Japan Heritage - Hinenosho

Attraction of the constituent cultural properties

Historical Remains of Hinenosho (16 sites)

The foundations of the shoen, which have continued to change every day as the people in the local community go about their daily activities, have been passed down to the present day in the medieval buildings and landscapes that remain.

Hinenosho was a shoen (a private estate or manor held by a noble, temple or shrine) in the estate of the Kujo Family located in present-day Izumisano City from the Kamakura Period (1185-1333) through to the Warring States Period (1467-1573). The Kujo Family, one of the five Sekkan-ke (clans of regents and advisors to the Emperor at that time), established Hinenosho in 1234, and there are many clues for understanding the conditions of those days in numerous archives that describe them in detail. The main sources of these clues are the Kujo Family Archives owned by the Imperial Household Agency, which include the Painting of Hineno Village and Ihara Village and the Painting of Hineno Village (1316). Another useful source is the Masamoto-ko Tabihikitsuke (a record of Masamoto’s travels; 1501-1504), which was written by Kujo Masamoto during his stay in Chofukuji Temple in Iriyamada Village. Because of their well-preserved views of components of the landscape illustrated in the paintings, such as temples, shrines and other buildings, ponds and hills, the Historical Remains of Hinenosho are nationally known historical remains of shoen, along with the Remains of Nittanosho in Gunma and the Remains of Honderamura Shoen in Iwate.

Among the components of the historical landscape, 14 sites, including temples, shrines, ponds and waterways, were designated as National Historic Sites by the Japanese government in 1998. In addition, the former site of Chofukuji Temple, at which feudal lord Kujo Masamoto is believed to have stayed, and the former site of Tsuchimaru Ameyama Castle, which includes an area in present-day Kumatori Town, were added to the designation in 2005 and 2013, respectively. The Historical Remains of Hinenosho thus contain 16 National Historic Sites at present.

Sites designated as the Historical Remains of Hinenosho, National Historic Site

<Access to the Historical Remains of Hinenosho>From Izumisano Station on the Nankai Line or Hineno Station on the JR Line, take Nankai Wing Bus Line 21 and get off at Shimo-ogi bus stop. The Historical Remains of Hinenosho are a 5-min walk from the bus stop.

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Hine Jinja Shrine

This shrine was closely related to the development of the Kashii River basin and served as the tutelary of Hinenosho as a whole. It is marked as “Oiseki Daimyojin” in the Painting of Hineno Village. The name “Oiseki” apparently came from the role of the shrine in governing well water flowing through the shrine’s site. The Masamoto-ko Tabihikitsuke records that a grand festival was held on April 2 every year to organize performances of sarugaku (the precursor of kyogen farces in Noh theater), kurabeuma (horse races), sacred services involving ceremonial archery and other festive events. While the shrine was burned down in an attack on Kishu by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, it was rebuilt by Toyotomi Hideyori, and its inner shrine and the inner shrine of Hime Jinja Shrine have been designated as Cultural Properties by Osaka Prefecture. In May every year, a Pillow Festival is organized at Hine Jinja Shrine that features a parade of three nobori (flags) with decorative pillows entering the shrine grounds to pray for an abundant harvest, easy delivery of babies and other wishes. The Pillow Festival has been designated as an Intangible Folklore Cultural Property by Izumisano City.

<Access to Hine Jinja Shrine>From Izumisano Station on the Nankai Line or Hineno Station on the JR Line, take Nankai Wing Bus Nanbu Line 21, 23 or 24, get off at Higashiue bus stop, and walk a little.

Jigen-in Temple

This temple, which belongs to the Omuro School of the Shingen Sect of Buddhism, is believed to have played a major role in the management of Hinenosho by the Kujo Family. There is also a theory that it is the successor to Muhenko-in Temple, which is depicted in the Painting of Hineno Village. The temple received its official name, “Jigen-in” (the Buddhist name of Kujo Masamoto), from the head priest of Ninnaji Temple in 1665. The grounds contain a two-story pagoda and a main hall erected in 1271, which have been designated as a National Treasure and National Important Cultural Property, respectively.

<Access to Jigen-in Temple>From Izumisano Station on the Nankai Line or Hineno Station on the JR Line, take Nankai Wing Bus Nanbu Line 21, 23 or 24, get off at Higashiue bus stop, and walk a little.

