Virtual Kanesawa 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #17 Zenrin-ji Temple

 

     Zenrin-ji Temple was founded by Ashikaga Shigeuji (1434-1497) in 1493 to hold a service for his late father, Mochiuji  (1398-1439).  It once declined, but Itami Nagachika (?-1563) revived it.  The Itami Family later produced Okiku, whose great-grandfather was Chikaoki (?-1574).  Nagachika might have belonged to the same generation with Chikaoki.  Okiku was one of the 34 wives of Toyotomi Hidetsugu (1568-1595).  The wives were all killed with their children by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598), the uncle of Hidetsugu, on August 2, 1595.

     The line of Chikaoki’s cousin, Masakatsu (1522-1596), survived.  Masakatsu’s father, the lord of the Itami Castle in Settsu Province, was killed young in a battle in 1529.  After the father’s death, Masakatsu drifted around under the custody of his maternal grandfather, Mano Tokiaki.  Through Ise and Kozuke Provinces, they drifted to Suruga Province in 1558.  There, he was hired by Imagawa Yoshimoto (1519-1560) to do odd jobs around him.  Somehow or other, he stood out as a leader of sea forces.

     After the Imagawa Clan was destroyed by Takeda Shingen (1521-1573), Masakatsu transfered to Shingen and helped to organize the Tekeda Sea Forces in 1571.  After the Tekeda Clan was destroyed by Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582) in 1582, he transfered to Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616), and was appointed to a magistrate of sea forces at Shimizu Port, Suruga Province.  He who learns an art has a purchase made.

     Under the Tokugawa Shogunate, Masakatsu’s descendants not only survived but also prospered.  They made the lords of the Omura Domain in Kyushu.

    Nagachika's line?  He was working for the Later Hojo Clan when he revived Zenrin-ji Temple.  After Nagachika’s death, Masatomi was still working for the Later Hojo Clan when it was destroyed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598) in 1590.  His son was taken care of by his maternal uncle. They became Buddhist monks; Chugo and Chuson.  Chugo made the head priest of Senso-ji Temple, whose position Chuson succeeded.  After the two, nothing is known about other descendants of Nagachika's line. Not all the Itami Family members knew how to make it in the world.  And not all maternal relatives were helpful.

Address: 6 Chome-40-32 Kamariyahigashi, Kanesawa Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 236-0042

Phone: 045-781-9814