Map It! Okinawa: Goddess of Mercy

Thursday, January 10, 2013

"The Kushi Kannon-do Temple"

The Kushi Kannon-do Temple, Nago City

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GPS

Latitude	Longitude
N 26 30.909	E 128 00.716

The Kushi Kannon-do Temple

In a small town in Nago City on the eastern side of Okinawa lies a very small Buddhist temple called the Kushi Kannon-do. Inside the temple is a statue of a Bodhisattva carved out of stone. It is a statue of Kannon-sama, often known as the 'Goddess of Mercy'. In Chinese, she is referred to as Guanyin. Though perhaps mostly viewed as female, the Bodhisattva is sometimes depicted as taking a male form. Villagers from the Kushi area would sometimes call this statue, 'tira nu tame', which translates to as 'the old man who lives in the temple' in local Okinawan dialect(1).

It is believed that around 1688 was when this temple was first constructed and then later renovated in 1973. The temple is mostly made of 'Chagi' wood (Okinawan Hogen name) or 'Inumaki' in Japanese (Podocarpus macrophyllus). It is local custom that nearby villagers come here 4 times every month to pray and worship. January 18th, September 18th, and December 24th of the Lunar Calender are major religious days of observation where villagers come here to pray for the town's prosperity. They also come here to pray for personal needs such as for a safe voyage or for a healthy birth of a child. If someone died from the village they would also come here to pray that their soul enters heaven without any regret or remorse.

Mysterious Origins. There is some confusion about the temple's origin. The explanation sign near the temple only goes as far as to say that a lord from the Tomigusuku region had given this stone statue to a man in Kushi, but never gave any explanation on why. However, in a old book written in 1969 by James C. Robinson, called 'Okinawa: A People and Their Gods', an aji (meaning lord) from the Kushi region was visiting China when he had become seriously ill. The aji prayed to this particular statue of Buddha and subsequently became well. He had brought back the statue to Kushi and erected this small temple in its honor. If indeed, the latter story is true, then it goes to show the extensive communication channels that had existed previously with China from even the most remote areas of Okinawa.

Other areas near the temple. Close to the temple you will find a Kushi War Memorial that overlooks the ocean and a memorial giving tribute to citizens of Kushi (history not certain at this time).

Recommendations. Villagers still come here to pray. If you do happen to arrive during a prayer session, just keep a respectable distance till the prayer session is done. There are some interesting things to see in this small corner of town to keep you plenty occupied while you wait.

Source of Information. Explanation sign on site (in Japanese), Book: Okinawa: A People and Their Gods, James C. Robinson, 1969, pg 59.

Notes.
1. The word 'tira' (ティラ) means 'temple' in the Okinawan language. It is important to note that the sound 'ti' does not exist in standard Japanese pronunciation. This is only used in the old Okinawan dialect.

Directions/Parking. Take Highway 329 (in Nago) and turn on Highway 13 (see blue route on the map). The turn-off for Highway 13 will have this billboard directing you to the Kannon-do Temple. The temple will be very close to these Landmarks near the road: the Kushi War Memorial and the Torii Gate (memorial shrine) opposite of the Kushi War Memorial. There is a parking area near the temple.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

"Kannon-sama, The Goddess of Mercy – Nago City"

Kannon-sama, Goddess of Mercy sitting in front of Cherry Blossom Trees - Nago City

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Kannon-sama, Goddess of Mercy

GPS

Latitude	Longitude
N 26 34.983	E 127 59.333

Kannon-sama, The Goddess of Mercy – Nago City

The statue you see above is a Bodhisattva referred to in Japanese as Kannon or Kannon-sama, also known as the 'Goddess of Mercy'. She is referred to by many different names in different languages and has taken both male and female forms depending on the folklore and legend. There are many such statues of this Bodhisattva that exist of much, much greater size and magnitude in other East Asian countries, to include Mainland Japan. This one, in Nago City, is a modest size of about 15-16 feet in height. Nevertheless, the scenery itself is a trifecta of sorts. First, the Bodhisattva is surrounded by Nago's greenery of trees and mountains. And then there is the Cherry Blossoms behind the statue strategically laid out on a hill top making this an ideal spot for your photographic moment during blooming season. And finally, the statue overlooks a very calm and beautiful view of the Nago Bay.

The Poem. Next to the statue lies a stone inscription of a poem in Japanese, written by a person with the family name Yokoyama. (The Kanji of the first name could not be accurately determined). Translated, it reads:

“Those who won and those who lost are now gone, and the Okinawa ocean is now calm.”

Behind the stone inscription it says: “Those who chant the poem will be touched by the truth. By understanding the poem it will awaken the good in your heart. And by understanding the poem you will be inspired by its beauty.”

The interpretation of the poem, of course, is left open for discussion. But being that this is the 'Goddess of Mercy', the message is certain to be one of peace.

Getting there. The location is south of the Orion Beer Factory on a hilltop. There are several ways to get there. You can either take Highway 58 and approach it from the west or approach it from the east on Highway 18. Please see map above for recommended entry (blue route). Depending on which highway you use, the turn-off will either be the very last turn-off to the right before you go up the Nago Green Bridge or the very first turn-off to the left as you are coming down the Nago Green Bridge.

Parking. If this is your first time attending this location, I recommend parking at the base of the hill and walking up, especially during Cherry Blossom season. At some point the road is only wide enough for one vehicle and 3-point turns are difficult. It is not too difficult of a walk from the bottom. Possible parking spots have been plotted above. The Pink Thumbtack icon marks another entrance way to the statue location from Highway 18, but it is easy to miss. It can also be used to exit onto Highway 18 as you leave the statue area.

Caution. If you notice on the map there is another route branching off that goes further south roughly paralleling Highway 18. Be advise that tremendous road damage existed on this route when last visited in early December 2011. Warning signs have been place. Do not go past these signs. The roads were severely damaged due to an eroding hillside.