Chinju Tenmangu Shrine of Sofukuji Temple

Tenmangu Shrine of Sofukuji Temple

Sofukuji Temple is believed to be the Zenrinji Temple depicted in the Painting of Hineno Village. The temple has a Tenmangu shrine on the south side of the grounds, and its inner shrine built in the Ikkensha Kasuga-zukuri style (built to the width of just a single bay at the gable ends) during the Tensho period (1573-1592) has been designated as a National Important Cultural Property. There are comments in the Kujo Family Archives indicating that a Tenmangu shrine and Tenjinja shrine were found and that oyutate (a ritual in which a priest soaks bamboo grass in boiling water and sprinkles the water on worshippers) was conducted, and it is believed that the Tenmangu shrine is that of this temple.

<Access to Chinju Tenmangu Shrine of Sofukuji Temple>From Izumisano Station on the Nankai Line or Hineno Station on the JR Line, take Nankai Wing Bus Nanbu Line 21, 22, 23 or 24, get off at Kunoki bus stop, and walk a little.

Shindode Ushigami Altar

Shindode Ushigami Altar

The Painting of Hineno Village contains an illustration of an Ushigami-matsu (cattle deity pine). It was a widespread custom in the area currently known as Sennan that worshippers of cattle deities brought cattle playing active roles in farming and other works to an alter once a year. In the Hineno area, cattle deity monuments have been maintained in Shindode, Nishiue and other communities. Shindode Ushigami Altar had a cattle deity union in the early modern period, and gatherings are still held each year in August.

<Access to Shindode Ushigami Altar>From Izumisano Station on the Nankai Line or Hineno Station on the JR Line, take Nankai Wing Bus Nanbu Line 21, 22, 23 or 24, get off at Nishiue bus stop, and walk for 5 minutes.

Former Site of Nonomiya

Former Site of Nonomiya

Nonomiya is the shrine depicted as Niu Daimyojin in the Painting of Hineno Village, and the Masamoto-ko Tabihikitsuke also mentions a Nonomiya festival in Hineno. The grounds extend to an area close to the Yukawa Watercourse, and the shrine is believed to have been intimately tied to the utilization of the local water supply and community development. It was relocated to the grounds of Hine Jinja Shrine with the merger of the deities of the two shrines, and a stone monument commemorating the former site of Nonomiya has been erected near the location of the inner shrine in its former grounds.

<Access to the Former Site of Nonomiya>From Izumisano Station on the Nankai Line or Hineno Station on the JR Line, take Nankai Wing Bus Nanbu Line 21, 22, 23 or 24, get off at Kunoki bus stop, and walk for 10 minutes.

Junidaniike Pond

Junidaniike Pond

This pond corresponds to “Jujitaniike” in the Painting of Hineno Village. It is also depicted in the Painting of Hineno Village and Ihara Village. Water was drawn from Kashiigawa River via the Yukawa Watercourse for the irrigation of paddy fields across a wide area extending from Hineno. According to a surviving archive document, Junidani-Shinike Pond (Shitaike Pond) was constructed in 1441, and the villages of Hineno, Ihara and Danbaramitsuji entered into an agreement for shared use of the pond.

<Access to Junidaniike Pond>From Izumisano Station on the Nankai Line, take Nankai Wing Nanbu Bus Line 21, 22, 23 or 24 and get off at Hineno Eki (station) bus stop. Walk for 20 minutes from the bus stop or JR Hineno Station.

Yaejiike Pond

Yaejiike Pond

This pond is believed to have already existed under the name of Yaeike Pond when the Hinenosho estate was established in 1234. It is also depicted in the Painting of Hineno Village. Today, Yaejiike Pond is connected to Oike Pond, Amazuike Pond, Junidaniike Pond and other ponds, forming a single integrated water system.

<Access to Yaejiike Pond>From Izumisano Station on the Nankai Line or Hineno Station on the JR Line, take Nankai Wing Nanbu Bus Line 21, 22, 23 or 24, get off at Kunoki bus stop, and walk for 20 minutes.

Amazuike Pond

Amazuike Pond

This pond is believed to have been Amazukeike Pond, which already existed when Hinenosho was formed in 1234, and to have served as a driving force for the development of the area of Hineno Village. It seems to have functioned as the parent pond for the group of ponds in the surrounding hillside until Oike Pond was constructed upstream of the water system. The watercourses flowing from Amazuike Pond are still used for irrigation across an area that extends to the Yukawa Watercourse.

<Access to Amazuike Pond>From Izumisano Station on the Nankai Line or Hineno Station on the JR Line, take Nankai Wing Nanbu Bus Line 21, 23 or 24, get off at Higashiue bus stop, and walk for 10 minutes.

