1. Egara Tenjin.
After the death of Michizane a series of misfortunes befell those who had compassed his downfall. The Imperial Palace was struck by lightning, and the chief agents in the conspiracy, one after another, all mysteriously died: these occurrences were interpreted in the popular mind as the spirit of Michizane wreaking vengeance upon his foes.
Forty-five years after the death of the exiled statesman, he was deified under the name of Tenjin, and the first shrine was raised to his memory in Kyoto: this resulted in the erection of memorial temples throughout the land. Since that time Tenjin has taken his place amongst the national divinities, and has been universally worshipped as the patron of learning and scholarship.
The present building is considerably affected by the flight of time, but in recent years certain repairs were carried out, including a new roof, on the occasion of a festival to commemorate the one-thousand-year anniversary of the death of Michizane: a large stone monument recording this fact stands on the left of the ascent. The shrine is embowered in a dense grove of lofty cedars and other ancient trees—on the right a superb old ichō (ginkgo tree) towers up into the sky, a veritable giant: through the solemn green twilight, upon the mossy sward
The slanted sunlight weaves
Rich-flickering through the dusk of plenteous leaves
Its ever-tremulous arabesques of gold.
The ume trees of former days have all passed away. The memory of the departed scholar is invariably entwined with these poetic and fragrant blossoms, of which he was an ardent worshipper; for this reason the shrines to his memory are always planted with his favorite flowers, which have come to be universally recognized as the emblem of Tenjin. On the elaborate roof of the shrine, embellished with fish, lions, etc., one finds countless plum blossoms designed on the gray tiles, in addition to a long black panel with three of these flowers painted in white—the family crest of the deified statesman: this device also ornaments the entrance gate to the enclosure. Severe simplicity marks the interior of this little structure. Painted in dull red, with the two black doors marking the inner sanctuary hermetically closed; the sole decoration is a faded gold panel upon which the characters Tenman-gu, or Shrine of Tenjin, are inscribed in black.
In former times a long list of treasures were accredited to this shrine, but their numbers have been lamentably decimated by the various conflagrations that have proved fatal to so many priceless possessions of the Kamakura temples. However a few notable exceptions still remain. within the sanctuary is preserved an ancient statue of Michizane garbed in his official uniform: this effigy moreover is possessed of remarkable features, for it is said to contain all the organs of the body shaped according to the physiological ideas of that period—inside the mouth a little bell is suspended in place of a tongue, and within the head is carved an eleven-faced Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy. The knees and lower portions of the statue have become scorched and blackened by its presence in various fires.
An interesting incident recorded in connection with this temple is that in February of 1213, a samurai of literary tendencies named Shibukawa, being convicted of an offense, was condemned to be executed. In his anguish the doomed man composed ten poems and presented them to the shrine of Egara Tenjin. These being brought to the notice of the shogun Sanetomo, who was himself a poet of great renown, he was so touched by the beauty and pathos of the poems that a free pardon was accorded to the delinquent.
The residue of the Egara Tenjin treasures are kept at the neighboring Kamakura Shrine, as there are no means of preserving them where they rightfully belong. These consist of several paintings of the tutelar deity, and various other antique objects. Amongst them is an ancient record which accounts for the existence of the shrine in the following legend:
In the first year of Choji (August 25, 1104), Kamakura was visited by a mighty tempest. Great winds shrieked; the earth was shaken by the thunder's crashing artillery, while incessant flashes, like hissing serpents, seemed to rend the heavens in twain. When the war of the elements was at its height, the black clouds opened, and a scroll, upon which was painted a portrait of Michizane, descended upon the spot where the present temple stands. This demonstration was regarded by the populace as signifying Michizane's desire for a shrine to be constructed in his honor upon this site. Consequently an appeal was made to the emperor Horikawa (reigned 1087-1107), and he consented to erect the temple, with the mysterious picture enshrined as the chief object of worship. Although obviously of great age, this ancient painting is well preserved, and is popularly supposed to be the work of the divinity himself: he is represented as standing upon white clouds arrayed in the court official costume—wide black robes lined with scarlet, a large and elaborate sword, and holding a shaku, or baton of office. It is recorded that during the course of the civil war then being waged, an attacking general (Imagawa Noritada) created great havoc in several temples in Kamakura, amongst which Egara Tenjin was included: the picture was carried away by him to Suruga (September 1455), but thirty-two years later it was restored to the shrine. Records also state that Yoritomo, when constructing his residence in Kamakura (in the district known as Okura) made this temple of Egara Tenjin his tutelary shrine to guard against the entrance of demons—and consequently ill luck—to the new building. Yoritomo also caused the curious statue, that is still preserved within the little temple, to be sent from Tsukushi, Kyushu, and installed for the veneration of the faithful. According to the Azuma Kagami, in September of 1202, a memorial service to Michizane was performed here in honor of the 300th anniversary of his death, by order of the shogun Yoriie, eldest son of Yoritomo. Amongst the various personages of exalted rank that did homage at this temple, it is stated that in 1590 Hideyoshi visited Egara Tenjin and caused it to be redecorated and beautified. During the Tokugawa period it was customary to renovate the shrine with the material left over when the temple of the Hachiman was repaired.
Sugimoto-dera
ASHORT DISTANCE farther along the Kanazawa road leads to another temple of exceeding antiquity and unusually romantic approach. Founded in the year 734 by the priest Gyoki, this dedication is one of the most ancient of the pre-Yoritomo period in Kamakura, and was in existence for centuries whilst Kamakura was still but the most insignificant fishing hamlet.
Steep mossy steps—thickly bordered with azalea bushes, and here and there old gray stone lanterns—lead up to a picturesque lychgate, on either side of which stand the moldering but still fierce and threatening figures of the Nio, or the Two Deva Kings, whose mission is to put to flight all enemies from the sacred spot. Somewhat above this gate a torii marks the entrance to a sequestered little grassy plateau gay with flowers, wherein are divers ancient monuments and moss-encrusted tombs. The fern-grown wall of rock is cleft by the cave of Benten, whose floor is formed by a pool of water: according to tradition this cave was once the abode of a mighty serpent At the back a niche is hewn in the rock which formerly enshrined a statue of the goddess, but owing to deterioration due to atmospheric influences the effigy has been removed to the temple above. Benten, the sea goddess, is always represented as a beautiful woman, and is supposed to have the power of assuming the form of a serpent: she is the patroness of music, the fine arts, and good fortune in general; her shrines are almost invariably in the neighborhood of water—the sea, a river, or a pond, in which a snake consecrated to her is supposed to dwell. Another flight of steps leads up to a plateau in the hillside, where in the dense shade of its solemn grove stands an old thatched building—generally solitary and deserted, but with its doors hospitably open to any stray worshipper that may be tempted by the beauty of the place to scale the steep and somewhat formidable approach. However, for those to whom precipitous steps form no attraction, a more appealing method of ascent will be discovered in a winding path lying to the left, and which gently conducts the pilgrim to the high terrace upon which the temple stands. A beautiful and peaceful spot, lying in the deep green shadows of tall forest trees: the screen of rock enclosing the level is pierced with tiers of caves containing venerable