Virtual Hiki Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #17 Semyoju-ji Temple

 

     Scientifically speaking, a 195-centimeters-tall thousand-armed Sahasrabhuja statue was carved out of camphor tree in the Southern and Northern Courts Period (1336-1392) and was enshrined in Shodai Village, Hiki County, Musashi Province, with its 28 vassals guarding it.  The 28 vassals are Narayana, Nanda, Mahoraga, Kimnara, Garuda, Gandharva, Pisaca, Pancika, Purnaka-chagalapada, Manibhadra, Vaisravana, Dhrtarastra, Vasistha, Sarasvati-sri-mahadevi, Sakro-devanam-indrah, Brahma, Virudhaka, Virupaksa, Prthivi, Suddhavasa, Mahamayuri‐vidya‐rajni, Hariti, Kumbhira, Vikarala, Asura, Ihatsula, Naga, and Vajrapani.

     Arimichi Koreyoshi was a subject of Fijiwara Korechika (974-1010), who lost to his uncle, Fujiwara Michinaga (966-1028), in political strife.  When he died on January 28th in despair, he said to his son, Michimasa (992-1054), "You should become a priest rather than follow others."  He also told his 2 daughters never to humiliate him by serving in the Imperial Court.

Koreyoshi might have eavesdropped on their conversation and kind of followed Korechika's advice.  After Korechika's downfall, Koreyoshi left Kyoto down to Musashi Province.  Or did he exercise his frontier spirit?

     In ancient times, there used to be the Musashi Seven Corps. The most part of Musashi Province was plateaus deeply covered with volcanic-ash soil, which was suitable for stock farming, not for rice growing.  In ancient times, many of the naturalized Silla people then were sent to Musashi Province, and engaged in the stock farming.  That stimulated people there, and many stock farms were set up, including 6 imperial stock farms.  The custodians of those farms later formed small-scale samurai families.  By marriage, those samurai families composed corps on the plateaus in the province: Yokoyama, Inomata, Murayama, Noyo, Tan, and Nishi Corps.

     Somehow or other, Koreyoshi's son, Koreyuki (?-1069), succeeded in organizing another corp, Kodama Corps.  He seems to have been involved in the management of the Aguhara Stock Farm.  In 933, the Aguhara Stock Farm was nationalized.  It is unknown whether Koreyoshi or Koreyuki was dispatched to the stock farm as a local administrator or married into a local powerful family who actually ran the farm.  The number of Royal Stock Farms in Musashi Province increased from 4 to 6, and the number of annual tax horses increased from 50 to 110 accordingly.  Judging from the mean value, the Aguhara Stock Farm provided 30 horses to Kyoto every year.  Anyway, Koreyoshi and/or Koreyuki developed paddy fields in Kodama County, and became their owner.

     Koreyuki's son, Hiroyuki, had 2 sons: Tsuneyuki and Sukeyuki.  Sukeyuki moved to Iruma County, developed paddy fields there, and became independent.  Sukeyuki's second son, Tohiro, moved to Shodai, Hiki County, and developed another paddy fields.  He called his family Shodai.  Obviously, the Kodama Family advanced southeast to the lower reaches of the Ara and Iruma Rivers to develop paddy fields.

     Tohiro's son, Yukihira, joined the army under Minamoto Yoritomo (1147-1199), who raised an army in 1180 against the Taira Clan, and, according to Azuma Kagami, Yukihira followed Minamoto Noriyori (1150-1193) to fight in Ichinotani.  As a result of his achievements in battles, he was appointed samurai steward of Aoki and Nakagawa Manors in Echigo Province, and Mifuno Manor in Aki Province.  In 1247, Shodai Shigetoshi made a distinguished achievement in the Battle of Hochi, and on June 23rd of the same year, he became the samurai steward of Nohara Manor, Tamana County, Higo Province (around present-day Arao City, Kumamoto Prefecture).  In 1262, its western half was given to him, with its eastern half left for its original owner, Iwashimizu-Hachiman Shrine.  In 1271, Shodai Shigeyasu went down to Nohara Manor in Tamana County, Higo Province, to prepare against the Mongol invasion.  During the period of the Northern and Southern Courts, the Shodai Family fought for the Northern Court, or for the Ashikaga Shogunate, and in 1383, the family was given the position of samurai steward of the entire Nohara Manor.  Was Koreyoshi's frontier spirit inherited hereditarily?  Or was it handed down as a family motto?

     One of their offspring in Kumamoto Prefecture is Shodai Naoya (1991-), a famous professional sumo wrestler.

     Semyoju-ji Temple was founded by Priest Ippo (?-1624) presumably to take care of the Sahasrabhuja and other Buddhist images under the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Address: 755 Shodai, Higashimatsuyama, Saitama 355-0044

Phone: 0493-34-3706

Aguhara Stock Farm Site

Address: 545-2 Kamiaguhara, Kamikawa, Kodama District, Saitama 367-0312