Koshintō

On the day of Koshin, which comes every 60 days, the members of the group gather at the designated house, and after a certain ritual, they spend the night together eating and drinking, dispersing at dawn. This is the general form of the Koshin ceremony. It is a popular folk belief that emerged in rural areas after the Edo period, and to commemorate the continuation of the group, Koshin stones are erected by the members for memorial purposes.
There are several interpretations regarding the original form of Koshin belief. One view suggests that it combines the teachings of Chinese Taoism, which states that the three pests within a person's body shorten their lives to ascend to heaven on the night of Koshin to report the person's sins to the heavenly emperor, with Buddhist beliefs. Another view posits that it originated from Japan's indigenous Shinto beliefs prior to Chinese Taoist thought. In any case, Koshin belief began to be practiced in the noble society during the Heian period and seems to have spread to the samurai society during the Kamakura and Muromachi periods. By the Edo period, it was widely believed in rural areas, leading to a surge in the erection of stones.
Let's take a look at the Koshin stones in the city.
Currently, there are 40 stones distributed, with the oldest dating back to the 4th year of Kanbun (1664), and it is understood that the peak of stone erection was around 1800. Additionally, many of the locations have been moved due to road widening and other reasons, making it difficult to clarify the regional distribution characteristics.
The most common form of Koshin stones is the square pillar (tombstone shape), followed by horse-shaped and boat-shaped stones. The main deity carved in the center of the Koshin stone is mostly Aoi Men Kongo, while there are also a few that only have inscriptions without specific deities like Jizo Bosatsu.
The diagram below shows the typical shape of a Koshin stone. Aoi Men Kongo, who is depicted stepping on an evil spirit, stands in the center, and the three monkeys, who are the divine messengers of Aoi Men Kongo, are said to represent the attitudes of seeing no evil, hearing no evil, and speaking no evil. Symbols representing the faith in the sun and moon, such as the sun and moon, as well as chickens, are also carved.
Next, I will introduce the Koshin stone designated as a cultural property by the city.
The Koshin stone established in the grounds of Ikkoji was erected in the first year of Jōkyō (1684) near the summit of a nearby mountain and was later moved to the grounds of Ikkoji. The stone pagoda, which is a hexagonal pillar topped with a cap, is very rare, and the builder, Fujiwara Yoshinari, is believed to be Kato Tarozaemon Yoshinari, a flag bearer who ruled this area at the time. Such constructions by feudal lords are considered to be quite rare.

Distribution by Region

District	Quantity
Yanokuchi	9
Oshitate	1
Higashi-Naganuma	7
Omaru	6
Momura	6
Sakahama	6
Hirao	5

Total: 40