Virtual Tama Aqueduct Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #17 Jisso-in Temple

 

     Kakusho-zan Jisso-in Temple was founded by Maita Yorihisa (1568-1609) for his late father, Kira Ujitomo (1542-1603), whose posthumous Buddhist name was Jissoin, and for his late mother whose posthumous Buddhist name was Kakusho-in, inviting Priest Rintatsu.

     Who were Kira Ujitomo and Maita Yorihisa?

     Kira Osauji (?-1290) was born as the illegitimate son of Ashikaga Yoshiuji (1189-1255), one of the important and powerful samurai that had the direct master-servant relationship with the Kamakura Shogunate.  Although Osauji was the eldest son, his younger brother, Yasuuji (1216-1270), whose mother was the lawful wife of Yoshiuji, succeeded to the head of the Ashikaga Family.  Osauji started the Kira Family.

     Generations later, Kira Haruie was given Setagaya County in 1366 by Ashikaga Motouji (1340-1367), the first Kanto Deputy Shogun.  Later, Kira Shigetaka built Setagaya Castle at the turn of the 15th century.

     Yoritaka was the great grandson of Haruie.

     Yoritaka’s great grandson, Yoriyasu (?-1562), worked and fought for the Kanto Deputy Shogunate at first.  In 1524, Uesugi Tomooki (1488-1537), the Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate, lost Edo Castle to Hojo Ujitsuna (1487-1541).  Yoriyasu dumped the shogunate for the Later Hojo Clan.  About 2 decades later, Yoriyasu adopted a boy from Horikoshi Rokuro and Sakihime (?-1586), a daughter of Hojo Ujitsuna (1486-1541), although he had his own son.  The boy became Kira Ujitomo (1542-1603), and became the head of the family in 1561.   Ujitomo further married the daughter of Hojo Gen’an (1493-1589).  The Kira Family was actually taken over by the Later Hojo Clan.

     In 1590, the Later Hojo clan was destroyed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598).  Ujitomo  and his son Ujihiro flew to Kazusa Province.  Later, Ujihiro became subject to Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616), dumping his family name Kira and his first name Hiromoto.  He became Maita Yorihisa.

Address: 3 Chome-29-6 Tsurumaki, Setagaya City, Tokyo 154-0016

Phone: 03-3420-0307