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 tombs. At the rear, framed in bushes and undergrowth, lies a small still pool of almost circular shape and great depth—indeed the aged guardian of the temple avers that it could not be fathomed, even with a rod the length of eighty people standing with outstretched arms!
The path to the left leads through the woods—past beautiful old lichened tombs, and affords a panorama of the neighborhood, including the distant purple mountains and, in clear weather, the snows of Mount Fuji towering into the blue sky. The steep track leading upward ascends to the top of the hill, where, in a glade musical with birds, is a venerable monument dedicated to Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, who is believed to be the primeval ancestress of the imperial family of Japan.
Although the temple of Sugimoto is so ancient as to be approaching dilapidation, some most valuable relics of its early days still remain in its possession. The chief object of worship enshrined upon the altar—a large gilt statue of the Eleven-faced Kannon—is a striking work from the chisel of Unkei, and is moreover of historic interest; it was presented to the temple by Yoritomo in the twelfth century. It is recorded that this statue was repaired in the Tempo era (1830-43), and unfortunately lost much of its original charm during the process. A large and beautiful figure of Jizo stands on the left. The saint's head is framed with a golden aureole and he is equipped with his customary symbols, the shakujo, or staff, and the hoshu no tama, or jewel of good luck. This effigy was carved by the priest Eshin and was also the gift of Yoritomo: in former times it was separately enshrined in the jizo-do (Hall of Jizo) nearby, but was brought to the main temple to replace a statue of Kannon that has been removed to a shrine in Meguro, in Tokyo. The vigorous and striking representation of Bishamon (on the right) is highly esteemed by connoisseurs; it was carved by Takuma, and is considered a fine example of his art. A wheel-like halo studded with flames encircles this fierce divinity, who is trampling underfoot two demons of powerful appearance: here also the workmanship has greatly suffered by later repairs, which were executed in the Bumpo era (1318-22). Originally a Hindu deity, Bishamon was considered the protector of treasure. In Japan he is one of the seven gods of luck (shichi fukujin), and in feudal days was worshipped as the patron of good fortune in war. Bishamon is moreover one of the Four Deva Kings, or "gods of the four directions," and is supposed to guard the north against evil influences. At the back of the temple is arranged a group of deities—the thirty-three keishin, or incarnations of Kannon; these quaint little figures are ascribed to Unkei.
On the extreme right is the statue of Benten that was formerly in the cave below—an interesting figure well worth its rescue. The Fudo that stands nearby is a fine work of art, and is beautifully carved. But the pièces de résistance of this temple are enshrined in the zushi, the sanctum sanctorum immediately behind the main altar and screened from the vulgar gaze by locked doors. Here are deposited three exceedingly valuable statues of the Eleven-faced Kannon; two of these ancient works are enrolled upon the list of National Treasures, and are considered of high merit. The right-hand figure dates back some three hundred years before the Kamakura period: it is said to have been carved by the celebrated priestJikaku, who died in the year 864, at the age of seventy-one. This pious and gifted functionary was on a pilgrimage to these parts, and by chance made the discovery of a mysterious piece of wood that was floating in the sea and emitted a sort of luminous halo, thereby proving its sacred character: with this trophy the Goddess of Mercy was fashioned. Legend asserts that when the temple was destroyed by fire in 1189. As rescue was not forthcoming, the statue proved its miraculous nature by leaving the altar on its own account; it was subsequently discovered safe and intact, placidly reposing beneath a large cryptomeria beyond the danger zone! Hence the name of the temple— sugi (cryptomeria), and moto (base, or beneath). It is further related that another conflagration occurred in the year 1257: on that occasion the residing priest Joki Shonin braved the flames and rescued the statue at the risk of his life, but miraculously escaped uninjured.
The figure in the center is also a National Treasure, and was carved by the priest Eshin in the year 985. Eshin was a famous sculptor of ancient times; he was the son of Tada Manju and an ancestor of the Minamoto family. This statue was executed according to imperial command and was presented to the temple by the emperor Kazan (died 1008). The third Kannon is the most antique of these valuable relics, but the workmanship is not so skilled, owing no doubt to the more primitive state of art in those faraway days; it was the work of Gyoki—the famous priest of the eighth century and founder of this temple.
The Japanese
