happened to pass the area and was assaulted by a group of armed robbers, who stripped him of his clothes and threatened to kill him. In despair the merchant prayed frantically to Kannon. Suddenly strong beams of light flashed from his amulet case and struck the eyes of the robbers. Dazzled by the light they all fled, except for their leader. Awe-struck and penitent, he vowed to become a follower of Kannon. Several years later, the merchant came back and found the former bandit living in a shack and dedicated to his religious discipline. Very impressed, the merchant had a temple built for him, which marks the founding of Nosaka-ji. The original location was at a place higher and deeper in the woods. As in the legend associated with Temple 9, a dazzling light is often emblematic of the power of Kannon.
From here, you will return via Seibu Chichibu Station to visit a group of temples that are spread throughout central Chichibu City. Leaving Nosaka-ji, walk straight to the T intersection and turn right. Walk under the railroad overpass and take the first left, which leads to Route 140, where you should turn right. Past several buildings on the right is Koike こいけ, the best soba noodle restaurant in Chichibu, housed in a simple yet tastefully decorated building. A wintertime specialty is yuzu (a kind of citron-flavored soba)—savory and perfectly al dente. (Open 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; closed on Wednesdays and second and third Tuesdays). For those who prefer a more familiar Western-style food, the adjacent Mon Chalét モンシヤレ一 is recommended for reasonably priced spaghetti and Hamburg steak. (Open 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; closed on the third Thursday). Beyond the pedestrian bridge, just before the GOHO supermarket on the right, you will find a traditional two-story building with a florist and a patchwork-crafts shop on the street. A staircase by the shop leads to a second-floor coffee shop, Mokutei 木亭. Local artists frequently visit this shop, attracted by the warm personality of the proprietor, Tsukagoshi-san, and his wife.
A man with a good sense of humor, Tsukagoshi-san is raising an absorbing question about the world-famous operetta, The Mikado. Pointing to its subtitle, “The Town of Titipu,” he wonders if “Titipu” is “Chichibu”—if by any chance Sir William Schwenck Gilbert, the librettist of the opera, was inspired by the name of Chichibu to set the location in that odd fairyland. Why not? The link between the two words makes sense phonetically. The opera premiered in London in 1885 when Japan was a hot topic in Britain after the American Navy ended the long isolation of the mysterious country. Londoners flocked to “Japan” in their city—the Japanese Exhibition which opened in Knightsbridge, featuring a full-scale native village complete with inhabitants in kimono. For authenticity, the D’Oyly Carte opera company asked the Japanese “villagers” to coach the cast on how to walk, dress and manipulate fans. The costumes were made from Japanese silk purchased at Liberty’s. British diplomats were precious sources of first-hand information. Gilbert and Sullivan were close to Sir Algernon B. F. Mitford, who wrote many books based on his posting in Japan from 1866 to 1870. Another diplomat, Sir Earnest Mason Satow, too, was a prolific writer. His well-read guidebook on Japan had been just revised in 1884 and made mention of Chichibu. Actually, this intriguing question on the possible link between Titipu and Chichibu had been brought up years ago by Rokusuke Ei, a popular Tokyo-based TV personality and essayist, but has tailed to attract attention in Chichibu. Mr. Ei believes, though no documented proof has yet been found, that the librettist must have been inspired by the farmers’ rebellion in Chichibu in 1884. The opera itself has not gained popularity in Japan due, mainly, to the cross-cultural difficulty of understanding satire. With moral support from Mr. Ei, Tsukagoshi-san and his friends are trying to hatch their dream—to produce The Mikado in Chichibu.
At the traffic light by GOHO, cross Route 140 and turn right down the diagonal road by the bicycle shop. You will come to the bus terminal in front of Seibu Chichibu Station. On your left is the Tourist Information Center.
The shopping mall in the station building is fun to browse through. All sorts of local cakes, vegetables, saké and wine are sold, as well as having restaurants and a yakitori stand. A stall around the middle of the arcade sells country-style dumplings called oyaki. The dumplings have several kinds of vegetable fillings; my favorite are nasu (eggplant) and yasai (chopped, pickled vegetables). At the far end of the passageway are some craft shops. Chichibu Tezukuri Kōbō 知知夫手づくりエ居 on the right sells fine handicrafts, all made by the people of Chichibu, using local materials. Some of the crafts are almost dying due to the scarcity of materials and the aging of craftsmen. Opposite from this is a fabric shop, where an automatic loom is set up to demonstrate the weaving of meisen silk textiles described earlier (p. 45). Restrooms are on the same side of the corridor, around the middle and near the fabric shop. From the end of the shopping mall a lane leads left to Ohanabatake Station, a local stop on the Chichibu Railroad. At the end of the lane, cross the road and turn left. Ohanabatake Station is seen on the right. Temple 13 is straight ahead of the railroad crossing.
If you go left just as you reach Ohanabatake Station and turn right at the T crossing, you are on the Bamba-dōri 番場通, the front approach to Chichibujinja. If you need to buy some food for lunch or sustenance along the way, a small inconspicuous shop ahead on the right of this road, called Matsumura 松村甘味食堂, sells delicious simple sushi and sweets, sold by the piece. On the left is a large supermarket, Belc. Beyond it the Japanese sweet shop, Tamaki-ya 玉木屋 sells chestnut-filled cakes and other elegantly packaged goodies.
To continue to Temple 13, however, cross the railroad tracks and go straight to arrive at a solid wooden gate on your right. Entering the temple, JIGAN-JI 慈眼寺, you will see the Kannon hall straight ahead of you. The two-story building to your left is the living quarters of the abbot’s family, where temple inscriptions may be obtained. A kindergarten is attached to the temple, and the spacious compound is often crowded with playing children. The walls and pillars of the Kannon hall are elaborately carved. Though the colors have faded over the years, the diverse designs and carving skill reflect the pride of wealthy silk merchants, many of whom lived in this city center area and who renovated this hall at the turn of the century.
Of the three side buildings on the right, the middle one is dedicated to Yakushi, the Buddhist god of medicine, who is often associated with the power to treat eye ailments. Wooden votive tablets hung in its front have a double hiragana character for “me め,” a homonym for the Japanese word “eye”, with one reversed so as to resemble human eyes. The temple is popularly called Ame Yakushi, or Candy Yakushi. At the annual fair on July 8, simple white candy mixed with black sesame is sold. It is believed that, if eaten, the candy will protect one from various eye troubles for the coming year. A local friend of mine makes and sells this candy. He sets up his stall at almost all major festivals in Chichibu to sell his hand-rolled sweets. When I once asked about the origin of the belief, he grinned and said, “You know, the ame of Ame Yakushi originally may not have meant ‘candy’ but ‘rain.’ It often rains at this time of the year, since it is still the rainy season. Farmers and woodcutters welcome the break in their routine that the rain brings and happily come to the fair to buy candy, which in the past was a bit of a luxury.” In December when the Night Festival begins, the candy man is transformed into a proud festival leader. Dressed in a weathered traditional costume, he struts about, giving orders to young community members. To him and many local people, festivals are not just celebrations, but an important part of their lives.
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