Mobile payment in a school festival!

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Virtual Shinobu Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #20 Masuda-san Hozo-in (Chofuku-ji?) Temple

 

     It is unknown when Hozo-in Temple was founded in Shimo-Masuda Village.  It is unknown when it was abolished with its Kannon-do Hall, Daihi-kaku Hall, and graveyard left behind.

     After the Shinobu Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized in 1689, the Hara County New Shikoku 88 Holy Places was organized in 1835, with Masuda-san Hozo-in Temple as its #52 member temple.  Presumably, the temple was abolished after the Meiji Restoration.

     It isn't certain whether the temple has its jigo, Chofuku-ji, or not.

Address: 834 Shimomasuda, Kumagaya, Saitama 360-0851

Phone: 0485-32-8175 c/o Arai Saburo

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Virtual Shinobu Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #19 Kannon-ji Temple

 

     About 1 percent of Buddhist temples' names in Japan are Kannon-ji.  It's no surprise that the #18 and #19 member temples of the Shinobu Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage are both Kannon-ji.

     Shimo-Masuda Village became independent at the end of the 17th century.  Its population must have increased under the Tokugawa Shogunate (1603-1867).

     The Masuda Family came from Masuda Village, Hara County, Musashi Province. 

     The Kyotoku War lasted for 28 years from 1454 to 1482.  During the war, Ashikaga Shigeuji (1438-1497), the Kanto Deputy Shogun in Kamakura, relinquished Kamakura and moved to Koga in 1457.  In 1458, the Muromachi Shogunate in Kyoto sent out another deputy shogun, Ashikaga Masatomo (1435-1491), from Kyoto for Kamakura, but he couldn’t enter Kamakura and stayed in Horikoshi, Izu Province.  From then on, there was a Koga Kanto Deputy Shogun and a Horikoshi Kanto Deputy Shogun in the Kanto Region.  Shigeuji exercised his power in the eastern half of the region; Shimotsuke, Hitachi, Shimousa, Kazusa, and Awa Provinces: while Masatomo was supported by the Uesugi Clan, which hereditarily succeeded to a Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate, in the western half of the region; Kozuke, Musashi, Sagami, and Izu Provinces.  Their main battlefields were in the middle reaches of the Ara, Tone, and Watarase Rivers.

     Although Masuda Village belonged to Musashi Province, Masuda Shigetomi (?-1487) fought for a Koga Kanto Deputy Shogun at the forefront against the Uesugi Clan.  Shigetomi's main opponent was the Fukaya-Uesugi Family.  In 1478, he built Takami Fortress in Hiki County and moved his foothold there.  By that time, the Uesugi Clan had started infighting.  The Ogigayatsu-Uesugi Family asked Ashikaga Masauji (1466-1531), the second Koga Kanto Deputy Shogun after Masauji, to send reinforcements.  The Ogigayatsu-Uesugi Family had 2,000-strong cavalry and launched a battle in Takamigahara at the border between Hiki and Osato Counties against the Yamanouchi-Uesugi Family with the 3,000-strong cavalry.  Takami Fortress fell and Shigetomi was killed in battle, but finally the Ogigayatsu-Uesugi Family won.

     Years passed and the Uesugi Clan was destroyed by the Later Hojo Clan, the Later Hojo Clan was destroyed by the Toyotomi Clan, and the Toyotomi Clan was destroyed by the Tokugawa Clan.  It is unknown where the Masuda Family had gone.

Address: 866-1 Shimomasuda, Kumagaya, Saitama 360-0851

Phone: 048-532-4140

Takami Fortress Site

Address: 1125 Takami, Ogawa, Hiki District, Saitama 355-0306

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Virtual Shinobu Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #18 Kannon-ji Temple

 

     Kannon-ji Temple was founded at the turn of the 17th century in Yagita Village.

     Ina Tadatsugu (1550-1610) was born to Tadaie (1528-1607), the lord of Ojima Castle, Hazu County, Mikawa Province.  In 1563, Tadaie took part in the revolt organized by the True Pure Land Buddhism and fought against Tokugawa Ieyasu  (1542-1616) in the Battle of Azukizaka in 1564.  The revolt was defeated, and Tadaie left Ieyasu with his family.  In 1575, when Ieyasu fought the Battle of Nagashino with Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582) against Takeda Katsuyori (1546-1582), Tadaie and Tadatsugu rushed to help Ieyasu in the decisive battle.  After the battle they worked and fought for Ieyasu's son, Nobuyasu (1559-1579).

