Manpukuji — Local services in Kobe

Fukuhara 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #25 Mampuku-ji Temple After #23 Fukukai-ji Temple, I walked under the highway to get to the other side, the port-side, to visit #25 Manpuku-ji Temple. Of course, the stone monument claimed the pilgrimage membership. Near the temple, I found a sign talking about the historic gate between the port town and outside. That means those Fukuhara-33-Kannon-Pilgrimage member temples that were in the mountain side of the elevated highway used to be outside the Hyogo Port Town, which was the successor to Owada Port near Fukuhara Capital, which was constructed by Taira Kiyomori. Owada Port was also largely renovated by Kiyomori so that large Chinese ships could lie at anchor. Did their locations have something to do with how deeply the member temples feel attached to the Fukuhara 33 Kannon Pilgrimage? By Manpuku-ji Temple, there stood Ebisu Shrine. Ebisu, or more popularly known as Ebessan in Osaka, is a god for merchants. Do you remember that #23 Fukukai-ji Temple enshrined Daikokuten, a god of wealth, just outside the port-side area. By chance, or by intention, the Shinto god for merchants and the Buddhism god of wealth stood side by side just across the port town gate. That might have matched the historic trading port...