries propagandized about 30,000 only in the Date dominions (the majority of them in the northern part of Miyagi [now Fujisawa-cho and Tome City]). As the Shogunate discipline was strained, however, more than 300 Christians were executed in Okago alone. In Okago, the normal burial of the Christian martyrs was prohibited by the authorities; their corpses were exposed outside as they were executed for a long time. Many surviving Christians still continued to pray for Jesus and Maria in secret, simulating Buddhists. The last three Okago Christians were recorded in 1836: No Christians were officially recorded since then until the Meiji Restoration in 1868 when many Western consuls, with one voice, criticized the former Shogunate's anti-Christian policy. The Okago Christian remains are scattered along the route 295 from the town center. For further information of the Juan Goto and Crypto-Christians, 1. go to the Juan Goto and Crypto-Christians page. 2. go to the Mizusawa page. 3. go to the Tome page. 4. go to the Azuchi page. |
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(Saturday 7 May) Entrance Signpost of Okago Christian Martyrdom Memorial Park (大籠キリシタン殉教公園), 28-7 Unazawa, Okago | |
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(Saturday 7 May) Statue of Madonna and Child (by Mizuho Tsuchiya) in front of Okago Christian Museum, Okago Christian Martyrdom Memorial Park, 28-7 Unazawa, Okago | |
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(Saturday 7 May) Replica of "Dai-temba" stone (台転場) which reads "Namu Amida-butsu"(南無阿弥陀仏; O Buddha! May his soul rest in peace!) originally located in Aomatsu, Okago where the authorities used to check if passers-by were Christians or not. Okago Christian Martyrdom Memorial Park, 28-7 Unazawa, Okago | |
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(Saturday 7 May) Information board of the above replica of "Dai-temba" stone which reads "Namu Amida-butsu," Okago Christian Martyrdom Memorial Park, 28-7 Unazawa, Okago | |
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(Saturday 7 May) Replica of "Hashiba Kubi-zuka" (ハシ場首塚; mound for the gibbeted heads) originally located 100 m west of "the Execution-ground at Tokizo" (トキゾー沢刑場); after the execution the head was buried there with the guilt paper of believing Christianity. Okago Christian Martyrdom Memorial Park, 28-7 Unazawa, Okago | |
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(Saturday 7 May) The monumental bell at the top of the hill, Okago Christian Martyrdom Memorial Park, 28-7 Unazawa, Okago | |
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(Saturday 7 May) Okago Christian Martyrdom Memorial Kurusu Museum at the top of the hill of Okago Christian Martyrdom Memorial Park, 28-7 Unazawa, Okago. The three bronze statues in this museum were crafted by Yasutake Funakoshi (船越保武), a well-known Iwate-native artist who also designed this building. | |
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(Saturday 7 May) Message from His Holiness, Pope John Paul II which says:
His Holiness John Paul II paternally imparts His Apostolic Blessing to Sato Mamoru [town headman] and the visitors honoring the Martyrs on the occasion of the dedication of the Okago Kirishitan [Christian] Memorial Park as a pledge of continued divine protection. Er Hedibus Vaticani, 18-IX 1995 In front of Okago Christian Martyrdom Memorial Kurusu Museum, at the top of the hill of Okago Christian Martyrdom Memorial Park, 28-7 Unazawa, Okago |
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(Saturday 7 May) Okago viewed from Okago Christian Martyrdom Memorial Kurusu Museum at the top of the hill of Okago Christian Martyrdom Memorial Park, 28-7 Unazawa, Okago | |
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(Saturday 7 May) Landscape of "Okarasawa-dokutsu" (大柄沢洞窟; The Crypto-Christian Cave at Okarasawa), Okago. This legendary Crypto-Christian cave was discovered by a mowing worker in 1973, which created a big sensation among the Japanese people via mass media. It is located precisely in the mountainside of Towa-cho (東和町) of Tome City (登米市), Miyagi while the owner lives in Fujisawa-cho, Iwate. It is located in the far backward of Okago Catholic Church. It takes one hour by walk from the church: go down the slope along the guard rail near the "Ueno-keijo" (上野刑場) site, cross the bridge over the stream on the prefecture border and continue to walk to the information board. Light and a glove is highly recommended to bring with you! | |
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(Saturday 7 May) Information Board of "Okarasawa-dokutsu" (the Crypto-Christian Cave at Okarasawa), Okago. It says that in this area including Okago, Okamigawara (狼河原) and Magomi (馬込) Christian missionaries propagandized the local people who mainly worked in iron-making and plough-making since 1570s: After 1620 when the first Christian suppression occurred in Sendai, the Christians in this area gradually warned each other of the danger. This cave was created in around 1621 when Rev. Francisco Barajar (Jap. name: Magouemon) came to Okago and engaged in missionary work in the Date dominions for over twenty years hiding himself moving from one believer's house to another: He was finally captured in Sendai in 1639 and died a martyr to his faith in Edo [Tokyo]. Since then it was said that most Christians moved to another place and that this cave did not seem to be used. | |
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(Saturday 7 May) "Okarasawa-dokutsu" (the Crypto-Christian Cave at Okarasawa), Okago. The length of the cave is over 10 meters. Nothing inside can be seen without light. | |
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(Saturday 7 May) "Okarasawa-dokutsu" (the Crypto-Christian Cave at Okarasawa), Okago | |
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(Saturday 7 May) "Okarasawa-dokutsu" (the Crypto-Christian Cave at Okarasawa), Okago | |