Yukawa Watercourse

This channel delivers water from the Kashiigawa River and is believed to have played a major role in the development of the middle terrace surface for Hinenosho. Although it is unclear when the actual excavation work was started, the watercourse appears to have already been in partial use at the time of the establishment of Hinenosho. From its inception point at the Tsuchimaru Sluice Gate, the Yukawa Watercourse passes through the grounds of Hine Jinja Shrine and Jigen-in Temple before reaching its destination of Junidaniike Pond. The watercourse was engineered to let water flow over a total length of approximately 2.75 kilometers with a change in elevation of about 3 meters. It continues to serve as the main watercourse in the Hineno area for irrigation in a wide geographical area.

<Access to Yukawa Watercourse>From Izumisano Station on the Nankai Line or Hineno Station on the JR Line, take Nankai Wing Bus Nanbu Line 21, get off at Higashiue bus stop. The watercourse is a short walk from the bus stop.

Hibashiri Jinja Shrine

During the time when Kujo Masamoto resided in Hinenosho, this was the shrine for the four settlements constituting Iriyamada Village (Funabuchi, Shobu, Oki and Tsuchimaru), and it was also known by the names “Taki Daimyojin Shrine” and “Takimiya Shrine.” Inunakisan Shipporyuji Engi, which was written by Masamoto, mentions the relationship of the shrine with Shipporyuji Temple. The Masamoto-ko Tabihikitsuke also contains many entries set in Takimiya Shrine. Although the name “Iriyamada” is rarely used nowadays, the inscriptions on some kettles and lanterns produced in the Edo Period (1603-1868) read “Iriyamada-no-sho,” and the name has been passed down as an area name representing the integration of the four settlements. The autumn festival of Hibashiri Jinja Shrine involves entry into the shrine grounds (miyairi) of ninai danjiri (floats carried on the shoulders of participants), which has become a rare style of danjiri even in the Senshu area. This ninai danjiri event and the inner shrine of Hibashiri Jinja Shrine have been designated as Intangible Folklore Cultural Properties by Izumisano City. Standing on the left of its inner shrine, the inner shrine of Miyuki Jinja Shrine, a sessha (auxiliary shrine) of Hibashiri Jinja Shrine, has also been designated as a National Important Cultural Property.

<Access to Hibashiri Jinja Shrine>From Izumisano Station on the Nankai Line or Hineno Station on the JR Line, take Nankai Wing Bus Nanbu Line 21 or 23, get off at Nakaogi bus stop, and walk a little.

Enmanji Temple

Enmanji Temple

A journal entry dated 1503 states that residents from Iriyamada Village prayed by reading 10,000 volumes of the Heart Sutra in Enmanji Temple and also made a collective total of 10,000 prayer visits to a shrine. The temple was also used as a place where banto (guards) detained thieves by order of Masamoto. At the time of an intrusion by Shugogata (military of the governor), its fire bell was rung to sound a warning and summon the residents. The temple is now used as a community gathering place for the Shimo-ogi area, and Buddhist lecture meetings are also held there.

<Access to Enmanji Temple>From Izumisano Station on the Nankai Line or Hineno Station on the JR Line, take Nankai Wing Bus Nanbu Line 21, get off at Shimo-ogi bus stop. The temple is a 5-min walk from the bus stop.

Bishamon-do Temple

Although the temple is not mentioned in any archives under the name “Bishamon-do,” the low-lying valley where the temple is nested was known as “Goshodani,” and the Masamoto-ko Tabihikitsuke refers to the temple as “Goshodani Gathering Place.” Its grounds contain numerous stone monuments, including a stone tablet dated 1348. Even today, valley residents hold Buddhist lecture meetings in the temple.

<Access to Bishamon-do Temple>From Izumisano Station on the Nankai Line or Hineno Station on the JR Line, take Nankai Wing Bus Nanbu Line 21, get off at Naka-ogi bus stop. The temple is a 5-min walk from the bus stop.

Rengeji Temple

Rengeji Temple

The name “Rengeji Temple” is found in the Masamoto-ko Tabihikitsuke. Within Iriyamada Village, there are two separate Rengeji Temples, one located in Kami-ogi and one located in Tsuchimaru. The Kami-ogi location of Rengeji Temple appears in the section concerning Funabuchi Village in the Kujo Family Archives dated 1417, which suggests that it existed during Japan’s middle ages. The temple currently serves as a meeting hall for residents of the Kami-ogi area and hosts Buddhist lecture meetings and other activities. The grounds still contain stone objects, including medieval stone Buddhist images and isseki-gorinto (one-stone five-story pagoda-style gravestones).

