The good old hometown with wonders,

the Tai-no-Ura bay

"The wonderful small world where you can enjoy looking at a school of swimming fish, red sea breams ( Tai ) in the Nature"---

  Let's build the heartfelt recollections at the Tai-no-Ura (The Sea Bream Bay)!

Genesis of "Buddhis invocation on the wave" and local practice "Giving Food to Sea Breams"

On the occasion when he returned to here in 1264 for memorial service for his ancestor, Buddhist Saint Nichiren prayed toward the sea, and wrote Buddhist invocation of Namu-Myoho-Rengekyo toward empty. Then, the characters of the invocation appeared on the wave, and many red sea breams gathered simultaneously and ate the invocation. Village people were surprised at the miracle Since then, they have considered that the red sea breams are Saint  Nichiren's avatar and have believed in it. They have continued protection of the red sea breams by providing them with food for last hundreds of years.

Designated as Protected Species

The Tai-no-ura bay was made the marine preserve by the Article 26 of the Fishing Law in 1903. Though Takemasa Nishiori thereafter attempted to purchase land along the bay for doing tourism development with assistance of a then-VIP of the Government Shinpei Goto and others, Village people decisively prevented this development for preserving beautiful nature with the red Bea breams. As such, the Government designated the red sea breams living here as the protected species (or natural treasure ) in 1922, and the village people’s efforts for the protection , which had been succeeded over numbers of generation, were rewarded.

The Tai-no-Ura bay-the Haraiyama Hill Promenade

The Tai-no-Ura bay and Haraiyana Hill are connected by a promnade. The view from the summit of the Haraiyama Hill is wonderful. It has been said that Saint Nichiren was born at land near an inlet between two Scenic islands, Oh-Benten Isl. and Ko-Benten Isl. In 1973 the Emperor Showa and the Empress called at this place from which a whole view of the Kominato Bay can be commanded. In commemoration of their outing, the monument was built along with a bower.

History of the Tai-no-Ura bay and the Tanjoji Temple

The Tai-no-Ura bay was formed of the cave-in of the seabed which lies under Oh-Benten Isl. and Ko-Benten Isl. The red Bea breams living there have been regarded by generation to generation in the village as one of the legends "Three auspicious wonders" with which birth of Saint Nichiren is decorated. The red Sea breams have received faith of local people as Saint Nichiren's avatar. So, the capture of the red Bea breams have been forbidden at the Tai-no-Ura bay ,as a holy place.

 The Japanese Government (the Cultural Affairs Agency ) has severely protected the red sea breams living in the Tai-no-Ura bay Since December 1967 by designating them as special protected species. Although sea breams are originally wide-ranging fish which live in deep sea, the red Bed breams here reside permanently in the small bay with a depth of only 10-20 meters facing the Pacific rough sea. Such a case has not been seen in other places. Scientists have regarded this phenomenon as mystery. And it has recently turned out that the red sea breams spawn, hatch and grow in the water area covering from the Tai-no-Ura bay to the Kominato Bay. It is expected that future investigation will reveal the ecology of this small bay much clearly.

Meanwhile, the Tanjoji Temple was built in 1276 in commemoration of Saint Nichiren's birth by high priests, Nikkei and Nippo who were followers of Nichiren with assistance of a Lord of Kazusa-okitsu Castle, Hyogo-no-suke Sakuma. The temple was initially built on the remains of a mansion of Nichiren's birth which is reportedly in the vicinity of the present Tai-no-Ura bay. Thereafter the temple was destroyed by big earthquake and tsunami which occurred twice during the Edo era. The present main building of the temple was rebuilt over ten years from 1822. The buildings on the grounds of the temple containing Sosido, Seishokodo, Tanjodo, and Hojo assume dignified appearance. In the Edo era the temple was given 10 koku(*)of marine products and 60 koku of land products by a feudal lord Satomi Awa-no-kami , and the social status of 100,000 koku was given to the temple.

 *1 koku=About 180 litters