Virtual Shimousa 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #27 Nyoirin-ji Temple

 

     Chiba Tsunetane (1118-1201) dreamed a holy dream one night, dug out an old holy plum wood, had Unkei (?-1223) carve a statue of Cintamanicakra, who usually has 6 arms and holds chintamani (a wish-fulfilling jewel) in one of the six, and enshrined it in Kamakura.  Tsunetane’s 2nd son, Morotsune (1139-1205), ruled Soma Manor in Soma County, Shimousa Province, and called his family Soma.

       Morotsune’s son, Yoshitane, fought  in Jokyu War for the Kamakura Shogunate against the Retied Emperor Go-Toba (1180-1239), who rebelled against the shogunate.  For some reason or another, Yoshitane had Unkei’s apprentice, Tokei, move the statue to Banba Village, Soma County, Shimousa Province, build a thatch-roofed hermitage, and enshrine the statue in it.  In 1223, Yoshitane built a temple to enshrine the statue and named the temple Nyoirin-ji.

     Scientifically speaking, the statue is supposed to have been carved not so early but in the 16th or 17th century.

     By the way, Soma Manor had a typical history of an ancient manor transformed to an medieval manor.  In other words, it is a typical case in high school history textbook.

In Ancient Japan, farm land was owned by the central government.  The central government dispatched a provincial governor to each province.  To increase farm land, a provincial governor allowed county governors to develop new farm land.  The start of privately owned farm land.  Farm land privately owned by big temples and shrines was exempted from taxes.  Developers weighed donation against taxes.

     Taira Yoshifumi (886-952) was born in Kyoto.  In 923, he was dispatched to Sagami Province by Emperor Daigo (885-930) to suppress armed robbers. Later, he moved to Muraoka, Kumagaya County, Musashi Province.  He also lived in Muraoka, Kamakura County, Sagami Province and Muraoka, Yuki County, Shimousa Province.  So many Muraokas?  Maybe, he named where he lived Muraoka.  His grandson, Tsunemasa (1010-1076), called himself Chiba.  According to tradition, he married a celestial nymph who gave birth to Tsunenaga (1024-1108), whose grandson, Tsuneshige (1083-1180), started calling his family Chiba.

     In October, 1124, Tsuneshige became the county governor of Soma County.  On June 11, 1130, he donated Soma Manor to Ise Shrine.  According to its contract, he contributed 27 liters of rice per an are of paddy field and 9 liters of rice per an are of dry field.  Tsuneshige was also allowed, as a matter of course, to raise back tax.  The reality was that Tsuneshige actually owned the manor, and he evaded paying taxes by accepting the name lending of Ise Shrine and paying commissions to its Shinto priests.  The donation was approved by the provincial governor, Fujiwara Chikamitsu, in August of the same year.

     This world was filled with greedy and acquisitive people, of course including Tsuneshige himself.  Tsuneshige didn’t pay taxes from central-government-owned farm land, and was arrested by Chikamitsu on July 15, 1136.  Chikamitsu seized Soma and Tachibana Manors, and, quite unexpectedly (or expectedly?), appropriated the manors.  In 1143, Minamoto Yoshitomo (1123-1160), who was behaving like a gangster in the Kanto Region at the time and who happened to stay in Kazusa Province to know the trouble, had a hand in the case.

     Tsuneshige’s son, Tsunetane (1118-1201), fought back.  By paying arrears, he got back Soma Manor in April, 1146.  On August 10, he successfully "donated the manor to Ise Shrine”.  All of a sudden, in January, 1161, Satake Yoshimune donated Soma Manor to Ise Shrine too.  He had robbed Chikamatsu’s son, Chikamori, of the deed which Chikamatsu had drew.  On June 14, 1167, reconciliation was offered in Yoshimune’s favor.

     Tsunetane reached a deadlock, but heaven helped him.  In 1180, Minamoto Yoritomo (1147-1199) raised army to overthrow the central ancient aristocratic government and to become the ruler of Japan as samurai.  Tsunetane jumped on the bandwagon successfully.  Tsunetane’s 2nd son, Morotsune (1139-1205),  as I told you, ruled Soma Manor, called his family Soma, and lived happily ever after, fighting through the Warring States Period.

     By the way, all through the troubles, Soma Manor expanded, presumably swallowing central-government-owned farm land and developing new farm land as if human greedy was its food.

Address: 193 Fujigaya, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0931

Phone: 04-7192-2344