Virtrual Shinobu Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #2 Shokaku-ji Temple

 

     Shokaku-ji Temple was founded by Priest Chikyo (?-1601), supported by Narita Ujinaga (1542-1596).  Who were the Narita Family?

     Fujiwara Koretada (924-972) was the Prime Minister.  His sons, Takataka (953-974) and Yoshitaka (954-974), died young on the same day because of smallpox.  Yoshitaka's 3rd son, Mototada, left Kyoto for the Kanto Region.  He settled in Sakitama County, Musashi Province.  He or his offspring married a woman of the Yokoyama Corps.

     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. The Yokoyama Corps was 1 of the 7.

     Their offspring became samurai and called themselves Narita, after where they lived.  The first appearance of its family member was Narita Taro, who was written about in the Tale of Hogen, which is a Japanese war chronicle.  The chronicle is believed to have been completed around 1320.  Its author or authors remain unknown.  Taro fought for Minamoto Yoshitomo (1123-1160).

     In the 1560's, Uesugi Terutora (1530-1578) repeatedly invaded the Kanto Region from Echigo Province to outsource the shortage of food caused by famine.  In 1563, he replaced the lord of Oshi Castle, Narita Nagayasu (1495-1574), with Nagayasu's first son, Ujinaga (1542-1596). In 1568, Terutora changed his target to Ecchu Province.  The Narita Family went over to the Later Hojo Clan, who were based in Sagami Province.  Nagayasu wanted to replace Ujinaga with Nagayasu's second son, Nagatada (?-1617), but his chief vassals opposed.

     Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598) advanced to the Kanto Region in 1590.  While he laid siege to Odawara Castle, the Later Hojo Clan's stronghold, he dispatched one of his senior retainers, Ishida Mitsunari (1560-1600), on an expedition to reduce the outlying castles still loyal to the clan in Musashi Province.  Three days after capturing Tatebayashi Castle, Ishida's 23,000-strong troops arrived at Oshi Castle.  Narita Ujinaga (1542-1596) was in Odawara Castle with the bulk of his forces.  Ujinaga's daughter, Kaihime (1572-?), led only 619 samurai and 2,000 farmers to fight against Mitsunari.  The castle held off numerous attacks from Ishida's forces, including a copy-cat effort to flood the defenders using the same method that Hideyoshi used at his famous Siege of Takamatsu.  Despite Ishida's impressive construction of 28 kilometers of dikes and the rainy weather, the castle still held for over a month.  Odawara Castle fell on July 5th, and yet it was on the 16th that Kaihime finally surrendered.  She accepted becoming Hiheyoshi's concubine, and had her uncle, Nagatada (?-1617), survive as a vassal of Hideyoshi.

     After the war, Matsudaira Tadayoshi (1580-1607) became the lord of Oshi Castle and Gendo became the second priest of Shokaku-ji Temple.  When Tadayoshi moved to Owari Province, Gendo followed him, and Soho became the 3rd priest.

Address: 4 Chome-3-21 Josai, Gyoda, Saitama 361-0057

Phone: 048-556-5924

Oshi Castle Address: 17-23 Honmaru, Gyoda, Saitama 361-0052 Phone: 048-554-5911