Virtual Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #27 Empuku-ji Temple

 

     Unakami County in Shimousa Province was located between the Pacific Ocean and  the Katori Sea.  The Black Current leaves the coast of Japan and runs eastward deep into the Pacific Ocean.  The Kurile Current runs from north to south and meets the Black Current off Unakami County.  All in all, the county was an important point of marine transportation.

     In the spring of 728, a big storm hit the county.  After the storm, 2 fishers salvaged a thousand-armed Sahasrabhuja statue with an agate on its left side.  They became monks and enshrined the statue.  In the first half of the 8th century, a holy box was made for the statue.  At the beginning of the 9th century, a pedestal and a halo were added to the statue.  However, it wasn't recorded when Empuku-ji Temple was founded.  The temple was long supported by the Unakami Family.  They built full-scale temple buildings in 1578.  In 1574, the Later Hojo Clan occupied Sekiyado Castle, which was located in the strategic point between the Old Tone River System and the Kinu River System.  The clan had secured water transportation along the 2 river systems. 

     Taira Tsunenaga (1024-1108) ruled some part of Kazusa and Shimousa Provinces.  His second son, Tsunekane (1045-1126), started calling his family Chiba.  Tunenaga's 11th son, Tsunehira, lived in Unakami County, Shimousa Province, and called his family Unakami.

     Chiba Tsunetane (1118-1201) was Tsunekane's grandson.  He married a daughter of Hatakeyama Shigehiro (1164-1205).  She gave birth to Tanemasa (1137-1203), Morotane (1139-1205), Tanemori (1146-1215), Tanenobu (?-1215), and Tanemichi.  Tsunetane had 2 more sons: Taneyori (1155-1228) and Nichiin (?-1180).

     Tsunetane's sixth son, Taneyori, heritated the Tachibana Manor in Katori County, Shimousa Province.  As the manor was also called To Manor, Taneyori called his family To.  Taneyori had 2 sons, Taneyuki and Tanekata.  Tanekata was adopted by the Unakami Family.

Address: 293 Babacho, Choshi, Chiba 288-0054

Phone: 0479-22-1741