Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #11 Ensho-ji Temple

     It is unknown when Ensho-ji Temple was founded, but its precincts have 9 old blue itabi.  One is dated May 16, 1254.  Its epitaph was composed by "a dutiful son", presumably, for his late parent.

     The second oldest is dated November 23, 1256, with its epitaph composed by Tanji Yasuie.  He composed another epitaph for an itabi in Raigo-ji Temple.  The itabi is dated February 23 in the same year.  The third oldest is dated January 13, 1270.  The itabi was built for Tanji Yasuie by his son, Tanji Muneyasu, who also built a stone statue in Mt. Koya.

     The 4th oldest is dated August 2, 1305.  The 5th oldest is dated May 22, 1333.  The 6th oldest is dated September 5, 1368.  The 7th oldest is dated August 16, 1489.

     The 8th oldest is dated August 15, 1354.  Its epitaph was composed by Kaji Morisue.

     The other is just unreadable.

     The Tanji and Kaji Families belonged to the Tan Corps, one of 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 samurai families.  By marriage, those samurai families composed 7 corps on the plateaus in the province: the Musashi Seven Corps.    The Tan Corps was one of the 7.

       In the Northern and Southern Courts Period (1336-1392), the Tan Corps fought for the Southern Court, the loser.  When Uesugi Ujinori (?-1417), the Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate, rebelled against Ashikaga Mochiuji (1398-1439), the 4th Kanto Deputy Shogun, in 1416, the Tan Corps fought for Ujinori, the loser.  Accordingly, the corps weakened.

     The itabi in Ensho-ji Temple seem to have been built before the downfall of the Tan Corps.

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