Tourism EXPO JAPAN 2024
No.74_A 1,300-Year-Old Buddhist Pilgrimage
Saikoku Kannon Pilgrimage - A 1,300 year old Journey to the Soul-
Japan's oldest pilgrimage:
Saikoku Kannon Pilgrimage (the thirty-three Kannon temples in Western Japan) is Japan's oldest pilgrimage, with over 1,300 years of history. The route consists of thirty-three temples that enshrine Kannon (Bodhisattva of Compassion) and extends approx. 1,000 km across the Kinki region, from Wakayama, Osaka, Hyogo, Kyoto, Nara, Shiga and Gifu prefectures.
It abounds in legends, stories of divine feats and miraculous spiritual quests, and continues to preserve the ancient traditions of Japan.
History:
The history of Saikoku Kannon Pilgrimage dates back to the story of Priest Tokudo in the early 8th century. According to legend, in 718 Priest Tokudo received a divine message from Enma Daio, the King of Hell, who lamented that too many sentient beings were being sent to hell for impiety.
Enma revealed to Tokudo that there were 33 sacred sites in Japan where holy Kannon were enshrined, and he gave him sacred seals (Hoin) for each of the sites, with a written pledge vowing that those who made the pilgrimage of these 33 sites would be saved from going to hell. Although today red ink stamps known as Goshuin are given at each of the 33 temples as a symbol of proof that pilgrims have visited each temple, this custom originates from the 33 sacred seals (Hoin) that Enma gave to Priest Tokudo.
Pilgrims and Visitors:
Throughout the pilgrimage, people seek the mercy of Kannon, pray for their deceased loved ones, as well as for relief from the various hardships that we experience in life. Furthermore, it offers us an invaluable chance to reflect upon our own lives and to contemplate our own destinies.
By visiting the 33 temples and encountering each Kannon, pilgrims can get a glimpse into the inner depths of a culture and spiritual world that the Japanese have cultivated since ancient times.
Japan Heritage:
In May 2019, Saikoku Kannon Pilgrimage, with its 1,300-year-long history, was recognized as a Japan Heritage Site.
Why not take a journey to the soul and experience Japan's oldest pilgrimage route?
Japan's oldest pilgrimage:
Saikoku Kannon Pilgrimage (the thirty-three Kannon temples in Western Japan) is Japan's oldest pilgrimage, with over 1,300 years of history. The route consists of thirty-three temples that enshrine Kannon (Bodhisattva of Compassion) and extends approx. 1,000 km across the Kinki region, from Wakayama, Osaka, Hyogo, Kyoto, Nara, Shiga and Gifu prefectures.
It abounds in legends, stories of divine feats and miraculous spiritual quests, and continues to preserve the ancient traditions of Japan.
History:
The history of Saikoku Kannon Pilgrimage dates back to the story of Priest Tokudo in the early 8th century. According to legend, in 718 Priest Tokudo received a divine message from Enma Daio, the King of Hell, who lamented that too many sentient beings were being sent to hell for impiety.
Enma revealed to Tokudo that there were 33 sacred sites in Japan where holy Kannon were enshrined, and he gave him sacred seals (Hoin) for each of the sites, with a written pledge vowing that those who made the pilgrimage of these 33 sites would be saved from going to hell. Although today red ink stamps known as Goshuin are given at each of the 33 temples as a symbol of proof that pilgrims have visited each temple, this custom originates from the 33 sacred seals (Hoin) that Enma gave to Priest Tokudo.
Pilgrims and Visitors:
Throughout the pilgrimage, people seek the mercy of Kannon, pray for their deceased loved ones, as well as for relief from the various hardships that we experience in life. Furthermore, it offers us an invaluable chance to reflect upon our own lives and to contemplate our own destinies.
By visiting the 33 temples and encountering each Kannon, pilgrims can get a glimpse into the inner depths of a culture and spiritual world that the Japanese have cultivated since ancient times.
Japan Heritage:
In May 2019, Saikoku Kannon Pilgrimage, with its 1,300-year-long history, was recognized as a Japan Heritage Site.
Why not take a journey to the soul and experience Japan's oldest pilgrimage route?
