Virtual Hiki Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #18 Toko-in Temple

 

     Toko-in Temple was founded by Priest Chojun (?-1691) in Takasaka Village, Hiki County, Musashi Province, presumably at the beginning of the Tokugawa Shogunate (1603-1867).  What was Takasaka Village like?

     The Takasaka Family lived in Takasaka.  They were a member of the Musashi Heiikki, which was defeated by Ashikaga Ujimitsu (1359-1398), the second Kanto Deputy Shogun, in 1368.

     Ashikaga MotoUji (1340-1367) became the first Kanto Deputy Shogun in 1349 under the Ashikaga Shogunate in Kyoto.  After he died of measles on April 26th, 1367, his son, Ujimitsu (1359-1398), succeeded the Kanto Deputy Shogun on May 29th.  On February 25th, 1368, Musashi Heiikki Revolt broke out and it lasted till June 17th.  Who were Musashi Heiikki?

     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 would-be-samurai families.  By marriage, those would-be-samurai families composed 7 corps on the Musashi Plateaus.  Some intellectual members of the corps worked for the ancient provincial and county governments.

     Then there came the medieval days, the days of samurai.  The Musashi Seven Corps basically supported the establishment of the Kamakura Shogunate, the government by samurai, for samurai, and of samurai.  Some corps members climbed up the social ladder through the battles to overthrow the ancient establishment, while others remained half-farmer and half-samurai.  Through marriage ties, or by blood, those common half-farmer and half-samurai families formed a provincial common ring or mafia, Musashi Heiikki, or the Musashi Commonwealth.

     When the Kamakura Shogunate collapsed, they banded together, jumped on the bandwagon, and luckily picked a winner, the Ashikaga Clan.  During the South and North Courts Period, they banded together and picked a winner, the Ashikaga Clan.  After the establishment of the Ashikaga Shogunate, there broke out the Kanno Incident in 1351, basically the infighting within the Ashikaga Clan, they banded together and picked a winner.  Under the first Kanto Deputy Shogun, Ashikaga Motouji (1340-1367), and the first Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate, Hatakeyama Kunikiyo (?-1362), they banded together and distinguished themselves in battles.  When Motouji feuded with Kunikiyo, they banded together and picked a winner.  Uesugi Noriaki (1306-1368) became the Regent, and the Kanto Deputy Shogunate became settled.  Peace at last?  The Establishment were always driven with lust.  Once the tug-of-war among them was settled, they set their eyes on common samurai.  What the Musashi Commonwealth had achieved by distinguishing themselves in battles were deprived.  Musashi Heiikki Revolt broke out in 1368.  After the revolt was put down, the Takasaka Family was driven away.  I have no means of knowing where they went.

     The Takasaka Residence Site used to be believed to have been where the Takasaka Family lived.  The excavation revealed that the site was the fortress which was used in the Warring States Period (1467-1568).  The original Takasaka Family's actual residence was located a little bit south.  The area also has burial mounds which date back to the 4th or 5th century.  The Takasaka Family might have been a powerful local family ever since those days.

Address: 926 Takasaka, Higashimatsuyama, Saitama 355-0047

Phone: 0493-34-4057

Takasaka Residence Site

Address: 834 Takasaka, Higashimatsuyama, Saitama 355-0047