     Nobunaga suspected Nobuyasu of having secret communication with Katsuyori, and forced Nobuyasu to commit suicide by the sword on September, 15th, 1579.  Tadaie and Tadatsugu left Mikawa Province and lived in Sakai, Izumi Province, counting on Tadaie's elder brother, Sadakichi, who had left Mikawa Province soon after the Battle of Azukizaka and, who had quitted being a samurai.

     Nobunaga was killed in Honno-ji Temple by his vassal, Akechi Mitsuhide (1516-1582), on June 2nd, 1582, unluckily for Ieyasu, who was going sightseeing in Sakai and who ran about in confusion trying to get away from Sakai to Mikawa Province.  Tadatsugu helped Ieyasu escape through Yamato, Iga, and Ise Provinces to Mikawa Province, crossing the Ise Bay, instead of directly sailing back to Mikawa, which had a possibility of being attacked by pirates off Kumano.

     After they returned to Mikawa Province, Tadaie worked and fought for Nobunaga's second son, Nobukatsu (1558-1630), and Tadatsugu for Ieyasu.  After Nobukatsu was sent into banishment, Tadaie depended on Tadatsugu.  Tadatsugu, in wartime, operated sending military provisions and maintaining their routes for large armies.  After Ieyasu moved to the Kanto Region in 1590, Tadatsugu managed river improvements, farm development, and land surveys.  The river improvements included changing the waterways of the Old Tone and Ara Rivers.  The Bizen Flumes and Bizen Levees in the Kanto Region were named after his post name.  The Bizen Flume, which runs through Yagita, was built from 1604 to 1605.  Kannon-ji Temple was founded almost simultaneously.  It suggests the development of Yagita Village largely depended on the water from the flume.

     Today, water is taken from the Tone River at San'odo of Honjo City, flows into Fukaya City and Kumagaya City, joins the Fuku River, and flows into the Tone River.  At the time of its construction, there were no accurate maps, so he walked and surveyed the area where the waterway was to be excavated.  At night, he used lanterns to measure the difference in altitude.  They dug with plows and hoes, and transported the soil with rope baskets.

     Tadatsugu also taught farmers how to grow mulberry trees, hemp, and paper mulberries, and encouraged them in charcoal making, silk producing, and salt manufacturing.  Ina in Adachi County, Musashi Province, was named after him.  How could he be so multi-talented?

     Kannon-ji Temple is known for its beautiful lotus flowers.  A lotus grows up from mud, but it doesn't adjust or adapt itself to mud.  Tadatugu might have groveled in mud, but didn't adjust or adapt himself to mud.  He absorbed the nutrients from mud.

Address: 198 Yagita, Kumagaya, Saitama 360-0233

Phone: 048-588-1206

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Virtual Shinobu Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #17 Nagai-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Nagai-ji Temple was founded in Yatogo Village, Hara County, Musashi Province.

     Saito Sanemori (1111-1183) was based in Nagai Manor, Hara County, Musashi Province.

Musashi Province was a buffer zone between Minamoto Yoshitomo (1123-1160), who was based in Sagami Province, and his younger brother, Yoshikata (?-1155), who had advanced into Kozuke Province. At first, Sanemori followed Yoshitomo, but later he came to serve under Yoshikata due to geopolitical reasons.  Yoshihira (1141-1160), a son of Yoshitomo, found the movements of the samurai in Musashi dangerous, and made a surprise attack on Yoshikata in 1155 and killed him in the Battle of Okura.

     Sanemori returned to being at the service of Yoshitomo and Yoshihira.  However, he did not forget his gratitude to Yoshikata, and took Yoshikata's bereaved child, Komaomaru, from Hataekyama Shigeyoshi and sent the baby to Nakahara Kaneto (?-1181), who was the husband of Komaomaru's wet nurse, in Shinano Province. The baby later grew up to be Minamoto Yoshinaka (1154-1184), who first advanced to Kyoto when the Minamoto Clan started their revengeful battles against the Taira Clan.

     In the Hogen Rebellion in 1156 and the Heiji Rebellion in 1160, Sanemori went to Kyoto and fought bravely for Yoshitomo.  After Yoshitomo's fall, he escaped safely to his homeland, and served the Taira Clan thereafter.  Even when Yoshitomo's son, Yoritomo (1147-1199) raised an army in 1180, Sanemori remained on the side of the Taira Clan and fought for Taira Koremori, who advanced to Suruga Province to suppress Yoritomo.  Even after Koremori's army suffered a crushing defeat against Yoritomo in the Battle of Fujikawa, Sanemori kept on the side of the Taira Clan.

