O-Amida Buddha

Japanese: 往阿弥陀仏 - おうあみだぶつ

…In general, while a port as a trade port was a place where exchanges with other countries were frequent, it also had the disadvantage of being vulnerable to invasions by foreign enemies and the influx of people from other areas. For this reason, it was customary for the capital, where authority was concentrated, to be located away from the port. Considering this, it can be said that Kiyomori's intention in moving the capital to Fukuhara, although it was only for a short period of time, was close to the modern idea of a port. In the early Kamakura period, the monk O-Amidabutsu and others built a port on Wakaejima in Zaimokuza, Kamakura, for trade between Japan and the Song Dynasty, but it lost its function when a breakwater was damaged by high waves. As this example shows, it is generally difficult to build ports and ports on the coast, except in inlets and deep bays, and throughout the ancient and medieval periods, most were developed along rivers or at the mouths of rivers. …

From Wakaejima

...It is the only surviving port from the Kamakura period, and was built with river stones from the Sakawa River. In 1232 (Joei 1), in an attempt to save a shipwrecked boat at the rough and shallow Yuigahama Beach, Oamida Buddha, who had built the port of Kanegasaki in Chikuzen the previous year, made a wish and received permission from the shogunate. With the assistance of regent Hojo Yasutoki and others, it took over 20 days to complete. It seems that Ninsho of Gokurakuji Temple also repaired the port afterwards, and in 1349 (Shohei 4, Jowa 5), Gokurakuji Temple, following Ninsho's example, carried out repairs and was guaranteed the right to collect port taxes. ...

*Some of the terminology explanations that refer to "Oamida Buddha" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

Japanese:

…一般に貿易港としての津は，他国との交流が繁しい一方，外敵の侵入や雑居の影響を受けやすい欠点があり，このため権威の集中する都宮は津から離れて置かれるのが通例であったことを考えると，福原遷都は短期間ではあったが，清盛の意図は近代の港湾の考え方に近いものであったといえる。　鎌倉時代初期には勧進僧往阿弥陀仏（おうあみだぶつ）らにより，鎌倉の材木座に和賀江島が築港されて日宋貿易が行われたが，高波による防波堤破損のためその機能を失ってしまった。この例のように，一般に，沿岸に津，泊を築くことは，入江や深く湾入した水域以外容易でなく，古代，中世を通じて，河川沿い，あるいは河口に発達していったものがほとんどである。…

【和賀江島】より

…現存する鎌倉時代の築港としては唯一のもので，酒匂（さかわ）川の河原石を積んで造られている。1232年(貞永1)波が荒く遠浅の由比ヶ浜で難破する舟を救おうと，筑前鐘ヶ崎の泊を前年に築いた往阿弥陀仏が発願して幕府の許可を得，執権北条泰時らの援助を受けながら二十数日を費やして完成した。その後，極楽寺の忍性も修造を行ったことがあるらしく，1349年(正平4∥貞和5)には，忍性の先例に任せて，極楽寺が修理を施し，津料の徴収権を保証されている。…

※「往阿弥陀仏」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について | 情報

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