Virtual Sayama 33 Kannon Pilgrimag #12 Togen-san Eishun-an Temple

 

     Nitta Yoshisada (1301-1338) raised his army in Ikushina Shrine in Kozuke Province with 150-strong cavalry on May 8th, 1333.  He was to meet the 100,000-strong cavalry of the Kamakura Shogunate somewhere between Kozuke and Sagami Provinces.  The shogunate had been established by the Minamoto Clan, beating down the Taira Clan, but had been controlled by the Hojo Clan, who were the branch clan of the Taira Clan, after the 4th shogun.  The Nitta Family was one of the powerful branch families of the Minamoto Clan.

     Yoshisada had pride in his bloodline and content against the Hojo Clan.  When he arrived at Tone River, the number of his cavalry increased to 7,000 strong.  After crossing the river, the number jumped to 207,000.  On May 11th, his army encountered 30,000-strong cavalry of the Kamakura Shogunate with Hojo Sadakuni (1287-1333) as a general, and with Nagasaki Takashige (?-1333), Nagasaki Yasumitsu, and Kaji Jirozaemon as vice generals.  Over 300 of Nitta's and more than 500 of the shogunate's were killed in the battle.  Both armies were exhausted.  Nitta's army retreated to Iruma River, and the shogunate's army pulled out to Kume River.

     To advance to Kume River, Yoshisada pitched a camp on Hakkokusan Hill.

     Yoshisada defeated the garrisons of the Kamakura Shogunate along the Iruma River, and along Kume River.  On the 15th, he carried out a forced crossing of Tama River, the strategic point for both, in the face of the 100,000-strong cavalry of the shogunate.  He outnumbered the shogunate, but his cavalry was not well-organized.  On the 16th, Yoshisada made another forced crossing with 10,000-strong cavalry at Bubai Riverbank, and defeated the garrisons of the Kamakura Shogunate.  On the 18th, Yoshisada tried to make a forced crossing across Kashio River at Muraoka just out of Kamakura in vain.  Instead, he took a sea shore route, and finally seized and captured Kamakura on the 22nd.

     After the war, he built an itabi on Hakkokusan Hill to commemorate Saito Morisada, who was killed in May 15th at the age of 26, and Magoshichi Ieyuki and Akima Munenaga, who were killed on the 18th at the age of 23 and 35 respectively.

     Eishun-an Hermitage was built on the hillside by Priest Shusastu (?-1638) to take care of the itabi and to pray for the comfort of the three in the other world.  The sango of the hermitage, Togen-san, indicates it is located in a paradise or a utopia.  The hermitage and the itabi were moved to the precincts of Tokuzo-ji Temple by Priest Hoju (?-1682).

     The Arya Avalokitesvara statue of Eishun-an Hermitage is said to have been the personal guardian Buddhist image of Morisada.

Tokuzo-ji Temple

Address: 1 Chome−２６−3 Suwacho, Higashimurayama, Tokyo 189-0021

Phone: 042-391-1603

Hachikokuyama Park

Address: 4 Chome Tamakocho, Higashimurayama, Tokyo 189-0026

Phone: 042-393-0154