Co-exhibitor of Japan Heritage
A miniature garden city from the middle ages built around the onomichi channel :
Japan heritage administrative office :
Land of Izumo,Tatara Chronicle -A Thousand Years of Iron- :
Mt. Mitoku and Misasa Onsen Thrills and Spills An Exciting Climb and Healing Hot Springs :
No.100_Masuda glows with the brightness of the Age of Regional Revitalization :
No.101_Volcanic Iwami - Prehistoric forests and the Iwami Ginzan silver mines - :
No.103_Spreading the Sugar Culture Through Nagasaki-Kaido"SUGAR ROAD" :
No.104_A Legacy of Stonework : the craftsmanship of Yatsushiro's masons :
No.10_Tambasasayama Dekansho Bushi _ Hometown Memories Passed Down in Folk Song :
No.11_The down of Japan -woman in the Asuka Period- :
No.15_Japan Heritage "Shikoku Henro" -Circular pilgrimage route and unique pilgrimage culture- :
No.17_The Border Islands - A 2300-year story of trade, cultural interaction, and conflict.- :
No.1_The Educational Heritage of Early Modern Japan : the origins of learning and eiquette :
No.23_An Edo Travelogue through Four Hokuso Cities :
No.25_"Iza, Kamakura" Kamakura, a city of history and culture :
No.26_"What on Earth?!" Flame Pots and Snow Counry Culture in the Shinano River Basin :
No.27_The Story of Komatsu's Gems & Stones - A Heritage of Stone Polished by the Flow of Time :
No.2_Kakaa Denka -The Silk Story of Gunma- :
No.32_Living with Whales :
No.33_Japan's Largest Livestock Market Born of Jizo Bodhisattva Worship :
No.36_The Geiyo Islands, home to "JAPAN'S GREATEST CORSAIR" reviving the memory of the Murakami KAIZOKU :
No.39_Merchant Ships Carrying Goods, Culture, and Big Dreams (Hokkaido, Aomori, Akita, Yamagata, Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, Hiroshima, Kagawa Prefectures) :
No.3_THETHE STORY OF THE LORD AND HIS CITIZENS WHO TURNED A CRISIS INTO A GREAT OPPORTUNITY :
No.45_Bantan Throughway - Gin no Bashamichi and Koseki no Michi Japan Heritage Site :
No.46_Treasure House of Scenic Beauty Wakanoura :
No.49_Kurashiki and the Story of Fiber - East meets west through cotton - :
No.50_Six Ancient Kilns - Ceramics Born and Raised in Japan - :
No.51_From Forest Railway to Yuzu Road-The Story of Japan's Largest Yuzu-Growing Region :
No.55_Kamikawa Ainu in Coexistence with Kamuy - Traditional World of the Gods at the Foot of Mt. Daisetsu - :
No.57_Underground Adventure -Utsunomiya,Home of Oya Stone- :
No.5_A Cultural Heritage Linking the Sea to the Ancient Capital :
No.60_A Landscape Interwoven with Vineyards -Kyotoh-Yamanashi Wine County- :
No.62_Infinite stone pavement conveying the footsteps of travelers from the past - Hakone Hachiri, the trace of a journey from the Edo period - :
No.64_Okayama, the birthplace of the Legend of Momotaro, a piece of Japan Heritage-A tale of ogre conquest handed down through ancient Kibi heritage- :
No.66_ Kunisaki where Oni and Buddhas coexist as one :
No.67_The Prehistoric Burial Mounds of Miyazaki :
No.69_The Story of MICHINOKU GOLD -Zipang,the Land of Gold:Tracing the Origins of Japanese Gold- :
No.74_A 1,300-Year-Old Buddhist Pilgrimage :
No.7_Saio - The Prayers of a Princess :
No.82_Defense Network of Satsuma Samurai Districts in the Edo Period :
No.84_A Heritage of Salmon -A Journey of Ten Thousand Years in the Nemuro Strait- :
No.88_THE STORY OF MULBERRY CITY :
No.89_Ultimate Snow Country Tokamachi - The True Story! A Story of a heavy snowfall :
No.90_The Railway That Crossed the Sea~The Railway of Miracle and Trajectory that Connected with the World~ :
No.94_Yaji and Kita's journey through Sunshu, gave rise to the first travel boom in Japan :
No.98_No Landslide Anymore! Crossing Kamenose,the heart of the ancient Tatsuta Kodo :
No.99_The birthplace of Shugendo, a tradition passed down through generations of believers and villagers :
| Booth No | L-030 |
|---|---|
| Area | Japan |
| Official site | https://jh-saikoku33.jp/ |
Photos
