[Walking Tour] Tono City Goshuin Stamp Tour

What is a goshuin?

Simply put, a goshuin is a stamp that a monk or chief priest writes in ink with the name of the temple or shrine and the date of the visit, and then stamps it on someone who visits a shrine or temple. The goshuin is called a goshuin stamp, and the special book in which you receive the goshuin stamp is called a goshuin book. There are various theories about the origin of goshuin stamps, but they are said to have originally been written as a kind of receipt when offering prayers to a temple. For this reason, they were previously only issued at temples. However, in recent times, this meaning has faded, and goshuin stamps can now be obtained at shrines as well.

Touring the town for temple stamps

When collecting goshuin stamps, it's fun to think about what kind of temples and shrines to visit. If you visit the standard pilgrimage route or temples and shrines that are themed around blessings such as financial luck or love luck, you will naturally learn more about the origins of the temples and shrines, which will increase the enjoyment of your visit.

There are many temples and shrines around Tono Station that can be visited on foot. It is held during the same period as the "Tono Machiya Hinamatsuri" (Doll Festival), and you can collect goshuin stamps from temples and shrines in the town. Why not take this opportunity to visit?

The temples and shrines you can visit are as follows:

Zenmyoji Temple

Zenmyoji Temple was preceded by Yoanji Temple, which is said to have been founded by Yoan in 1171 (the first year of the Joan era) at the end of the Heian period as the family temple of the Asonuma family, who were the lords at the time.

In 1627, when the Nanbu clan was transferred from Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture to Tono, Zenmyo, who accompanied him, entered Yoan-ji Temple, which was uninhabited at the time, as the 32nd abbot, and the main hall was built in 1679. The temple name and mountain name were changed to Konkozan Choyuin Zenmyo-ji, and it remains so to this day. Within the temple grounds is the Kindo Bunko Memorial Museum, established by Kindo Masakata, which is open to the public as a calligraphy museum.

Sect: Jodo sect Temple name: Konkosanji Temple name: Zenmyoji Temple Address: 2-5 Daikumachi, Tono City, Iwate Prefecture, 028-0527

Daijiji Temple

In 1411, the monk Ryuden Keizen founded the temple in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, and in 1627, following the transfer of Nanbu Naoyoshi to Tono, it moved to Matsuzaki-cho, Tono City.

In 1755, in addition to flooding, there was a severe crop failure, one of the four major famines in the Nanbu domain, which resulted in over 60,000 deaths from starvation or disease throughout the domain, and the following year, as a result, 2,500 people died of starvation in the Tono domain alone, and poor harvests continued thereafter.In 1783, in order to offer prayers for those who died of starvation in the Tenmei famine, the 19th abbot, Gizan, carved 500 large and small natural stones with statues of arhats.

Sect: Soto Zen Temple Name: Fukujusanji Temple Name: Daijiji Temple Address: 9-20 Daikumachi, Tono City, Iwate Prefecture, 028-0527

Five hundred arhats

028-0531 31 Niisato, Ayaori-cho, Tono City, Iwate Prefecture

It is said that about 200 years ago, during the famine that hit the Tohoku region, a priest holed up in the mountains and carved 500 Buddha statues into rocks to mourn the victims. You can still see Buddha statues painted on the rocks.

Ryugenji Temple

The temple was founded in 1651 (Keian 4) at the site where the 10th head priest of Daijiji Temple, Kan'o Sonshin, retired and made a draught, in recognition of his merit. There is a grave carved with an image of him holding a millstone, which is related to the millstone that grants wishes, as described in the 27th story of the Tono Monogatari.

Sect: Soto Zen Temple name: Ryugenji
Address: 6-29 Shinmachi, Tono City, Iwate Prefecture, 028-0524

Taisen-in Temple

Taisen-in Temple is said to have been founded in 1368 by Nitta Masamochi, a vassal of the Negi Nanbu clan, on Mount Kurami in Yamanashi Prefecture. It was once a temple for training scholarly monks, and was moved to Tono together with Daiji-ji Temple in 1651.

