Kunisada Utagawa “Chukowafuzoku-kyubakutaihan no Himegimi Ueno Kiyomizu Ohanami no Zu”(the chief Shomyo Urai of the Kaneiji Temple collection)
The chief Gikei Otaki of the Toueizan Kaneiji’s Shinnyou-in Temple and the manager of the Kiyomizu Kannon-dou Temple.
Q: In the Edo era, it seems like all the Ueno Park was in the area within the precinct yard of Toueizan Kaneiji Temple. What role did Kiyomizu-Kannon-dou Temple had at those era?
Kaneiji Temple was a family temple for the house of Tokugawa. On the other hand Kiyomizu-Kannon-dou Temple was constructed for all the people being able to pray. It was first constructed at the Mt.Suribachi-yama, but it was moved when the main part of the Kaneiji Temple has been constructed.
Q: Was Kiyomizu Kannon-dou Temple out the main gate of Kaneiji Temple?
Not really. Since the main gate was around the Kokumoncho where the Matsuzakaya Department Store is now (Around Ueno Block 1 or 2 now), Kiyomizu Kannon-dou Temple was placed near the main gate and anyone was able to pray at this place. The general public were not allowed to pray easily from there on. Kiyomizu Kannon-dou Temple was made by priest Zigen-daishi Tenkai Dai-soujyou. He paid his own money and got Senjyu Kannon Bosatsu that is said to be made by Eshin-sozu, the monk of Mt.Hieizan in the Heian Era, from Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto as the principal image of its temple.
Senjyu Kanzeon Bosatsu was used to be protected by Morihisa Taira who was toted in the Noh song “Morihisa” which comes from Story “Heike Monogatari(The Tale of the Heike)”. However, he was lost at the Genpei War, and was caught in Kyoto. He was supposed to be moved to Kamakura and be executed at Yuigahama, however the sward directed to his neck has been collapsed and Masako Houjyou the wife of Yoritomo Minamoto heard a monk say her not to kill him in her dream. For these reasons the execution has been canceled. (continued in the right column)
Since the Senjyu Kanzeon Bosatsu in Kyoto Kiyomizu-dera Temple fell down and its arm collapsed just the same time when Morihisa had been directed the knife, people worshiped the Senjyu Kanzeon Bosatsu as a god of substitution. Tenkai Dai-sojyou brought this Buddhist saint to this place, Kiyomizu Kannon-dou Temple and made this a principal image of the temple. The chief of the Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto, Seihan Mori says that this principal image used to be in the back of the Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto. Since it is an old Buddha almost around 1000 years, it should have been designated as an important cultural property and treated as a natural treasure, but because it was kept secretly, detailed research is not been done and it is not yet designated yet. Because the day Morihisa’s execution was canceled was at the year of “Uma(Horse)”, the day of “Uma”, the time of “Uma”, we open the principal image and allow any people to pray once in a year at the first day of “Uma” after the beginning of spring. The next year (2015) will be February 11th.
Q: Are there any events organized together with Kyoto Kiyomizu-dera Temple? Was the stage of Kiyomizu Kannon-dou Temple imitating the stage of Kyoto Kiyomizu-dera Temple?
There are 99 temples that are named “Kiyomizu” in Japan and we hold meetings together. The stage of Kiyomizu Kannon-dou Temple is made as a small scale version of the Kyoto Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Around the Shinobazu-no-ike pond there is a Benten-dou Temple, that principle image is Happi-Daibenzaiten which came from Hougonji Temple at Chikubushima island in Biwako lake . Tenkai Dai-soujyou built the Toeizan kaneiji Temple that images the Biwako lake, Mt.Hieizan and Kyoto.
Q: There is a Shinobazunoike pond in Ukiyo-e made by Hiroshige Utagawa made in Edo era. Was Biwako lake compared with this work?
Yes, it seems so. Biwako lake can’t be seen from Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto, however it was made as a small scale version of the work. Anyone can pray the Bentendou and Kiyomizu Kannon-dou Temple. At the time Benten-dou Temple was made, the place was an island, so we needed a boat to go to the place to pray.
The chief Gikei Otaki of the Toueizan Kaneiji’s Shinnyou-in Temple and the manager of the Kiyomizu Kannon-dou Temple.