<Access to Rengeji Temple>From Izumisano Station on the Nankai Line or Hineno Station on the JR Line, take Nankai Wing Bus Nanbu Line 21, get off at Kami-ogi bus stop. The temple is a 15-min walk from the bus stop.

Former Site of Kosekiji Temple

The Masamoto-ko Tabihikitsuke describes the priests of Kosekiji Temple who visited Masamoto at the end of a year and start of a new year. The temple referred to as “Koseki-in” is believed to be the same temple. Priests of the temple lent books to Masamoto and presented him with tea. It is also thought to correspond to “Konyakuji Temple” in a painting created in the Edo Period (1603-1868). However, the temple has been abandoned, and ruins are all that remain now. The area designated as the former site includes isseki-gorinto dated 1463, a graveside pagoda from the Tensho Era (1573-1592) and other stone objects that can be traced to both the medieval and modern era.

<Access to the Former Site of Kosekiji Temple>From Izumisano Station on the Nankai Line or Hineno Station on the JR Line, take Nankai Wing Bus Nanbu Line 21, get off at Kami-ogi bus stop. The site is a 20-min walk from the bus stop.

Former Site of Chofukuji Temple

Chofukuji Temple was used as the residence of Kujo Masamoto during the four years from 1501, when he moved to Hinenosho with about 10 retainers, to 1504, when he returned to Kyoto via Iriyamada Village. The temple also served as the headquarters for the governance of Hinenosho. The Masamoto-ko Tabihikitsuke is the diary he kept about his life during this period. It is known that the site contained halls, a residential building for Masamoto, Tenman Shrine, a well and other objects. With its final mention in an archive in 1611, the name of this temple vanished from historical records, and it cannot be found even in the registers of temples and shrines prepared in the Edo Period (1603-1868). The temple seemingly phased out of existence during this time. It was long believed that a paddy field bearing the name “Chofukukuji” was the location of the temple, and an excavation survey conducted between 2002 and 2003 discovered large volumes of tiles, architectural remains, a garden and pond, a well, a covered rockwork waterway and other objects confirming that it was the former site of Chofukuji Temple. Part of the former site of the temple is currently used as an outdoor exhibit that aims to promote harmony between the maintenance and management of the historic site and the surrounding landscape through the use of the area as agricultural land where people can experience rice farming.

<Access to the Former Site of Chofukuji Temple>From Izumisano Station on the Nankai Line or Hineno Station on the JR Line, take Nankai Wing Bus Nanbu Line 21, get off at Shimo-ogi bus stop. The site is a 5-min walk from the bus stop.

Former Site of Tsuchimaru Ameyama Castle

This medieval castle was erected near the peaks of the two connected mountains of Mt. Ameyama (312 meters) in present-day Kumatori Town and Mt. Tsuchimaruyama (Mt. Jonoyama; 287 meters) in present-day Izumisano City. Remains of common features of castles of the period from the Southern and Northern Courts Period to the Warring States Period (from 1300 to 1600), prior to the era when castle towers were built, have been found at the site, such as a kuruwa (area enclosed by earthworks), mushagakushi (warriors’ hiding place) and horikiri (man-made water channel). Located at a strategically important point on a road connecting Kishu and Izumi, the castle is known to have functioned as a mountain castle over a long period.
The site has been famous since the medieval period for the magnificent landscape that can be seen from the peaks and its kuruwa, such as its views of the southern part of Osaka, including Osaka Bay and Kansai International Airport, as well as its panoramic view of the Ogi area, which was designated by the Japanese government as Osaka Prefecture’s first Important Cultural Landscape.
The Masamoto-ko Tabihikitsuke also describes that people from Iriyamada Village of Hinenosho who tried to flee from wars stayed and hid their household items in the mountains. Mt. Ameyama has also been known among local people since early times for its distinctive prayer services for rainfall in times of drought. Based on these features, the castle was recognized in October 2013 as a medieval mountain castle closely related to life in Hinenosho and accordingly added to the designation of Historical Remains of Hinenosho.

<Access to the Former Site of Tsuchimaru Ameyama Castle>From Izumisano Station on the Nankai Line or Hineno Station on the JR Line, take Nankai Wing Nanbu Bus Line 21 or 23, get off at Otsuchi Shucchosho-mae bus stop, and walk for 40 minutes.

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Japan Heritage - Hinenosho Tourism Facility Development Project for fiscal 2019

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