Virtual Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #29 Sen'yo-ji Temple

 

     Sen'yo-ji Temple was founded in 709.  A ginkgo tree was planted next year.

     Taira Yoshifumi (886-952) was born in Kyoto.  In 923, he was dispatched to Sagami Province by Emperor Daigo (885-930) to suppress armed robbers. Later, he moved to Muraoka, Kumagaya County, Musashi Province.  He also lived in Muraoka, Kamakura County, Sagami Province, and Muraoka, Yuki County, Shimousa Province.  How did he find so many Muraokas?  Maybe, he named Muraoka where he lived.  He also built a fortress in 940 in Otomo, Katori County, Shimousa Province.  According to Konjaku Monogatari, which was edited sometime in the early 12th century, Otomo Fortress was on the hilltop along the south shore of the Katori Sea.  His grandson, Tadatsune (967-1031), or Tadatsune's son, Tsunemasa (1010-1076), started being based in Otomo Fortress.  Tadatsune and Tsunemasa were once arrested and taken to Kyoto.  Tadatsune died of illness in Mino Province on his way to Kyoto, and Tsunemasa was pardoned and married a daughter of Nakahara Moronao, who was offspring of Nakahara Arikata (902-978), who was a Confucian scholar, and she gave birth to Tsunenaga (1024-1108).  Tsunenaga fought in the the Former Nine-Year War (1051-1062) and the Later Three-Year War (1083-1087).  After the wars, Tsunenaga built Oji Fortress in Chiba County, Shimousa Province.  Tsunekane's second son, Tsunekane (1045-1126), lived in Oji Fortress.  He was the practical founder of the Chiba Family although the family often promoted Tadatsune or Tsunemasa as their founder to dignify their history.

     Anyway, after the start of the Chiba Family, they supported Sen'yo-ji Temple and its ginkgo tree.  The temple buildings were burned down in 1160, when the Heiji Rebellion was fought between two rival military aristocrat clans, Taira and Minamoto.  The rebellion was part of Minamoto–Taira clan disputes at the end of the Heian Period (794-1180).  It wasn't recorded whether the fire had something to do with the rebellion or not.  The tree, anyway, survived and is now about 30 meters tall with its trunk circumference 8 meters at the height of human eyes.

Address: 161 Chibaderacho, Chuo Ward, Chiba, 260-0844

Phone: 043-261-3723

Otomo Fortress Site

Address: Otomo, Tonosho, Katori District, Chiba 289-0621

Oji Fortress Ruins

Address: 851 Ojicho, Midori Ward, Chiba, 267-0065