     In 1183, Sanemori went to Hokuriku with Koremori to hunt down and kill Yoshinaka, but was defeated in the Battle of Shinohara in Kaga Province.  Sanemori made up his mind that the battle should be his last one.  He dyed his gray hair black because he wanted to fight youthfully at the end.  While all his allies were crushed, he pushed his aged body into the fight without taking a step back, and was finally killed by Tezuka Mitsumori (?-1184).

     When Yoshinaka judged the beheaded, he showed the Sanemori's head to Higuchi Kanemitsu (?1184), who recognized Sanemori but wondered why the head had black hair at the age of over 70.  Yoshinaka had Kanemitsu washed Sanemori's head in a nearby pond, and his hair turned gray in an instant.  Yoshinaka realized that he had killed his former benefactor, and burst into tears.  Sanemori's final moments in the Battle of Shinohara are described in the seventh chapter of "The Tale of the Heike" as 'Sanemori's Last Moment', and the tale lamented his death, "Zhu Maichen (?-115 BC) in ancient China returned to his hometown, Guiji, as a successful man and Saito Sanemori today gained fame in the northern provinces.  It's a pity that Sanemori's reputation would last forever but that the name is empty and his body became dust in a faraway land."

Address: 1979 Yatogo, Kumagaya, Saitama 360-0203

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Virtual Shinobu Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #16 Gyokudo-in Temple

 

     Gyokudo-in Temple was founded by Kaneko Iesada (?-1587) in Menuma Village.

     The Kaneko Family belonged to the Murayama Corps and based in Kaneko Village, Iruma County, Musashi Province.

     Taira Yukinaga emigrated to Koma County and started calling his family Kaneko in 962.  One of his descendants, Kaneko Ietada (1138-1216), was a member of the Murayama Corps.  Who were the Murayama 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 7 corps on the plateaus in the province: the Musashi Seven Corps.  The Murayama Corps was one of the 7.

     Murayama Yorito's 5th son, Iehira, came to live in Kaneko Village, and started the Kaneko Family of the Murayama Corps.

     At the beginning of the Edo Period (1603-1867), Ishikawa Noriyuki (1634-1707) married a daughter of Umezono Sanekiyo (1609-1662), an aristocrat in Kyoto, presumably when he was promoted to the lord of Yodo Castle in Yamashiro Province.  His first son, Masayoshi (1658-1682), died young without being the head of the family.  In 1690, Masayoshi's mother and his younger brother, Yoshitaka (1659-1710), presented a Buddhist bell to Gyokudo-in Temple.  It is unknown why they chose the temple.

     In 1598, Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) died in Fushimi Castle.  In 1599, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1546-1616) moved into the castle to "support" the Toyotomi Regime, and since then the castle became Tokugawa's foothold against the regime in Osaka.  In 1623, Yodo Castle was built and Tokugawa's foothold was moved nearer to Osaka.

     On February 25th, 1669, Ishikawa Noriyuki was promoted to the lord of Yodo Castle.

He was a well-educated man, and served as the academic mentor of Tokugawa Tsunayoshi (1646-1709), the 5th Shogun.  He wrote many books.  He discovered a famous artist, Hanabusa Iccho (1652-1724), who was a son of his domain's physician, and ordered him to become a disciple of Kano Yasunobu (1614-1685).

     The Umezono Family operated as a buke-jikkon-shu, a samurai escort, who escorts samurai to the Imperial Palace.  While a buke-tenso, a samurai communicator, was a high-ranking officer, buke-jikkin-shu was a lower-ranking official.  There could have been a connection or two between Noriyuki and Sanekiyo.  As the sankin-kotai, alternate attendance system, was installed in the 1630's,  Noriyuki's wife should have stayed in Edo.  We could, however, hardly find any connection between Noriyuki's wife and Gyokudo-in Temple yet.

