I took a drive through Itakura Ward on Tuesday to try to dig up some local history. My first stop wa
I took a drive through Itakura Ward on Tuesday to try to dig up some local history. My first stop was the Eshin Memorial Hall, dedicated to the wife of the pilgrim Shinran, who himself was the founder of thebJodo Shinshu sect of Buddhism. I found the Memorial Hall closed on Tuesdays (beware!) but was delighted to find the Eshin Kaikan (worship hall) right next door. It looked a lot like a temple on the inside, and the caretaker told me it was build after the Memorial Hall to give visitors a place to rest and worship. Around the corner from the worship hall was a temple to Eshinni. She spent her later years here, and descriptions in her letters matched the magnolia tree and stone pagoda that was excavated here recently. The new bullet train tracks nearby were an interesting backdrop to this beautiful place to pay respects to a religious leader of some 800 years ago. (at ゑしんの里記念館) https://www.instagram.com/p/BquhzgwDLEW/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1osnacbxre6hh -- source link