Virtual Tama River 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #25 Hosen-ji Temple

     Inage Shigenari (?-1205) loved his wife so deeply that he built Gokuraku-ji Temple for her and became a Buddhist priest himself after her death in 1195.

     Shigenari's aunt, Nun Sabukawa (1137-1228), was the wet nurse of Minamoto Yoritomo (1147-1199), the founder and first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate.  Shigenari's wife was a younger sister of Hojo Masako (1157-1225), Yoritomo's wife.  The strong relation with the shogunate family caught up Shigenari and his family in a fatal tragedy.

     Hojo Tokimasa (1138-1215), Yoritomo's father-in-law, was appropriating the shogunate.  To make himself more powerful, one day, Tokimasa framed Hatakeyama Shigetada (1164-1205), who was very influential within the shogunate.

     On June 19, 1205, Shigetada left his hometown in Obusuma County, Musashi Province, with 130-strong cavalry to answer the emergency call from Kamakura.  When he arrived at Futamata River, what he faced was an army of tens of thousands of strong.  He realized he was trapped.  Instead of retreating, he made up of his mind to die with a good grace.  It was his old friend, Adachi Kagemori (?-1248), who charged at him first.

     Inage Shigenari was suspected to be Tokimasa's conspirator and was killed by Okawado Yukimoto (?-?) on June 23, and his family was destroyed.  After Shigenari’s death, the temple declined.

     Nitta Yoshisada (1301-1338) raised his army in Ikushina Shrine in Kozuke Province on May 8, 1333.  He defeated the garrisons of the Kamakura Shogunate along Iruma River on May 11, and along Kume River on 12.  On 15, he carried out a forced crossing of Tama River, which ended in failure.  He made another forced crossing next morning and defeated the shogunate’s army.  He finally seized and captured Kamakura on 22.  Gokuraku-ji Temple burned down in one of the fightings.

     About 2 centuries later, Sabota Masafusa, who was working and fighting for Hojo Ujiyasu (1515-1571), rebuilt the temple in July, 1533, and renamed it Hosen-ji Temple.  He himself carved 2 Bodhisattva statues and the statues of Twelve Heavenly Generals; Kiṃbhira, Vajra, Mekhila, Antila, Anila, Santhila, Indala, Payila, Mahala, Cidala (Kimnara), Caundhula, and Vikala for himself.  Masafusa asked Priest Sonshin to keep the temple.

     In 1590, when Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) seized Odawara Castle, his allies, Maeda Toshiie (1538-1599) and Uesugi Kagekatsu (1555-1623), advanced from the Hokuriku Region and, on their way to Odawara Castle, burned the temple to ashes.

     It was Nakane Masayuki who revived the temple, presenting some farmland to the temple in October, 1679.  Who was Nakane Masayuki?

     Nakane Masamori (1588-1666) was the manager of ninja who were employed and organized by the Tokugawa Shogunate.  He had 2 sons, Masatomo and Masaaki.  Masatomo’s son was Masafuyu (?-1710).  Presumably, Masahuyu donated to pray for the comfort of Masamori in the other world after 13 years of his death.  Just in addition, Masafuyu’s son was Masamori (?-1718), and Masamori’s son was Masami (?-1766).

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