     During the Kamakura Period (1185-1333), the Asukai Family, the Ano Family, the Jimyoin-Ichijo Family, the Reizei Family, and the Anenokoji Family moved from Kyoto to Kamakura to serve the Kamakura shogunate.  During the Muromachi Period (1336-1573), when the Ashikaga Shogunate was based in Kyoto, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358-1408), the 3rd Shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate, became Grand Minister of State and organized his vassals among the aristocrats.  The buke-jikkon-shu, the aristocratic non-samurai direct vassals of the shogunate, was established around the time of the 6th Shogun, Yoshinori (1394-1441).  During the Muromachi Shogunate, eight families, the Karasuma Family, the Hino Family, the Hirohashi Family, the Asukai Family, the Kajuji Family, the Kami-reizei Family, the Takakura Family, and the Ogimachi-Sanjo Family, were treated as such.  The Shirakawa Family and the Ano Family were treated in this way for only one generation.  They served at the Muromachi Shogunate Palace, accompanied the Shogun on outings, and assisted buke-denso, Samurai Communicator.  After the 15th and last Shogun, Yoshiaki (1537-1597), Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582) and Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-15989, who took over the shogunate and temporarily organized their regimes, did not form buke-jikkon-shu.

     When Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) was appointed as the first Shogun of the Edo  Shogunate, the families who had been in the Muromachi Shogunate's buke-jikkon-shu attended Ieyasu's visit to the Imperial Palace, and the buke-jikkon-shu was formed again.  The Ogimachi-Sanjo Family was removed and the Yamashina Family and the Tsuchimikado Family were added.  In the reign of the third Shogun, Iemitsu (1604-1651), the buke-jikkon-shu consisted of 14 families: the Karasuma Family, the Hino Family, the Hirohashi Family, the Asukai Family, the Kajuji Family, the Kami-Reizei Family, the Takakura Family, the Yamashina Family, the Tsuchimikado Family, the Shijo Family, the Rokujo Family, the Funabashi Family, the Yanagihara Family, and the Sanjonishi Family.  Later, the Kawa Family and the Umezono Family were added.

     When Ieyasu visited the Imperial Palace, buke-jikkon-shu would meet Ieyasu in front of the palace and see him off when he left the palace.  In addition, they taught the etiquette and knowledge required for the shogun's visit in advance, and would also visit Edo Castle to offer services such as greeting the shogun at the beginning of the year.  However, after Iemitsu until the end of the Edo Period, the shoguns did not go to Kyoto so often, buke-jikkon-shu played the role of sending letters to the shogun and as such.  In Short, buke-jikkon-shu became intellectuals, and that's where the Umezono Family had connections with the Ishikawa Family.

     Was it really Ishikawa Noriyuki who was a well-educated person?  Or wasn't it his wife that provided him such intelligence?

     Gyokudo-in Temple has Entsu-kaku Hall, which enshrines Cintamanicakra, who usually has 6 arms and holds chintamani (a wish-fulfilling jewel) in one of the six.

Address: 2485 Menuma, Kumagaya, Saitama 360-0201

Phone: 048-588-1159.

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Virtual Shinobu Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #15 Dairyu-ji Temple

 

     Dairyu-ji Temple was founded in 1605 by Shimada Unemenosho.  He invited Priest Banzuii (1542-1615).  In the 17th century, on the other hand, the Tokugawa Shogunate established the danka system, and every citizen in Japan was supposed to belong to a Buddhist temple.  The number of temples increased.

     Kuzuwada is a ferry port along the Tone River whose written document dates back to the 1560's.

Address: 898 Kuzuwada, Kumagaya, Saitama 360-0222

Phone: 048-588-1741

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Virtual Shinobu Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #14 Jigen-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Jigen-ji Temple was founded in Tajima Village, Hara County, Musashi Province.

     Tajima Village was developed presumably after Ina Tadaharu (1606-1653) made the Old Ara River flow into the Iruma River in 1629.  Swamps in the Old Ara River Basin became drier, and an island-like land might have appeared between the Tone River and the Old Ara River.  The island came to be called Tajima, namely Field Island.

     Jigen-ji Temple enshrines Eleven-Faced Ekadasamukha.

Address: 238 Tajima, Kumagaya, Saitama 360-0215

Phone: 048-588-8051

Clouds Over the Town

Virtual Shinobu Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #13 Shufuku-ji Temple

 

     Shufuku-ji Temple was founded by Priest Enmei (?-1298) in Nara Village.

     Hojo Sadatoki (1272-1311), the Regent of the Kamakura Shogunate, cornered Taira Yoritsuna (?-1293), who was the Steward of the Hojo Clan, and who was a wirepuller of the shogunate, to kill himself.  Enmei witnessed the incident, but he missed witnessing the collapse of the Kamakura Shogunate or the destruction of the Hojo Clan as well as their stewards, which took place 5 years after his death.

