Tamine Kannon Temple and Tamine Castle Ruins

According to the temple's tradition, the Damine Kannon (Kōshōji Temple) was founded when a statue of the Matsume Kanzeon Bosatsu was enshrined here on the 17th day of the third month of Kōun 2 (705 CE), brought from Hōi District. In Bunmei 2 (1470), Suganumadasanobu, progenitor of the Damine Suganumaslines, built Damine Castle and simultaneously established the temple compound of Kōshōji as the castle's protective shrine — enshrining in addition a Jūichimen Kanzeon Bosatsu brought from Kyoto (Wikipedia 'Damine Kannon'). In Eiroku 2 (1559), the castle lord Suganuma Sadatada transferred a dengaku performance troupe from a Yakushidō in Minami-Shitara District, beginning the Damine dengaku tradition. In Shōhō 1 (1644), a village crisis arose when timber from a shogunate-protected forest on Mt Dando was accidentally felled. Villagers pledged to the Kannon that they would perform kabuki 'even if the village were reduced to three households'; miraculously, snow fell in midsummer and concealed the felling sites from the official inspector. From 1665 onward, votive kabuki has been performed without a single interruption (Kyoto University of the Arts graduation research). Damine Castle itself became a site of Warring States drama when the castle's defenders refused entry to Takeda Katsuyori following the decisive Battle of Nagashino (1575) (Aichi History Tourism, Damine Castle).

The 'Three Mikawa Dengaku' (Damine Dengaku, Hōraiji Dengaku, and Kurosawa Dengaku) are all nationally designated Intangible Folk Cultural Properties. Damine Dengaku is performed in three sessions — morning, night, and dawn — by a hereditary dengaku troupe and a rotating village organising committee (Kyoto University of the Arts graduation research). The votive kabuki is amateur kabuki; its unbroken continuity through the Pacific War is a source of particular community pride. This continuity is not merely a matter of cultural preservation but carries the character of a religious contract — a vow made to the Kannon. With dengaku running for 460+ years since 1559 and kabuki for 370+ years since 1665, Damine Kannon is the central site of folk performing arts in Oku-Mikawa.

The Shitara Town Tourism Association (TEL: 0536-62-1000) and Kōshōji Temple (TEL: 0536-64-5028) jointly publicise the festival. The temple's bronze bell (Bunmei 13, 1481) — the oldest in Kita-Shitara District — survived the wartime metal-requisition drive by virtue of its recognised historical value and remains designated as an Aichi Prefectural Tangible Cultural Property (Wikipedia 'Damine Kannon'). The ruins of Damine Castle, including a reconstructed main hall, main gate, and rear gate, are open to the public by Aichi Prefecture (Aichi History Tourism).

The annual festival (around the second Sunday of February) is the ideal time to witness both the dengaku and kabuki on the same day. Early April, when the 600-year-old Torii cedar in the precincts is at its finest, is also a worthwhile visit.

The composition of the 600-year-old Torii cedar and the main hall is a defining image of the site. The outdoor kabuki stage allows natural-light photography during performances. From the castle ruins' main enclosure, panoramic views of Shitara Town's mountains are available.

The exact date of the annual festival in February should be confirmed each year with the Shitara Town Tourism Association (TEL: 0536-62-1000) or Kōshōji Temple (TEL: 0536-64-5028). The castle ruins feature many stone steps and caution is warranted in snowy or icy conditions. Public transport: Toyotetsu Bus Taguchi Line to 'Damine' stop, then approximately 20 minutes on foot.