Virtual Modern Edo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #30 Fumon-in Temple

 

     In 1522, Chiba Moritane (1475-1556) founded Fumon-in Temple in his fortress to enshrine a statue of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses, which used to be a personal guardian Buddhist image of Sata Morimitsu, who was subject to Moritane’s father, Yoritane (1446-1494).

     Chiba Tanenao (1419-1455) was the 16th head of the Chiba Clan, who ruled Shimousa Province.  In 1455, the Kyotoku War broke out, and lasted for 28 years till 1482.  In the war, Tanenao fought for the central shogunate against the Kanto Deputy Shogunate but lost his castle, Chiba Castle, and fled to Chida Manor in Sosa County, Shimousa Province.  He then moved to Shima Fortress in Katori County, Shimousa Province, but was killed on August 15th.  Tanenao’s younger brother, Tanekata (?-1455), was killed on September 7th.  The main family of the Chiba Clan was substantially destroyed, but Tanekata’s sons, Sanetane (1442-1466) and Yoritane (1446-1494), fled to Yawata Manor in Katsushika County, Shimousa Province.  They held Ichikawa Fortress in the manor for a while, but fled to Musashi Province on January 19th, 1456.  In Musashi Province, Sanetane held Ishihama Fortress, which overlooked a ferry port across the Old Iruma River, and Yoritane built Akatsuka Fortress, which overlooked a ferry port across the Old Ara River.  As they had no manor to rely on, their finances were tight.

     In 1457, Ashikaga Shigeuji (1438-1497), the Kanto Deputy Shogun, relinquished Kamakura and moved to Koga.  In 1458, the Muromachi Shogunate in Kyoto sent out another Kanto Deputy Shogun, Ashikaga Masatomo (1435-1491), from Kyoto to Kamakura, but he couldn’t enter Kamakura and stayed in Horikoshi, Izu Province.  From then on, there were a Koga Kanto Deputy Shogun and a Horikoshi Kanto Deputy Shogun in the Kanto Region.  On October 14th, 1459, the 2 camps had a big battle in Ota Manor, Musashi Province. That was the start of the Warring States Period in the region.  In 1466, Sanetane retired and Yoritane moved to Ishihama Fortress.  The Muromachi Shogunate recognized him as the legitimate head of the Chiba Clan, but it was no more than a nominal title.  His offspring settled in Musashi Province and became a local samurai who fought for the Later Hojo Clan.

     Chiba Moritane's grandson, Tanemune (?-1574), joined the army to attack Yanada Mochisuke (1549-1587), who was based in Sekiyado Castle.

     The Yanada Family might have started as a small-scale powerful family based in Yanada Holy Manor and moved to the Sekiyado and Mizuumi area.  Though they had their legendary history which connected them to an ancient central noble family, it is unknown whether they escaped from Kyoto due to the transformation of the power structure there, or they grew up locally.  It is also unknown whether they were headhunted because of their own competence in water management engineering or they rose to be a samurai.  Time went by, and, in Medieval Japan, the transportation of commodities thrived.  In the Kanto Region, they were merchandised through inland waterways, or through rivers and lakes.  Living in the junction area between the 2 river systems enabled the family to become more powerful, as powerful as to support a Kanto Deputy Shogun in Koga, which was just about 8 kilometers north either from Sekiyado or Mizuumi.

     Tanemune was killed in the battle around Sekiyado Castle.  As he had no son, his family adopted a young man of the Later Hojo Clan.  Pessimistically or gloomily speaking, the family was commandeered by the ruling clan. 

     In the 1770’s, Priest Eihan changed the temple’s main deity from the Arya Avalokitesvara statue to a Mahavairocana statue.  Pessimistically or gloomily speaking, the divinity of the Arya Avalokitesvara statue, which had witnessed the demotion of the Chiba Family, was demoted.

Address: 3 Chome−43−3 Kameido Koto City, Tokyo 136-0071

Phone: 03-3681-8304