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 typical form of Koshin gatherings. This folk belief became popular 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 perspectives on the original form of Koshin faith. One view suggests that it combines the teachings of Chinese Taoism, which states that the three worms within a person's body ascend to heaven on the night of Koshin to report that person's sins to the heavenly emperor, with Buddhist beliefs. Another perspective posits that it originated from Japan's indigenous Shinto, predating Chinese Taoist thought. In any case, Koshin faith 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 practiced in rural areas, leading to a surge in the construction of pagodas.
Let's take a look at the Koshintō in the city.
Currently, 40 monuments are distributed, with the oldest dating back to the 4th year of the Kanbun era (1664), and it is understood that the main period of construction was until around 1800. Additionally, the locations of these monuments have often been moved due to road widening and other reasons, making it difficult to clarify the characteristics of their regional distribution.
The most common form of Koshintō is the square pillar (tombstone shape), followed by the horse shape and boat shape. The main deity carved in the center of the Koshintō is mostly Aoi Men Kongo, while there are also a few that do not have specific deities like Jizō Bosatsu and only have inscriptions.
The figure below shows the typical shape of a Kōshintō (a type of stone monument). In the center stands the blue-faced deity, Aoinokongō, who is depicted stepping on an evil spirit, while the three monkeys, who are the messengers of Aoinokongō, are said to represent the attitudes of see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil. Additionally, carvings representing the faith in the sun and moon, as well as chickens, are also included.
Next, we will introduce the city-designated cultural property, the Koshintō.
The Koshintō established within the grounds of Ikkoji Temple was built in the first year of the Jōkyō era (1684) at a nearby mountain peak and was later moved to the grounds of Ikkoji Temple. The stone pagoda, shaped like a hexagonal pillar with a cap, is quite rare, and the builder, Fujiwara Yoshinari, is believed to be Kato Tarōzaemon Yoshinari, a hatamoto who ruled this area at the time. It is thought that there are very few examples of pagodas built by such lords.

Distribution by Region

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

Total: 40