Virtual Miura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #10 Sanju-in Temple

     When Imai Kanehira (1152-1184) left for war Minamoto Yoshinaka (1154-1184), he built a makeshift building.  Later, a member of the Suzuki Family became religiously awaken and brought the building here to make it a temple in 1629.  He named the temple Sanju-in as a branch temple of Jukko-ji Temple. It didn’t have a main deity for a while.  In 1709, Priest Ryokai (1663-1719), who was born in Musashi Province, who had studied in Dentsu-ji and Zojo-ji Temples, and who died at Inku-ji Temple in Kyoto, presented the statue of Ekadasamukha, who has 11 faces, to Sanju-in Temple.

     Who was Imai Kanehira?  He was the milk brother of Minamoto Yoshinaka.

     Just before their death, Minamoto Yoshinaka (1154-1184) said to Imai Kanehira (1152-1184), the milk brother of Yoshinaka, 

“By no means will we part now, but meet our fate together." And he reined his horse up beside that of Imai towards the foe, when Kanehira, alighting from his horse, seized his master's bridle and burst into tears: "However great renown a warrior may have gained", he pleaded, "an unworthy death is a lasting shame. My lord is weary and his charger also, and if, as may be, he meet his death at the hands of some low retainer, how disgraceful that it should be said that Kiso Dono, known through all Nippon as the 'Demon Warrior ' had been slain by some nameless fellow, so listen to reason, I pray you, and get away to the .pines over there." So Kiso, thus persuaded, rode off toward the

pine wood of Awazu. Then Imai-no-Shiro, turning back, charged into a party of fifty horsemen, shouting: " I am Imai Shiro Kanehira, foster-brother of Kiso Dono, aged thirty -three. Even

Yoritomo at Kamakura knows my name so take my head and show it to him, anyone who can! “

     That was how Imai Kanehira was depicted in the Tale of Heike.     

Address: 601 Minamishitauramachi, Miura, Kanagawa 238-0101

Phone: 046-888-0612

https://www.sanjuin.com