     After destroying the Nara Family in 1517, Narita Chikayasu (?-1545) revived the temple, inviting Priest Shuho (?-1549), who changed the temple from Linji Chan School to Caodong Chan School.  It is unknown why he chose the temple as their foothold in Nara Village.

     Shufuku-ji Temple has the grave of the Yoshida Family.

     The heads of the Yoshida family used the name “Ichiemon” for generations: Ichiemon I (1703-1792), Ichiemon II (1739-1813), Ichiemon III (1783-1844), Ichiemon IV (1816-1868), and Ichiemon V (1845-1868).  For five generations, they were social entrepreneurs and philanthropists.  They gained a lot of respect from neighboring villages.

     Ichiemon II replaced the bridges in the village and nearby villages with stone bridges, and sent relief supplies to the victims of the eruption of Mt. Asama.  Ichiemon III paid money for repairing irrigation canals and rivers, including the Bizen excavation Irrigation Canal, and provided assistance in times of famine.  Ichiemon V provided food aid when the harvest was poor, and presented donations to educational facilities.  Kindness is never lost.  In 1890, when the Arakawa River flooded, several hundred bales of seed rice were delivered from Shizuoka Prefecture to the Saitama Prefectural office, with their label saying, "Once our ancestors suffered from starvation, Yoshida Ichiemon of Shimonara, Musashi Province, supplied them.  We send seed rice to repay his act of kindness."  It wasn't mentioned which Ichiemon they were talking about.  A specific Ichiemon?  Plural Ichiemon's?  Or all of them?

Address: 551 Shimonara Kumagaya, Saitama 360-0802

Phone: 048-521-3734

Clouds Over the Town

Virtual Shinobu Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #12 Riei-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Riei-ji Temple was founded in Shimo-Nara Village, Hara County, Musashi Province. 

     Kunii Cogyo Corporation produces and provides reinforcing steel rods.  It is unknown why Riei-ji Temple is located in its Kumagaya Factory.

     Riei-ji Temple is said to have been enshrining Eleven-Fased Ekadasamukha.

Address: 796 Shimonara, Kumagaya, Saitama 360-0802

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Virtual Shinobu Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #11 Kannon-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Kannon-ji Temple was founded in Shimo-Nara Village, Hara County, Musashi Province.

     The pilgrimage route goes through old rice fields developed in ancient times, those developed in medieval days, and those developed under the Tokugawa Shogunate.  The second ones are usually muddy paddy fields and the third ones were possibly  developed after Ina Tadaharu (1606-1653) made the Old Ara River flow into the Iruma River in 1629.  The Old Ara River Basin became drier, or at least not too wet.

     Nara Village might have been developed in medieval days, and Shimo-Nara Village became independent in the Edo Period.

     The Nara Family was based in Nara Village.  The Nara Family first appeared on the stage of history in the Tale of Hogen, which is a Japanese war chronicle or military tale about the Hogen Rebellion in 1156.  The rebellion was brought about, twining 3 different internal conflicts.  The supreme level conflicts were among the Royal Family: Cloistered Emperor Emperor Toba (1103-1156), Cloistered Emperor Emperor Sutoku (1119-1164), and Reigning Emperor Go-Shirakawa (1127-1192).  The second level conflicts were between noble brothers: Fujiwara Tadamichi (1097-1164), Fujiwara Yorinaga (1120-1156).  The third level conflicts were among samurai: among the Minamoto Clan, and among the Taira Clan.  As the rebellion was actually fought by samurai, it paved the way to the rise of samurai.  In the rebellion, the Nara Family fought for Minamoto Yoshitomo (1123-1160), without realizing which (cloistered) emperor they were fighting for.  Yoshitomo mobilized samurai from Sagami, Musashi, Kazusa, Shimousa, Shimotsuke, Shinano, and Izu Provinces.  He had left Kyoto and visited the Kanto Region when a boy.  He grew up there to gain renown as a brave and courageous samurai.  He also extended his power by marriage.  His first son, Yoshihira (1141-1160), was born to a daughter of Miura Yoshiaki (1092-1180).  His second son, Tomonaga (1143-1160) was born to a sister of Hatano Yoshimichi (1107-1167).  He was not only politically energetic but also privately.  His 4th son was born to an unrecorded mother.  His 6th son was born to a prostitute of Ikeda Station in Totomi Province.  His 7th, 8th, and 9th sons were born to his concubine.  The number of his children helped when the Minamoto Clan launched their revengeful battles against the Taira Clan.  However, the number also slang mud at them, after they established the Kamakura Shogunate.  They started another internal conflict and Yoshitomo's family died out and their political hegemony in the shogunate went over to the Hojo Clan. 

