When I started working in Kitashiobara Village, I was taken to a place by a local who said, 'There’s an amazing place.'
After climbing steep stairs at the beginning and end, and reaching the narrow mountain path surrounded by trees, a quietly standing hall appeared. As I looked up, breathless, I couldn't believe that such a magnificent sculpture was placed under the roof in such a deep mountain.
Why do you think the people of the past went to the trouble of building a magnificent hall on the "high mountain peak" where it was difficult to transport materials? There was a profound reason hidden in the "desperation of prayer" and a deep respect for nature.
The miracle that the feudal lord's wife clung to. The beginning of the "Futatsuko Mairi".
This hall is called "Kitayama Urushi Yakushi" and is an important Buddha that protects the northern part of the "Aizu Five Yakushi" introduced in the previous article.
Around the early Edo period, the eldest son of Aizu feudal lord Gamou Hideyuki (Kamechiyo Maru) was born with a very weak constitution. In an era without pediatrics or medicine like today, the survival of a young life was always on the brink of death. If you were a parent at that time, wouldn't you pray to the gods and Buddhas with a desperate heart?
A custom born from a mother's prayer, lasting for 400 years.
Furi Hime, the feudal lord's wife, climbed the steep mountain path to seclude herself at this Kitayama Yakushi to save her child. She continued the goma ritual three times a day for seven days, fervently praying for healing. Miraculously, Kamechiyo Maru regained his health.
At that time, since Kamechiyo Maru was "2 years old", the custom of climbing this mountain when a child turns 2 years old and placing the child's belly against the large stone (Harauchi Ishi) in the precincts to pray for health, known as "Futatsuko Mairi", was born and has been cherished for 400 years.
[Ancient Mystery] The "Inner Sanctuary" where light only shines on the winter solstice.
Furthermore, this mountain has many mysterious spots that stir the romance of history.
For example, the stone statue called "Onba-sama" located along the approach.
For some reason, the eyes and nose area of the face have been worn away, and it is said to have been a marker of the "barrier" for the ascetic practitioners (Yamabushi) who underwent severe training here.
And the highlight is a small spiritual cave (Inner Sanctuary) about one tsubo behind the main hall.
Standing on-site, one cannot help but feel an overwhelming energy (the power of a power spot) that cannot be explained in words.
A village submerged in the lake. Together with the harsh and beautiful nature of Urabandai.
The history of Kitashiobara Village has always been intertwined with the natural fury of the "eruption of Mount Bandai."
The strong faith in Kitayama Yakushi was due to the awe of nature, which could erupt at any moment. In the great eruption of Meiji 21 (1888), the village of Hibara-juku at the foot of the mountain was completely submerged.
Even now, during the winter dry season (when the water level drops), the torii gate of "Yama Shrine," which was the guardian of the former village, emerges from the lake bottom, quietly conveying memories of that time.
In "Tabi no Ito," we offer a 【Academic Style】 tour that traces the dynamic natural history of Urabandai and the traces of prayers from the people who lived there.
This deep history, which local middle school students learn as "the treasure of the village," cannot be reached by just superficial information in guidebooks. Would you like to experience the "truth of Urabandai" that satisfies your intellectual curiosity with us?
