Sakurado-Yakushi

an enshrined hall of Yakushi Nyorai at Sakurado-Yakushi : 桜堂薬師の薬師堂

Sakurado-Yakushi in Mizunami City, Gifu Prefecture was the enshrined hall of Yakushi Nyorai (buddha able to cure all ills) of a temple named "Zuio-zan Homyoji" in the old days. ("Sakurado-Yakushi" is pronounced "sa-ku-ra-doh-ya-ku-shi", "Zuio-zan Homyoji" is pronounced "zui-oh-zan-hoh-myoh-ji".)

That temple had a long history, I heard that it became widely known because in 710 the princess of the Emperor at that time prayed for the cure of her disease and her pray came true. Then, that area had many enshrined halls, temples and pilgrim’s lodgings were built, and became the place of many monks' ascetic practice. But, in later time of that, that temple had abandoned due to the war damages or epidemics.

Currently, only the enshrined hall of Yakushi Nyorai that was the central hall of that temple, that temple's gate and an enshrined hall of Kannon that relocated from the foot of Mount Byobu (pronounced "Byoh-bu") are left there, but medieval Japanese precious buddha statues are enshrined in those buildings, and even now they are cherished by local people as one of 33 sacred places in Mizunami.

the front side of an enshrined hall of Yakushi Nyorai : 薬師堂正面

a temple gate at Sakurado-Yakushi : 桜堂薬師山門

Niou Guardian (open-mouthed form) in a temple gate : 山門の仁王像（阿形）

Niou Guardian (close-mouthed form) in a temple gate : 山門の仁王像（吽形）

weeping cherry blossoms at Sakurado-Yakushi : 桜堂薬師の枝垂れ桜

digression

Because it has been cultivated in a long history, Sakurado-Yakushi has some anecdoutes and legends. In them, my most favorite story is the legend that "Hiyoshi and Tsukiyoshi exterminated an evil dragon". Here, I introduce it briefly.

Long long ago, Around Sakurado in Toki Village (current Toki-cho in Mizunami City), there was a large pond (like a swamp) where a terrible evil dragon was living in. The evil dragon attacked surrounding villages and annoyed people there.
One night, two young men named Hiyoshi and Tsukiyoshi living nearby villages had the same misterious dream. In the dream, Nyorai-buddha said them, "exterminate the evil dragon to help people in those villages".
Two young men obeyed the annunciation, made bow and arrows with bamboo and bamboo grass, went to the pond.
When two men came the pond, the evil dragon showed up and attacked them. Two young men shot arrows to the evil dragon's mouth (eyes in another theory) and exterminated it splendidly.
The evil dragon's body fell into the pond and heaped the ground up to be the land. Two young men built a hall on there and enshrined the Nyorai-buddha who told them in their dream.
Since that, every villages of Hiyoshi, Tsukiyoshi and Toki had prospered with each other, said is.

In this legend, features and connections of Hiyoshi, Tsukiyoshi and Sakurado three villages in Mizunami are hidden, so I'm interesting.

For example, Sakurado area where the evil dragon lived in the legend is the area where some small tributaries flow into Toki River the main stream, and is designated as a flood hazard area even now. In that area, there is a place named "Kono (pronounced 'koh-no')". "Kono" means "arrows of God and buddha", because a lot of bamboo grass with the best property to make arrow axis were thicking there, I heard.

In addition, in Hiyoshi and Tsukiyoshi area, there were persons who made arrows for Kyudo (Japanese archery) until recent years. I hear that those persons mowed bamboo grass in the mountains for making arrows, sharpened them, and tried to shoot by themselves to choose better arrows. In the long time ago, they would also use bamboo grass of Kono perhaps.

Because I can image histories of community exchanges like this, I am favorite this legend.

Click here for the introducing page in the site of Mizunami City Tourism Association.

＊＊＊ in Japanese ＊＊＊

桜堂薬師

　岐阜県瑞浪市にある桜堂薬師は、昔は「瑞櫻山 法妙寺」という寺院の薬師堂でした。
　その寺の歴史は古く、710年当時の天皇陛下の皇女様の病気の治癒祈願によって広く知られるようになったそうです。そうして、この一帯はいくつものお堂や寺、宿坊が建ち並び、多くの僧侶が修行する場となりました。しかし、その後の時代に戦禍や流行病などの影響により、寺院としては廃れてしまいました。
　現在は、寺院の中心だった薬師堂と山門、屏風山麓から移築された観音堂を残すのみですが、それぞれには中世日本の貴重な仏像が祀られており、瑞浪三十三霊場の１つとして、今でも地元の人々により大切に守られています。

余談

　桜堂薬師には、その長い歴史に相応しく、逸話や伝説がいくつか残っています。それらの中で私が最も好きなのは、「日吉・月吉による悪竜退治」の伝説です。簡略してご紹介します。

　土岐の里（現在の瑞浪市土岐町）の桜堂のあたりは昔、恐ろしい悪竜の棲む大きな池（沼）でした。悪竜は、周囲の村々を荒して人々を困らせていました。
　近くの里に暮らしていた日吉・月吉という２人の若者は、ある夜、不思議な夢を見ました。「悪竜を退治して、村や里の人達を救いなさい」と、如来様に告げられる夢でした。
　２人は夢のお告げに従い、竹で弓矢を作り、池へ向かいました。
　池につくと、悪竜は姿を現し襲いかかってきました。その口（目という説もある）に矢を射掛け、２人は見事、悪竜を退治しました。
　悪竜が倒れ沈んだ池は地面が盛り上がり、土地になりました。そこに２人はお堂を建て、お告げをくださった如来様を祀りました。
　以来、日吉・月吉・土岐の里はそれぞれ、栄えていったそうです。

　この物語には、瑞浪市の日吉・月吉・桜堂という３つの里の特徴と繋がりが隠れていて、とても興味深いです。
　例えば、悪竜のいた桜堂一帯は、複数の小さな支流が土岐川に流れ込む土地で、現在でも水害警戒地域に指定されています。その地域内に、神篦（こうの）という地名があります。これは「神仏の矢」という意味を持つ名称で、矢軸に最適な性質の篠竹が多く茂っていたことに因むそうです。
　また、日吉・月吉には、近年まで弓道の矢を作る人がおられました。そうした人は山から矢竹を刈り集め、削り、自ら射てはより優れた矢を選りすぐっておいでだったのだとか。かつてはきっと神篦の篠竹も用いられたことでしょう。
　こうした歴史的な地域交流を感じられるので、私はこの物語が好きです。

瑞浪市観光協会による紹介ページはこちらからどうぞ。