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(Saturday 7 May) "Okarasawa-dokutsu" (the Crypto-Christian Cave at Okarasawa), Okago. The plain alter was made by excavating the rock. The crypto-Christians in the early seventeenth century would have prayed for Christ and the Holy Mother secretly: The recent research proves that this secret Christian cave was functioned as a substitute of the church until 1639. | |
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(Saturday 7 May) "Okarasawa-dokutsu" (the Crypto-Christian Cave at Okarasawa), Okago | |
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(Saturday 7 May) "Okarasawa-dokutsu" (the Crypto-Christian Cave at Okarasawa), Okago | |
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(Saturday 7 May) "Matsuribatake Keijo" (祭畑刑場; the Execution-ground at Matsuribatake) site, near Okago Catholic Church. This is the horrible execution for the Christians who tried to escape from the officers: Most of them were recaptured and shot dead. | |
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(Saturday 7 May) "Matsuribatake Keijo" (the Execution-ground at Matsuribatake) site, near Okago Catholic Church | |
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(Saturday 7 May) "Ueno Keijo" (the Execution-ground at Ueno) site, near Okago Catholic Church: It is widely called "Oshanagi-sama" (God of Young Tree). In 1640 when 94 Christians were persecuted, people erected stone statues of "Jizo-botoke" (Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva). It has been considered to be a sacred place since then: Later people also erected the statue of "Bishamon-ten" (the Buddhist God of Treasure, and Protector of the North Quarter of the Buddhist Heaven and Spirit of the Sun; Skt. Vaisravans) in 1798 and the statue of "Oshanagi-yama-gongen" (or "Hoso-shin") in 1831. | |
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(Saturday 7 May) "Ueno Keijo" (上野刑場; the Execution-ground at Ueno) site, near Okago Catholic Church | |
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(Saturday 7 May) Okago Catholic Church (カトリック大籠教会), founded in 1932 by "Okago Kirishitan Shiseki Hozon-kai" (大籠キリシタン保存会; the Society for the Preservation of Okago Christian Remains) with financial aid from Swiss Catholics. There are few Christians in this area now, so a priest from a close church comes twice a month to have a mass for the martyrs. | |
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(Saturday 7 May) Okago Catholic Church | |
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(Saturday 7 May) Statue of the Holy Mother, Okago Catholic Church | |
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(Saturday 7 May) Inscription Stones of Okago Catholic Church | |
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(Saturday 7 May) General Information Board about the Okago Christians and the church, Okago Catholic Church | |
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(Saturday 7 May) "Jizo-no-Tsuji" (地蔵の辻; Crossing of Jizo [Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva]), Okago. Also called "Mujo-no-Tsuji" (無情の辻; the Merciless Crossing). It is located in the crossing of the Hidarisawa River and the Irisawa River, where 84 Christians died martyrs to their faith in 1639 and 94 in 1640. | |
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(Saturday 7 May) "Jizo noTsuji" (Crossing of Jizo [Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva]), Okago | |
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(Saturday 7 May) "Kubi-Jikken-ishi" (首実検石; Stone for Observing the Criminals' Heads), Okago. It was said that the watch officer of the Date clan used to sit on this stone to observe Christians' execution. It was also said that the Futamata River was dyed with blood of the martyrs. This stone was originally in the bank of the Irisawa River and moved to this place across the road. | |
| Kirishitan [early Japanese Christians] Kirishitan Execution Place (キリシタン処刑の地) is located along the road to Tabashine Hill (束稲山, 596 m) in Yanomori, Takozu, Higashiyama-cho, Ichinoseki City (一関市東山町田河津矢ノ森). About 3-5 minutes by car from Fujitsubo Waterfall. As the local people have handed down the story from generation to generation, this is the place where more than one Kirishitan [early Japanese Christians] were executed in the middle or late Edo Period in the late eighteenth century or in the early nineteenth century. However, the details are unknown since no official record about this has been found so far. Only one poorish stone monument remains. Probably this was the best they could do for the repose of the souls of the Kirishitan martyrs at that time.
For further information of the area and the history of Kirishitans, 1. go to the "Juan Goto and Crypto-Christians" page. 2. go to the "Mizusawa, Oshu City" page. 3. go to the "Tome City " page. 4. go to the "Azuchi-cho, Omihachiman City" page. 5. go to the "Sakai City" page. 6. go to the "Shimonoseki City" page. 7. go to the "Yamaguchi City" page. 8. go to the "Hioki City" page. 9. go to the "Kagoshima City" page. 10. go to the "Nagasaki City" page. 11. go to the "Oita City" page. |
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(Monday 4 May) Signpost of Kirishitan Execution Place (キリシタン処刑の地), Higashiyama-cho, | |
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(Monday 4 May) Kirishitan Execution Place, Yanomori, Takozu, Higashiyama-cho, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Monday 4 May) Kirishitan Execution Place, Yanomori, Takozu, Higashiyama-cho, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Monday 4 May) Kirishitan Execution Place, Yanomori, Takozu, Higashiyama-cho, Ichinoseki City | |
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(Monday 4 May) Kirishitan Execution Place, Yanomori, Takozu, Higashiyama-cho, Ichinoseki City. I remember that my father found a wild yellow flower and put it to the monument as a small floral tribute as the photo shows, because we just happened to find this monument on the way to Tabashine Hill and we did not bring any flower with us. | |
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(Monday 4 May) Kirishitan Execution Place, Yanomori, Takozu, Higashiyama-cho, Ichinoseki City |
