A short distance from the city center of Kitakata, you will find the quiet mountain area of 'Atsushio Onsen'. True to its name, this hot spring town is known for its hot water rich in salt. At the end of this town, there is a temple that exudes a majestic atmosphere.
The famous Soto Zen temple 'Hohosan Jigenji'. In fact, this temple is the place founded by a monk with an incredible legend related to the well-known 'great yokai' featured in anime and kabuki.
This time, we will guide you through the deep highlights of Jigenji, where various dramas of Japanese history are condensed into one precinct.
[Mystery ①] The "Genno (Gennou) Priest" who crushed the nine-tailed fox
Essential to the story of Jigenji is the "Zen Master Genno Shinshou," who revived this temple in 1375.
Are you familiar with the legend of the "nine-tailed fox"? A terrifying golden-haired nine-tailed fox that transformed into an unparalleled beauty to ingratiate itself with powerful figures in China and Japan, attempting to destroy nations. Discovered by an onmyoji, it fled to Nasuno (Tochigi Prefecture) and became a giant cursed stone (Sesshoseki), continuing to take the lives of any living creatures that approached.
The super monk who became the origin of the word "genno"
For centuries, no one could approach this cursed stone, but the super monk who smashed it with a large hammer and successfully quelled the fox's resentment is none other than this Genno Priest. (By the way, the term for carpenter's hammer, "genno," is derived from him!)
In the Kaizan-do located on the temple grounds, there is a wooden statue that the priest carved while looking at his reflection in the pond, quietly watching over this place even now.
[Mystery ②] The carpenter from Echigo and the shadow of the "Christian" lurking in the precinct
As you walk through the grounds of Jigenji, you will encounter various historical mysteries.
For example, the "Kannon-do," which is also the 5th temple of the Aizu Thirty-three Kannon. The splendid pine and chrysanthemum openwork carvings here are masterpieces that convey the style of the Azuchi-Momoyama period. This was created by a skilled group of craftsmen known as "Masedaiku" from Niigata, who came to work during the farming off-season. They were considered a kind of "top brand" in Aizu at the time.
As you continue to stroll through the grounds and step into the burial area, you will encounter a breathtaking sight.
From the freedom and civil rights movement to the mother of welfare, and then to nostalgic flavors
The depth of Jigenji does not end there.
On the temple grounds, there quietly stands a memorial grave for the patriots who lost their lives in the radical anti-government movement known as the "Kabasan Incident" during the Meiji era.
Furthermore, on top of that, there is the grave of Iwako Uryu, a pioneer of social welfare in Japan, known as the "Nightingale of the Meiji Era." She cared for the wounded during the Boshin War, regardless of their side, and helped Noguchi Hideyo's mother obtain her midwife qualification. She is a great woman that Aizu is proud of.
Yokai extermination, hidden Christians, the turbulent Bakumatsu and Meiji Restoration. After feeling such a dense energy of history, you might want to take a break with something a little sweet.
Aizu's gentle and nostalgic flavors
For me, "Netsu Shio Onsen (Jigenji)" brings back memories of the famous confection "Kokonoé" that my grandmother often brought back as a souvenir. When you float the small yellow grains in hot water, they dissolve with a cute sound, and the fragrance of yuzu spreads gently. This is a gentle and nostalgic local flavor that is still carefully made by the hands of women at "Naraya" in Aizushio-kawa Town.
At "Tabinoito," we offer a tour in the Academic style that unravels the vast historical drama packed into a single shrine, accompanied by the storytelling of our guides.
"I want to have an intellectual experience connecting the scattered traces of history with lines." "I want to savor the deep echoes of history along with local famous sweets."
If you feel this way, why not walk with us through the grounds of Netsu Shio Onsen and Jigenji?