     The Nara Family survived all the troubles caused by their direct lord, or by their supreme rulers.  The Nara Family not only survived but also spread.  Their branches moved to Mutsu and Sanuki Provinces.  In the Warring States Period, however, they were destroyed one by one.  The Nara Family in Musashi Province was destroyed by the Narita, Beppu, and Tamai Families in 1517.  When Chosokabe Motochika (1539-1599) invaded Sanuki Province from Tosa Province in 1580, the Nara Family there was destroyed.  When Kunohe Masazane (1536-1591) fought against the 60,000-strong army of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) with his 5,000 samurai, the Nara Family fought for Masazane, to lose.  The head of the family, Shirozaemon, was executed in Sannohasama, Kurihara County, Mutsu Province, and the family's survivors scattered to Tsugaru and Akita.  When the Hirosaki Domain in Tsugaru was abolished in 1872 under the Meiji Restoration Government, it had 16 Nara Families as samurai.

     Kannon-ji Temple enshrines Eleven-Fased Ekadasamukha.

Address: 913 Shimonara, Kumagaya, Saitama 360-0802

Trees In the Town

Virtual Shinobu Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #10 Kannon-ji Temple

 

     Fujiwara Tsunemitsu moved from Kyoto to Chujo Village, Musashi Province, in 1137.  He married a daughter of a local powerful family, the Shirane Family, and he called his family Chujo.  His grandchild, Ienaga (1165-1236), became a samurai and belonged to 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 one of the 7.

     As Ienaga was also a competent civilian officer, he became a member of the supreme administration in the Kamakura Shogunate.

     In the 8th century, rice fields were rezoned by the unit of 11,881 square meters.  Horizontal 6 units were called Jo, and vertical 6 units were called Ri.  Accordingly, the rezoning system was called the Jori system.

     After the Former Nine Years' War or the Early Nine Years' War (1051-1063), the Yokoyama Corps advanced to the Jori-system rice fields along the Tone River.  It means they tried to embezzle old rice fields.  Chujo literally means Middle Jo, so Chujo Village might have been located in the middle of Jori-system rice field area.  Even today, you can relatively easily find the site of the Jori-system rice field area with a map and a tracing graph paper.

Address: 2018 Kamichujo, Kumagaya, Saitama 360-0001

Trees In the Town

Virtual Shinobu Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #9 An'yo-in Temple

 

     It is unknown when An'yo-in Temple was founded in Imai Village, Sakitama County, Musashi Province.  The place name Imai, Now Well, was usually given to where newly developed especially in the Edo Period (1603-1867).

     The Sasunabe Drainage ran through Imai Village and the drainage is supposed to have been built when Ina Tadaharu (1606-1653) constructed Kitagawara Irrigation Canal in 1644.  The area could have had swamps to drain water to develop rice fields.

     An'yo-in Temple's precincts have a Kannon-do Hall, which enshrines Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses.

     Its precincts also have Shinmei shrine, which is a Shinto shrine where Amaterasu is worshiped.  The most important Shinmei shrine is Ise Grand Shrine.  Other Shinmei Shrines are branches of Ise Grand Shrine.  The precincts also have an Akasagarbha hall.  An'yo-in Temple's main deity is Amitabha.  All in all, the precincts might have been a holy place which is a complex of targets of worship which might have been brought to the newly developed village by several kinds of people with various religious backgrounds.

Address: 868 Imai, Kumagaya, Saitama 360-0005

Clouds Over the Town

Virtual Shinobu Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #8 Ryuen-ji Temple

 

     Narita Ietoki, who lived at the turn of the 15th century, and who was said to be the 12th head of the family, founded Ryuen-ji Temple in the west of Sarao Village, where the Narita Family used to be based, in 1411, inviting Priest Seijun (?-1465), who lived in Amida-do Hall in Sarao Village. The temple might have been destroyed or burned down in the Eikyo War in 1438.  It was revived in 1440.  The Narita Family built Oshi Fortress in the east of Sarao Village in the 1470's.

