Virtual Tama River 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #31 Kosho-ji Temple

     Kosho-ji Temple was founded by Priest Chinkai (?-1375) in 1368.  Since then, the temple has witnessed the prides and sorrows of local common people.

     Ashikaga MotoUji (1340-1367) became the first Kanto Deputy Shogun in 1349 under the Ashikaga Shogunate in Kyoto.  After he died of measles on April 26, 1367, his son, Ujimitsu (1359-1398), succeeded the Kanto Deputy Shogun on May 29.  On February 25, 1368, Musashi Heiikki Revolt broke out and it lasted till June 17.  Who were Musashi Heiikki?

     In ancient times, there used to be the Musashi Seven Corps.  The most part of Musashi Province was plateaus deeply covered with volcanic-ash soil, which was suitable for stock farming, not for rice growing.  In ancient times, many of the naturalized Silla people then were sent to Musashi Province, and engaged in the stock farming.  That stimulated people there, and many stock farms were set up, including 6 imperial stock farms.  The custodians of those farms later formed small-scale would-be-samurai families.  By marriage, those would-be-samurai families composed 7 corps on the Musashi Plateaus.  Some intellectual members of the corps worked for the ancient provincial and county governments.

     Then there came the medieval days, the days of samurai.  The Musashi Seven Corps basically supported the establishment of the Kamakura Shogunate, the government by samurai, for samurai, and of samurai.  Some corps members climbed up the social ladder through the battles to overthrow the ancient establishment, while others remained half-farmer and half-samurai.  Through marriage ties, or by blood, those common half-farmer and half-samurai families formed a provincial common ring or mafia, Musashi Heiikki, or the Musashi Commonwealth.

     When the Kamakura Shogunate collapsed, they banded together, jumped on the bandwagon, and luckily picked a winner, the Ashikaga Clan.  During the South and North Courts Period, they banded together and picked a winner, the Ashikaga Clan.  After the establishment of the Ashikaga Shogunate, there broke out the Kanno Incident in 1351, basically the infighting within the Ashikaga Clan, they banded together and picked a winner.  Under the first Kanto Deputy Shogun, Ashikaga Motouji (1340-1367), and the first Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate, Hatakeyama Kunikiyo (?-1362), they banded together and distinguished themselves in battles.  When Motouji feuded with Kunikiyo, they banded together and picked a winner.  Uesugi Noriaki (1306-1368) became the Regent, and the Kanto Deputy Shogunate became settled.  Peace at last?  The Establishment were always driven with lust.  Once the tug-of-war among them was settled, they set their eyes on common samurai.  What the Musashi Commonwealth had achieved by distinguishing themselves in battles were deprived.  Musashi Heiikki Revolt broke out in 1368.  This time, their unity was split as the divide and rule was the old trick of the Establishment.  Each common samurai family was induced to think of nothing but to protect their own territories and interests.  To make the matters worse, when the Establishment made internal strife in the Kanto Region, they involved common samurai, and the front line often moved from southwest to northeast or vice versa through Musashi Province.

     Was Kosho-ji Temple founded to pray for the comfort of the victims of the suppression?

     The precincts have an old itabi dated June 1, 1414.  Ashikaga Mochiuji (1398-1439) became the 4th Kanto Deputy Shogun in 1409 at the age of 11.  Uesugi Ujinori (?-1417) became the Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate in 1411 in his 40’s.  As Mochiuji entered the rebellious stage, he preferred Uesugi Norimoto (1392-1418).  Mochiuji replaced Ujinori by Norimoto in 1415.  Ujinori was cornered to commit suicide on Joanuary 10, 1417, but the aftermath led to Eikyo War in 1438, then to Yuki Battle in 1440, and to Kyotoku War (1455-1483).  The Kanto Region plunged into the Warring States Period.  The builder of the itabi might have died, feeling the phantom menace.

Anyway, the temple witnessed the sorrows of local common samurai and peasants.

     In 1669, the then village head presented hanging scrolls drawn by Kukai (774-835) to the temple.  They were tokens that his ancestors had been rich enough to get them.  He might have been a descendant of those struggling local common samurai.

Address: 551 Sakahama, Inagi, Tokyo 206-0822

Phone: 042-331-1303