Within the grounds, there is a Kannon statue made from shell fragments collected from the naval bombardment of Kamaishi, in the hope of eternal peace. There is also a 5m-tall Nio statue made of reinforced concrete that was erected in 1980.

Sect: Soto Zen Temple Name: Kifukusan Temple Name: Taisen-in Address: 7-8 Shinmachi, Tono City, Iwate Prefecture, 028-0524

Chionji Temple

Sanenaga, the first head of the Tono Nanbu clan, was a believer in Nichiren Daishonin and donated Mount Minobu to found Kuon-ji Temple. In 1885, Kuon-in Nichinin of Myoen-ji Temple in Sano, Tochigi Prefecture, came to Tono to preach, and in 1888, on the 650th anniversary of Sanenaga's death, the head temple allowed the temple to be officially called "Kita Minobu," and the following year it was renamed Hakii-san Chion-ji Temple.

The temple treasures include a mandala written by Nichiren Daishonin himself and a vase used by the saint.

Sect: Nichiren sect Temple name: Kitaminobuha Kiiyama Temple name: Chionji Address: 1-34 Shinmachi, Tono City, Iwate Prefecture, 028-0524

Nanbu Shrine

In 1876, when Emperor Meiji toured the Tohoku region, he heard about the achievements of the Tono Nanbu family and viewed their books and treasures. After receiving a preservation grant, local volunteers took the initiative and planned to found a shrine in 1881. The following year, Nabekura Shrine was founded to enshrine the 4th to 8th generations of the Tono Nanbu family (five generations of loyalists), and the main shrine building was erected in 1886.

In 1944, the name was changed to "Nanbu Shrine," and in 1959, the first three generations of the Tono Nanbu family were enshrined, making it a shrine that enshrines the first to eight generations (eight generations of loyalists).

Name of shrine: Nanbu Shrine Address: 3-6 Higashidatecho, Tono City, 028-0515

Nanbu Shrine Website

Uka Shrine

It is one of Tono's oldest shrines, and enshrines the deities Uga no Mitama no Mikoto and Unman Kokuzo. However, the year of its founding is unknown, as it was destroyed in a major fire during the Kanbun era (1661-1673).

The shrine was destroyed in a major fire in 1891, but since all those who survived were parishioners of this shrine, it is also said to be the god of fire prevention.

*The goshuin stamp of Uka Shrine can be purchased at the tourist association. For more information, click here

Shrine name: Uka Shrine Address: 1-18 Chuo-dori, Tono City, Iwate Prefecture, 028-0523

Uka Shrine worship hall and historic site milepost stone monument (Tono City official website)

Tonogo Hachiman Shrine

The history of Hachiman Shrine is not clear, but it is said that in 1189, Asonuma Hirotsuna, who had distinguished himself in the military campaign to pursue the Fujiwara clan in Hiraizumi and was given the Tono district by Minamoto no Yoritomo, sent Ufukata Hirofusa as his deputy, built a "tate" in Komaki, Matsuzaki village, and enshrined the clan deity Hachiman to govern the Tono district. Later, Asonuma Chikatsuna built Yokota Castle, and enshrined and worshiped Hachiman Shrine in the northeast direction, which was the castle's unlucky direction.

Shrine name: Tonogo Hachiman Shrine
Address: 23-19 Shiraiwa, Matsuzakicho, Tono City, Iwate Prefecture, 028-0541

Tonogo Hachiman Shrine website

Shrines outside the city

Tono is dotted with many shrines, but many of them do not have resident priests, so the Tono City Tourism Association has decided to distribute goshuin stamps for shrines in Tono that do not have resident priests. We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused to worshippers who come to Tono in search of goshuin stamps. Based on the idea that goshuin stamps are merely proof that you have visited a shrine, you can receive one by presenting a photo that proves that you have visited the shrine.

Click here for information on visiting temple stamps in Tono outside of the city center

Tono City Tourism Association

5-8 Shinkokucho, Tono City, Iwate Prefecture 028-0522