Virtual Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #4 Fumon-ji Temple

     Tradition says that Fumon-ji Temple was founded in 806, 90 years after the establishment of Koma County, when Emperor Ote (774-824) appointed 6 auditors for the Tokaido, Hokurikudo, San’indo, San’yodo, Nankaido, and Saikaido Regions to inspect local administrations, and especially to reduce burdens on local people.  In other words, local administrators had been busy feathering their nests.

     Fumon-ji Temple’s precincts used to have Kawasaki-Shirahige Shrine, which was one of the 28 Shirahige Shrines which were founded by ex-Goguryeo people.  

     When Tang China and Silla destroyed Gogulyeo in 668, more than 200,000 Gogulyeo people were taken to China as prisoners of war and about 7,000 were to Silla.  Some escaped to Japan.  In 716, those who had settled in Suruga, Kai, Sagami, Kamiusa, Shimousa, Hitachi, and Shimotsuke Pprovinces, 1799 of them, were removed to Musashi Province and they established Koma County in the province.  It is unknown whether the re-settlement accorded to the wills of ex-Gogulyeo people or caused by the alternation of Japanese immigration policies.  When they settled in the county, they founded 28 Shirahige Shrines in the county.  Why the shrines were named Shirahige is unknown.  Some argue the name came from Silla, but considering the fact that Gogulyeo was destroyed by Silla, it is highly improbable.

     After 3 or 4 generations after the establishment of Koma County, some offsprings of ex-Goguryeo people could have removed and settled in the Kawasaki area, and might have founded Kawasaki-Shirahige Shrine with Fumon-ji Temple as its shrine temple.

     Priest Sonkei revived the temple sometime between 1249 and 1256, when Hojo Tokiyori (1227-1263) was the 5th Regent of the Kamakura Shogunate.

     Hojo Tokiyori (1227-1263) was a very popular statesman who built a welfare-warfare shogunate.  He shortened regal proceedings and ensured fairness.  Ordinary samurai were to guard either Kyoto or Kamakura for half a year, but he shortened the term to 3 months.  He also protected ordinary people’s livelihood.  He invited Priest Lanxi Daolong (1213-1278) from Yuan China. Daolang had been born in Shu Province (present-day Sichuan Province), China. Due to the Mongol Conquest of the Song Dynasty in China in 1246, he sailed to Japan to preach Chan Buddhism, and founded Kencho-ji Temple in Kamakura in 1253. Tokiyori also invited Wuan Puning (1197-1276).  Wuan is pronounced “gottan” in Japanese.  He made such difficult lectures that they were troublesome for his students.  We came to use the Japanese phrase “gotagota” for something troublesome after Wuan’s troublesome lectures.  Meanwhile, he destroyed his rivals such as Miura Yasumura (1184-1247) and Chiba Hidetane (?-1247).

     Tokiyori's popularity helped inspire the Noh play, Hachinoki:

     At dusk with snow falling heavily, a traveling monk appeared at the hermitage on the outskirts of Sano Village and asked for a night’s lodging. The resident samurai refused at first.  He was too poor to entertain him.  But he let the monk in, who was suffering from the snowy road.  He served a small meal. His name was Sano Genzaemon.  He said that he formerly owned more than 30 villages, but that he was deprived of everything by the embezzlement of his relatives and fell down to his current condition. As he talked, all the firewood was exhausted and the fire was about to go out, but there was no firewood to add. Genzaemon brought three pots of pine, plum, and cherry, which were his proudest possessions that had been collected in the old days when he had prospered.  He found them useless now, and used them as firewood.  He broke them and put the pieces on the fire. Although he had lost everything, he still kept his armor, naginata (a Japanese halberd) and an old horse.  He said that once he was summoned from Kamakura, he would ride on his horse and rush to Kamakura with his naginata as soon as possible and fight to his life.

     In the New Year, spring came, and suddenly Kamakura made an emergency call. Genzaemon put on his old armor, carried a rusty naginata on his back, and rushed on a thin horse.  When he arrived in Kamakura, he was summoned before Hojo Tokiyori. While the generals were lined up, Tokiyori said to Genzaemon who prostrated in torn armor, "Do you remember the monk traveling in the snowy night? That was actually me.  I'm glad that you've come so early."  Tokiyori not only returned Genzaemon his former territories, but also gave him three territories (the territory of Umeda Manor in Kaga Province, Sakurai Manor in Ecchu Province, and Matsuida Manor in Kozuke Province) as new prizes. Genzaemon gratefully withdrew and returned to Sano Village cheerfully.

     Fumon-ji Temple was founded and revived when people enjoyed rather better government.

Address: 300 Kawasaki, Hanno, Saitama 357-0011

Phone: 042-972-5891