     Ashikaga Mochiuji (1398-1439) became the 4th Kanto Deputy Shogun in 1409 at the age of 11.  Uesugi Ujinori (?-1417) became the Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate in 1411 in his 40’s.  As Mochiuji entered the rebellious stage, he preferred Uesugi Norimoto (1392-1418).  Mochiuji replaced Ujinori with Norimoto in 1415.  Ujinori was forced to commit suicide on Joanuary 10th, 1417, but the aftermath led to the Eikyo War, which was fought between Mochiuji (1398-1439) and Uesugi Norizane (1410-1466), the Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate.

     From 1560 to 1568, Nagao Kagetora (1530-1578) invaded the Kanto Region every year after harvest time to solve his domestic starvation.  In 1562, the temple burned down and, in the next year, it was revived by Narita Yasusue (1516-1590), who died in Oshi Castle when it was under siege of Ishida Mitsunari (1560-1600).

     In 1590, the Later Hojo Clan was destroyed and the Narita Family fell.  Donsetsu was the priest of Ryuen-ji Temple.  One day, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) visited the temple on his way to falconry.  Donsetsu realized Ieyasu was Takechiyo, who learned penmanship together until Takechiyo left Mikawa Province at the age of 5 to be a hostage.  Donsetsu had been born into the Saigo Family in Mikawa Province.

Address: 336 Kamino, Kumagaya, Saitama 360-0012

Phone: 048-521-3184

Trees In the Town

Virtual Shinobu Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #7 Hozo-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Semui-ji Temple was founded in Ikegami Village, Sakitama County, Musashi Province.  Its temple bell was cast in 1309, and was later presented (?) to Oshi Castle to be used as a warning bell for battles.  By the time when Mamiya Kotonobu (1777-1841) compiled the New Topography and Chronology of Musashi Province at the beginning of the 19th century, Semui-ji was renamed Fumon-ji.  Anyway, the temple was abolished presumably after the Meiji Restoration, and its Kannon-do Hall was moved to its present place in front of Kasuga Shrine.  The temple might have been its shrine temple.

     The hall is maintained by Hozo-ji Temple, which had been founded by Priest Nichiei (?-1621) presumably after Tokugawa Ieyasu moved to the Kanto Region in 1590.

Address: 5908-1 Mochida, Gyoda, Saitama 361-0056

Phone: 048-556-0798

Kasuga Shrine

Address: 1 Koshikida, Gyoda, Saitama 361-0065

Trees In the Town

Virtual Shinobu Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #6 Kannon-ji Temple

 

     It seems there are 2 addresses for Kannon-ji Temples in Mochida; one is 2561 Mochida, and the other is in 5631 Mochida.  It is unknown when the temple was founded.  Whichever address is correct, the temple used to be the shrine temple of Hachiman Shrine.  When Minamoto Yoritomo (1147-1199) visited Iwashimizu-Hachiman Shrine, Oshi Saburo of Mochida Village followed him.  When Saburo returned to the village in Sakitama County, Musashi Province, he invited the shrine to the village.  The Oshi Family's residence is said to have become Henjo-in Temple.

     The Oshi Family was destroyed by the Narita Family in 1478.  The Kyotoku War lasted for 28 years from 1454 to 1482.  During the war, Ashikaga Shigeuji (1438-1497), the Kanto Deputy Shogun in Kamakura, relinquished Kamakura and moved to Koga in 1457.  In 1458, the Muromachi Shogunate sent out another deputy shogun, Ashikaga Masatomo (1435-1491), from Kyoto for Kamakura, but he couldn’t enter Kamakura and stayed in Horikoshi, Izu Province.  From then on, there were a Koga Kanto Deputy Shogun and a Horikoshi Kanto Deputy Shogun in the Kanto Region.  The Oshi Family wasn't able to survive the war.

Address: 2561 Mochida, Gyoda, Saitama 361-0056

Phone: 048-559-4714

Hachiman Shrine

Address: 5774 Mochida, Gyoda, Saitama 361-0056

Henjo-in Temple

Address: 1 Chome-4-18 Komagata, Gyoda, Saitama 361-0055

Phone: 048-553-2361

Trees In the Town

Virtual Shinobu Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #5 Genso-ji Temple

 

     Fujii Utanosuke (?-1630) built a hermitage in Osato County, Musashi Province.  Priest Genso changed the hermitage to a temple and named it  Genso-ji sometime between 1645 and 1648.  The change was supported by Takei Nobutake.

