Virtual Sayama 33 Kannon Pilgrimag #25 Fukusho-ji Temple

 

     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 samurai families.  By marriage, those samurai families composed 7 corps on the plateaus in the province: the Musashi Seven Corps.  The Murayama Corps was one of the 7.

     The Murayama Corps included the Murayama, Kaneko, Miyadera, Yamaguchi, Semba, and other Families.  The Murayama Family was based in Kishi, Ishihata, and Tonogayatsu Villages, and had a fortress in Tanogaya Village, namely Lord's Valley Village.  Fukusho-ji Temple was founded in the fortress by Tensho (?-1338).  He later invited Priest Kyoen (1258-1325) and had the temple belong to the Linji School of Chan in 1318.

     Nitta Yoshisada (1301-1338) raised his army in Ikushina Shrine in Kozuke Province with 150-strong cavalry on May 8, 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 on May 11th, and along the Kume River on the 12th.  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.  Murayama Shigenobu was killed in one of those battles.

     The Murayama Family rebuilt the Kannon-do Hall in the precincts in 1546.

     Murayama Yoshimitsu was subject to the Later Hojo Clan.  He died on August 12th, 1587, and his wife, Tama, died on January 7th, 1637.  After them, the family was said to have become farmers.

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