Virtual Sayama 33 Kannon Pilgrimag #6 Zuigan-ji Temple

     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. The Murayama Corps was one of the 7, and included the Kaneko, Miyatera, Yamaguchi, and Senba Families.  The Yamaguchi Family developed Yamaguchi Village.

     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.  The Yamaguchi Family kept living in Yamaguchi Village with Yamaguchi Fortress to guard their village.  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 was 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.

Yamaguchi Takakiyo went to Kawagoe Castle to show their unity.  Those who went over to Motouji and Noriaki intruded into Yamaguchi Castle.  Takakiyo's wife committed suicide by drowning herself in the nearby pond with their baby in her arms.  It was too late when Takakiyo hurried back to the fortress, and he killed himself in Zuigan-ji Temple, which still keeps his saddle and Buddhist memorial tablet dated September 18th, 1368.  On June 13th, 1383, Takakiyo's father, Takazane, rose up against Motouji and Noriaki under the banner of the Southern Court, in vain.

     When Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) moved from the Tokai Region to the Kanto Region at the end of the Warring States Period, Usami Nagamoto (?-1615) followed him and was appointed as a ruler of Iwasaki Village.  After he took part in The Siege of Osaka Castle, he bought 3 lion-dance heads in Kyoto.  The lion dance is still performed on the second Saturday in October.  Nagamoto died at the age of 69, and his Buddhist memorial tablet and grave are kept in the temple.

Address: 400 Yamaguchi, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-1145

Phone: 04-2922-6569