A goddess of mercy who sweats before disaster is enshrined at small hall in Kitaebisu, Aikawa.
It’s called “Haenuki-Kannon”.
1300 years ago, when a villager went there, a huge rock was on the street and he couldn’t pass there.
So, he gathered other villagers, and they moved it away.
However, he found a huge rock there again next day, and couldn’t pass there.
Therefore, he gathered others again, and moved it away.
And same things happened again and again.
One person heard it, and he thought there should be astory behind it and needed to store a Buddha statue there.
Since then, people come here to pray.
And this Buddha statue sweats before disaster, and let local people know.
There was a terrible fire a long ago, the Buddha statue got sweats. And my mother actually saw it once.
When the statue got sweats, local people bundle Fatsia japonica, spring onion and red pepper together and put it at the gate as charm against evil spirits.
Around the hall, spring water comes out, and it’s cold in summer and warm in winter. And it never stops.
In the middle of every January, people pray a million times with juzu that are composed of more than 100 beads called Hyakumanben-nenju.
Local people gather there, sit around the statue and pass a big and long Buddhist rosary to next person repeating the Shingon prayer.
The juzu composed of beads is made of wood, and the size of one bead is about as big as the golf ball.
It’s old but shinning black beautifully, and I feel the history in it.
Also, I could feel their respect to the God and a sense of solidarity.
Local ladies cook and serve some dishes made of local products to prayers.
Senkaku Bay and Ageshima Park are just 5mins walk from this place, so why don’t you visit here when you come to Senkaku Bay and the park?
– The closest bus stop: 2mins from the Kitaebisu station on #9
