Although I wasn't very familiar with it in Inawashiro Town where I was born and raised, the story of 'a beautiful custom' that my cousin talked about during a relative's funeral resonates deeply in my heart now that I am older.
Before the Obon festival when our ancestors return home, we go to welcome them in advance. Wouldn't it be nice if a loved one came to greet you on an unfamiliar road?
Located in the northeast of Aizuwakamatsu City, Hachiyouji is also known as Aizu Koyasan. This historic temple has a ritual called Fuyukizawa Mairi, which has been practiced since the Muromachi period, welcoming the spirits.
This time, we will guide you on a "journey of prayer and culture for adults" to quietly reflect on your heart while thinking of your loved ones.
[Historical Mystery] Why is Fuyukizawa considered the "gateway to the afterlife"?
Why is it believed that the ancestors from all over Aizu gather at this Hachiyouji (Fuyukizawa)?
The roots trace back over 1000 years to Kuuya Shonin, the founder of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism, who spread the nembutsu of "Namu Amida Butsu."
The "Land of Prayer" opened up by Kuuya Shonin
In the Heian period, when the concept of graves for common people did not exist and corpses were simply left in the fields in Aizu, Kuuya Shonin came and carefully offered prayers for the abandoned remains, continuing to bury them in this Fuyukizawa area.
Eventually, a deep faith arose among the people that "our ancestors rest at this Fuyukizawa, the boundary between this world and the next." That is why, between August 1st and 7th, before the Obon festival (8/13-16), the people of Aizu visit this place to welcome their ancestors.
(*This custom of "Fuyukizawa Mairi" itself has been designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Asset of the country.)
Only here in the country! Offering of small graves "Wooden Gorintou"
At Hachiyouji, there remains a very rare and precious form of offering that is not found in any other temple in the country.
This is the custom of placing the ashes, hair, or some belongings of the deceased inside a small wooden Gorintou and offering it.
The ultimate design "Gorintou"
As mentioned in a previous article on architecture, the "Gorintou" is the ultimate design representing the five elements that constitute the universe (earth, water, fire, wind, and void), and it itself is a proof that "the beloved deceased has become one with the universe (Buddha)."
In the Edo period, common people who could not build magnificent stone graves wished to at least deliver the souls of their beloved family members to the sacred place of Kuuya Shonin, making it a crystallization of love and prayer.
Currently, there are over 14,000 Gorintou stored in the temple grounds, and Hachiyouji also offers a "handmade Gorintou set" where you can carve and paint it yourself. The time spent carving the wood with your own hands will surely become an exquisite grief care process (the process of healing sorrow) to converse with the deceased.
The miraculously inherited "Kuuya Nembutsu Dance"
Another essential aspect of Hachiyouji is the "Kuuya Nembutsu Dance," designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Asset of the prefecture, which is offered every year on August 5th.
In fact, this dance had once ceased to exist in Aizu for a period.
The Great Kanto Earthquake and the Relay of Destiny
During the Taisho era, it was once again passed down to Hachiyouji by volunteers from the "Kuya Koushukai" who visited from Tokyo. However, shortly after, in the 12th year of Taisho, the Kanto earthquake caused catastrophic damage to the Tokyo group, and the light of the law was extinguished.
However, the "Kuya Kouryoukai" in Fuyukizawa, which had inherited the dance just before, miraculously preserved that tradition, and it has been passed down for over a dozen generations to this day. The fateful relay of history gives me goosebumps.
The thatched-roof masterpiece "Amida Hall" and a moment of tranquility
The nationally designated important cultural property "Amida Hall," built in the center of the precincts, features a heavy thatched roof yet possesses a light, fluttering curve, making it a masterpiece of architecture from the Muromachi to Momoyama periods. There are records of a nobleman (Count Kunihide Higashifushimi) who visited here in the early Showa period praising it as "the most beautiful building during my trip to Aizu."
At "Tabinoito," we offer tours in the Academic style where guides gently explain Aizu's unique views on life and death, as well as the architectural beauty of Amida Hall.
"Because I want to see the happy face of that person who comes to mind"
With such warm feelings in our hearts, we invite you to Hachiyouji, enveloped in the deep history and nature of Aizu. Why not join us for a refreshing adult fieldwork experience?
[An adult fieldwork exploring prayer and culture]
A journey that comfortably explores the real breath of history, different from period dramas, in a dedicated vehicle.
Our dedicated guide will introduce you to the stories of Aizu that are not found in textbooks.
Feel free to consult us via LINE first.
