Virtual Iruhi Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #12 Jigan-ji Temple

 

     The Suzume River forms a ravine with rapids.  Its faces have holes which look like pots.  The ravine came to be called Tamatsubo, literally Jewel Pot, and its surrounding area came to be called Tamagawa, Jewel River.

     In 1374, a samurai named Moriyoshi settled in Tamagawa, built an about-6400-square-meters residence, and ruled the area, claiming himself to be offspring of the Fujiwara Clan.  He, thus, founded Kasuga Shrine, which enshrines the guardian god of the clan, on the left bank of the ravine in 1374.  As he used the era name, Shohei, he might have belonged to the Southern Court.

     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, and 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.  The Musashi Heiikki Revolt broke out in 1368.  This time, their unity was split as the divide and rule was the old trick of the Establishment.  Each common samurai family was induced to think of nothing but to protect their own territories and interests.  To make matters worse, when the Establishment made internal strife in the Kanto Region, they involved common samurai, and the front line often moved from southwest to northeast or vice versa through Musashi Province.

     Moriyoshi might have been one of the remnants of Musashi Heiikki.  Anyway, Jigan-ji Temple was later founded as Kasuga Shrine's shrine temple on the right bank of the ravine by Priest Chosan (?-1631), supported by Jushoin, the mother of the local administrator of the Tokugawa Shogunate.  The administrator built his office in front of Kasuga Shrine.

Address: 3920 Tamagawa, Tokigawa, Hiki District, Saitama 355-0342

Tamagawa-Kasuga Shrine

Address: 4015 Tamagawa, Tokigawa, Hiki District, Saitama 355-0342