     Utanosuke was from Hirado, Matsuura County, Hizen Province, and named where he lived Hirado.  It is unknown why and when he came to Musashi Province.  However, he was a powerful figure in the village in 1608.  In the first half of the 18th century, the Fujii Family owned one fourth of the lands in the village.

     Priest Genso had the sitting statues of Bhaisajyaguru and Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses, built in the method of something like parquet or marquetry in 1662.  The method was started in the latter half of the 10th century, and was refined and sophisticated in the 11th century.  They are 3.5 meters tall and the tallest or biggest in Saitama Prefecture among those which were built in the method.  They were decorated with gold leaves and lacquered over the leaves.  We can easily guess how rich Utanosuke and the Fujii Family were.  The source of his richness is, however, unknown.

What was Hirado like in those days?  It belonged to Matsura County, Hizen Province.

     We can know what the ancient Matsura area was like through the Records of the Three Kingdoms, a Chinese historical text which covers the history of the Late (East) Han Dynasty (BC184-AD220) and the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280).  The 3 kingdoms included Wei, Shu, and Wu.  Volume 30 of Book of Wei has Biographies of the Wuhan, Xianbei, and Dongyi.  The Dongyi biography has the entry about Wa, today’s Japan.

     Himiko, the queen of Wa, sent ambassadors to Wei in 238, 243, 245, and 247.  The return ambassadors of Wei described Japan.

     To reach Yamatai Country, where Himiko lived, they crossed the Korea Strait via Tsushima and Iki Islands, and arrived at the north-west coast of Kyushu.  The area was called Matsura Country.  The country was covered with weeds and trees so dense that they could not see people walking in front of them.  The people living there were good at catching fish and abalones not only in the shallow sea but even by diving into the deep sea.

     The Matsura people were sea people, and later became sea samurai, or pirates in short.  They were called Matsura Corps.  In the battle of Dan-no-ura in 1185, they fought for the Taira Clan.  They fought against the Mongol invasions of Japan in 1274 and 1281 for the Kamakura Shogunate.  Under the Muromachi Shogunate, they worked as escorts for missions to Ming.  In the latter half of the 15th century, one family became more powerful than others.  They called themselves the Matsura Family, and formed the Matsura Clan with themselves the head family.  In the 16th century, the Hirado Family, one of the branch families of the Matsura Clan, became powerful.  When the family was riding the boom, Takanobu (1529-1599) succeeded the headship of the family in 1543.  In 1565, he forced the Matsura Family to adopt his third son, practically took over the Matsura Clan, and called himself Matsura Takanobu.  In 1568, his eldest son, Shigenobu (1549-1599), succeeded the headship of the clan.

     The Hirado Family became powerful through trading with foreign countries, or through smuggling from the official point of the view of the central government.

     In 1550, a Portuguese ship first visited Hirado.  From 1553, one or two Portuguese ships came to Hirado annually.  That brought prosperity to Hirado, but Takanobu didn’t like their missionary work.  Under the tension, the captain and 13 other crew members of a Portuguese ship were killed in 1561, and Portuguese merchants moved to Nagasaki.

     In 1609, 2 Dutch ships visited Hirado, and opened a trading house, although it moved to Dejima, Nagasaki, in 1641.

     In 1613, an English ship came to Hirado, and set up a trading house, which was closed in 1623 because of their poor trading performance.

     Anyway, Hirado enjoyed its prosperity through trading, or smuggling, with western countries for more than half a century.  However, its downfall was creeping up on Hirado.  In 1613, the lord of Hirado Castle burned the castle down himself to show his loyalty towards the Tokugawa Shogunate.  In 1639, the former vassal of the Hirado Domain, Ukihashi Mondo, accused the domain of harboring Christians.  The Tokugawa Shogunate dispatched Matsudaira Nobutsuna (1596-1662) to inspect the suspects.  The suspicion was cleared up, but Nobutsuna was surprised with the wealth the domain had accumulated through trading with foreign countries.  In 1641, the shogunate ordered the closing of the Dutch Trading Office in Hirado.  The Hirado Domain lost the huge profit through trading with foreign countries and fell into financial hardship.

     Utanosuke seems  to have left Hirado when the Tokugawa Shogunate started its political pressure on the Matsura Clan.  Was he against the shogunate?  Then, why did he came to the outskirts of Edo, the stronghold of the shogunate?  Or did Utanosuke have something to do with the shogunate's schemes?

Address: 644 Hirato Kumagaya, Saitama 360-0021

Phone: 048-526-5874