Kaizuka: From Mizuma Kannon Temple to the National Treasure Koon-ji Temple and Jinaimachi's Gansen-ji Temple

A train and walking route that leads from Mizuma-dera Temple, an evil-warding temple affectionately known as Mizuma Kannon Temple, to Koon-ji Temple, which preserves a National Treasure Kannon-do (hall dedicated to Kannon), and returns to Kaizuka Station via the Mizuma Railway to visit Gansen-ji Temple at the center of the jinaimachi (temple town). Trace the overlapping history of Kaizuka's three temples, from traditions of their founding by Gyoki to the fires of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's wars and the temple town of the Edo period.

History and Local Appeal

In the foothills of Kaizuka, there are temples that carry traditions of being founded by Gyoki. According to temple tradition, Mizuma-dera Temple was founded by Gyoki in 744 (Tenpyo 16) by imperial decree of Emperor Shomu. The Kannon-do hall of Koon-ji Temple was originally the hall of the adjacent Kannon-ji Temple, which is said to have been founded by Gyoki in 726 (Jinki 3).

Both of these temples suffered heavy damage during the wars of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In 1585 (Tensho 13), Mizuma-dera Temple was burned down because it sided with the Negoro faction during Hideyoshi's attack on Negoro. Kannon-ji Temple also became a battleground during Hideyoshi's Kishu invasion attacking temples like Negoro-ji Temple, and its buildings were burned down, leaving only the Kannon-do hall that had been rebuilt in the Kamakura period.

At Gansen-ji Temple, located in the town near the sea, it is said that Bokuhansai Ryochin, welcomed from Negoro-ji Temple in Kishu, became the head priest around 1545 (Tenbun 14). In 1555 (Tenbun 24), Kaizuka became a jinaimachi under Hongan-ji, and from 1583 (Tensho 11), Kennyo, the 11th head of Hongan-ji, established the temple base here. In the Edo period, the Bokuhan family of head priests served as the feudal lords of the temple territory, and Kaizuka flourished as a jinaimachi until the Meiji Restoration through commerce and crafts such as Izumi cotton and Izumi combs.

Major Highlights

• ​Mizuma-dera Temple​​: A special head temple of the Tendai sect, whose principal image is Sho Kanzeon Bosatsu. Key highlights are the main hall with its double roof rebuilt in 1827 (Bunsei 10) and the three-story pagoda rebuilt in 1834 (Tenpo 5). The three-story pagoda is the only three-story pagoda in Osaka Prefecture built prior to the Meiji era, and the twelve zodiac signs are carved into the kaerumata (struts) under the eaves of the first tier.
• ​Koon-ji Temple​​: The National Treasure Kannon-do hall is called Kuginashi-do Hall because it is said to have been constructed without using nails. Judged by its style, it is thought to date from the late Kamakura period and is among the oldest wooden structures in Osaka Prefecture. Its honkawarabuki tiled roof features an unusual tiling method called gyokibuki. The group of Heian-period Buddhist statues, handed down to have been preserved by submerging them in a river or pond during wartime, includes 19 Buddhist statues and one wooden panel painting designated as national Important Cultural Properties.
• ​Gansen-ji Temple​​: A temple of the Jodo Shinshu Honganji school called Kaizuka Gobo. Within the grounds, the Edo period temple compound remains almost entirely intact, and the main hall rebuilt in 1663 (Kanbun 3), the front gate, and the drum tower are designated as national Important Cultural Properties. At the front gate, the dragon carving that catches one's eye when looking up from below is well known.

Recommended Itinerary & Time Required

The estimated time required is about 5 hours. At Kaizuka Station on the Nankai Main Line, transfer to the Mizuma Railway and get off at the terminal, Mizuma-Kannon Station. The sotoba (stupa)-style station building is a national Registered Tangible Cultural Property. Passing through the Mizuma shopping street, it takes about 10 minutes on foot to reach Mizuma-dera Temple.

Walking east from Mizuma-dera Temple for about 800 meters brings you to Koon-ji Temple. Anyone can visit the National Treasure Kannon-do hall. The Important Cultural Property Buddhist statues in the repository are specially opened to the public for only about two weeks around the spring and autumn equinoxes each year, and this special viewing requires full advance reservations. The start of reservations is announced on the temple's notice page, so be sure to check in advance if visiting around the equinox.

It is a 20-minute walk from Koon-ji Temple to Mizuma-Kannon Station. Returning to Kaizuka Station on the Mizuma Railway, Gansen-ji Temple is close to the station. In a corner of the jinaimachi, earthen storehouses and lattice doors still remain here and there along the alleyways. At Kanda-jinja Shrine, the ubusunagami (local guardian deity) of the jinaimachi, there are remnants of the moats that once surrounded the town, and walking there together allows you to sense how the town was formed.

Summary of the Experience

Pay your respects to the evil-warding Kannon, gaze up at the National Treasure Kannon-do hall known as Kuginashi-do Hall, and finally stroll the alleys of the jinaimachi to encounter an Edo-period temple complex. Ride the Mizuma Railway to trace in one day the mountain-side temples that survived the fires of the Negoro campaign and the prosperity of the seaside temple town.