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Nikko NP, Tochigi
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The “ghost Jizō” story has a real disaster behind it: a 1902 flood swept away Jiunji Temple and badly damaged most statues. Afterward, visitors said the count changed each time; roughly 70 remain today.
A 2-meter Fudō statue once stood on the opposite boulder; the 1902 flood swept it away, but its carved “Kanman” mantra remains. Legend credits Kōbō Daishi; Rinnoji names monk Yamajun as the calligrapher.
The name comes from a sound: high priest Kōkai said the Daiya River’s rush resembled the final “Kanman” syllables of Fudō Myōō’s mantra. That is why the traditional reading is Kanman, not Ganman.
These Jizō were memorial offerings, not just trail ornaments: tradition says each of Tenkai’s 100 disciples donated one, praying for the dead to rest peacefully and attain enlightenment.
Local accounts say the 1902 flood carried some Jizō as far as Imaichi. Residents later helped bring scattered statues back to the riverside, while Jiunji’s present main hall was rebuilt in 1973.
Matsuo Bashō stopped here in 1689 on his Oku no Hosomichi journey. His companion Sora wrote “Ganman-ga-fuchi,” a historical spelling still reflected in Tochigi’s official scenic-site name, 含満ガ淵.
The gorge is a slice of Mount Nantai’s volcanic history: lava from the mountain formed the rocks, then the Daiya River cut through them to make this narrow ravine.
