One innovation that created a new mode of contact between bodhisattva Kannon and the believer is the junrei uta (pilgrimage songs, also known as goeika). In the concise and simple format of thirty-one-syllable waka poems, the prayers provided poetically a pure vision of the numinous sites as well as praise for the spiritual power that resided there. By reciting the poem-prayer before the sacred image, the pilgrim not only heard the temple’s name but also became mindful of the sacred history of the temple. In an age of degrading morals, preaching the Buddhist law in early modern Japan becomes the key to turning people back to the sacred meaning of pilgrimage. People needed guidance as to the meaning of pilgrimage and that of pilgrimage songs.

In this presentation I will focus on the Saikoku Junrei Ougishou, written by the Amidist priest Minyo Chikan in 1755. Although the tradition of writing the interpretation of pilgrimage songs, in order to relay the true meaning hidden in the short 31 syllable form of waka (5-7-5-7-7), goes back to 1705, Minyo is the first one to include miracle tales (reigentan) that easily resonated with the ordinary people. By looking into the use of intertextuality in Minyo’s pilgrimage narrative, I aim to clarify how these miracle tales (both old and contemporary) function within the larger picture of the pilgrimage text, and what their role is in the interpretation of pilgrimage songs.