Virtual Tama Aqueduct Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #8 Zen'yo-in Temple

 

     Zen'yo-in Temple was founded by Priest Rinkyo (?-1632), supported by the Oba Family.  Who were the Oba Family?

     In 1590, the Later Hojo Clan collapsed, and one of their vassals, Kira Ujitomo (1543-1603), escaped to Oyumi, Chiba County, Shimousa Province.  7 of Ujitomo's vassals (2 Saita Families, Shimizu, Akimoto, Yanashita, Yamada, and Oba Families) became farmers and developed Daita Village. 

     Why had the Oba Family become subject to the Kira Family?

     The Later Three-Year War was fought in the northeastern part of Japan in the late 1080s.  It was a kind of internal strife within the Kiyohara Clan.  First, Kiyohara Iehira (?-1087) and Kiyohira (1056-1128) fought against Sanehira (?-1083).  After Sanehira’s death, Iehira clashed against Kiyohira.  From the central government, Minamoto Yoshiie (1039-1106) intervened in the conflict.  The intervention brought victory to Kiyohira.  In the war, Kamakura Kagemasa (1069-?) fought for Yoshiie brilliantly at the age of 16.  In a battle, Chokai Yosaburo shot Kagemasa’s right eye.  Not wavering, Kagemasa shot Yosaburo back dead.  Later in Yoshiie’s camp, Kagemasa was suffering with the arrow in his right eye.  His comrade, Miura Tametsugu, ran up to Kagemasa and stepped on his face to pull out the arrow.  Kagemasa got furious and slashed at Tametsugu, saying, “A samurai would be satisfied if he died with an arrow wound.  But it’s humiliation to be stepped on the face.”

     After Kagemasa, Kagetsugu ruled Oba Manor, and called himself Oba Kagetsugu.  2 generations later, Oba Kagechika (?-1180) fought against Minamoto Yoritomo (1147-1199) when Yoritomo raised an army against the Taira Clan in 1180.  After the establishment of the Kamakura Shogunate, his son, Chikasato was left to the Ashikaga Clan, and was sent to Mikawa Province, where he became subject to the Kira Family, one of the branch families of the Ashikaga Clan.  Chikasato's son, Kagesada, changed his surname to Okayama.  Presumably, he lived in today's Kiracho Okayama, Nishio, Aichi 444-1531.  Generations later, Kira Haruie was given Setagaya County in 1366 by Ashikaga Motouji (1340-1367), the first Deputy Shogun in Kamakura.

     When Uesugi Ujinori (?-1417) rebelled against the third Kanto Deputy Shogun, Ashikaga Mochiuji (1398-1439), Okayama Fusayuki fought against the rebellion, serving the Kira Family.  He changed his surname to Oba.  When Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) attacked the Later Hojo Clan, Oba Yoshitaka fought for the clan, serving Kira Ujitomo (1543-1603).  After the collapse of the Later Hojo Clan, Yoshitaka became a farmer and presented the statue of Cintamanicakra, who usually has 6 arms and holds chintamani (a wish-fulfilling jewel) in one of the six, to Zen'yo-in Temple.  Yoshitaka's grandson, Yoshitaka with a different Chinese character, became a local administrator for the Ii Family, who ruled Setagaya under the Tokugawa Shogunate.  The graves of Yoshitaka and his offspring are in the Tama Aqueduct Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #30 Gotoku-ji Temple.

Address: 2 Chome-5-12 Shinmachi, Setagaya City, Tokyo 154-0014

Phone: 03-3429-7440