Virtual Tama Aqueduct Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #22 Kannon-do Temple

 

     The Tama Aueduct Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #28 Jotoku-in Temple was founded in 1489 in Funasaka Village, Tama County, Musashi Province, to pray for the comfort of the late 9th Shogun, Ashikaga Yoshihisa (1465-1489), by Priest Eiken (?-1494), supported by the Utsumi and Suzuki Families in the village.  They were both half-samurai and half-farmer.

Kira Shigetaka moved Jotoku-ji Temple to Miyasaka Village in the same county to religiously guard Setagaya Fortress, prefering its relationship with the Ashikaga Clan.

     Who was Kira Shigetaka?

     Although Ashikaga Osauji (1211-1290) was the eldest son of Yoshiuji (1189-1255), as his mother was a maidservant, he became subject to the family.  After 1241, he left Kamakura and moved to Kira Manor in Mikawa Province to become the guardian samurai of the manor.  Since then, he called his family Kira.  In 1345, Kira Sadaie moved to Mutsu to fight for the Northern Court against the Kitabatake Family.  In 1553, he finally occupied Taga Castle in Mutsu.  His second son, Haruie, lost in infighting of the family and ran away to Akima Village, Usui County, Kozuke Province.  He was picked by Ashikaga Motouji (1340-1367), the first Kando Deputy Shogun.  Haruie's offspring, Shigetaka, settled in Setagaya Fortress, Ebara County, Musashi Province.

     Although Shigetaka moved the temple-ship of Jotoku-ji, he left the hall with its statue of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses, for the Utsumi and Suzuki Families.

     When Kira Yoriyasu was the head of the family, the Utsumi Family had their fortune and misfortune.  Yoriyasu liked both heterosexuality and homosexuality as warlords in those dasys often did.  Utsumi Kamon was as beautiful a boy as being linked to autumn leaves, and was loved by Yoriyasu dearly.  In the meanwhile, Yoriyasu had some concubines including Tokiwa, a daughter of Ohira Dewanokami, who was based in Okuzawa Fortress.  Tokiwa was also as beautiful a woman as being linked to spring flowers.

     When Tokiwa became pregnant, other concubines became jealous and circulated the rumor that Tokiwa and Kamon had romantic intrigue.  Yoriyasu heard the rumor and killed Kamon, destroying the Utsumi Family.  Tokiwa escaped but was caught on her way to Okuzawa Fortress.  When she killed herself, she let her pet white heron fly with her death tanka poem tied around its leg.  Where the bird arrived, white flowers like white heron birds bloomed.  As the bird was called sagi, people named the plants sagi-so, namely heron grass.  The white egret flower is the city flower of Setagaya.  However, as samurai's days ended, so did white egret flower's days.  As Setagaya became modernized, the flowers no longer grow wild there.

     The Kira Family was taken over by the Later Hojo Clan with Yoriyasu’s generation.  The Suzuki Family survived as a farmer.  The family produced the heads of the village from 1673 to 1729.

     A Kannon-do hall is said to have been erected where Jotoku-in Temple used to be located for the purpose of appeasing the followers of the temple, and the hall became the Tama Aqueduct Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #22 Kannon-do Temple.

Address: 1 Chome-20-16 Funabashi, Setagaya City, Tokyo 156-0055