Virtual Shinobu Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #23 Korin-ji Temple

 

     Korin-ji Temple was founded by Beppu Kiyoshige in 1187 to pray for the comfort of his late father, Yoshishige.  Sometime between 1532 and 1555, Nagakiyo, the 11th head of the family, extended the temple buildings, and Priest Yogan (?-1557) changed the temple to Caodong Chan School.

     Beppu Kiyoshige took part in the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani, in which the Minamoto Clan beat the Taira Clan, in 1184 at the age of 18, counting in the old Japanese way.  It means he might have been 17 years old.

     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), the lord of the castle, was in Odawara Castle with the bulk of his forces including Beppu Nagakiyo and his second son, Kiyokatsu.  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 had 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.

     Beppu Akikiyo, Nagakiyo's first son, was in the castle, defending its Shimo-Oshi Gate, and was killed in battle.  It is unknown what happened to Nagakiyo and Kiyokatsu.  The Beppu Family disappeared from history.

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