Virtual Kodama Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #19 Yusho-ji Temple

 

     Sho Yoriie (?-1184) was killed in the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani on March 20th, when he was still a teenager.  His wife, who later became Nun Myozen, was still too young to have their child and yet became a widow.  Instead of marrying again, she adopted Yoriie's younger brother, Ietsugu, and let him succeed to the headship of the Sho Family.  She founded Yusho-ji Temple in 1201, when she was around thirty, inviting Priest Ryoun (?-1202).  The precincts still have his grave.

     Yusho-ji Temple burned down in battle in 1337.  What happened in the year?

     Kitabatake Akiie (1318-1338) was appointed to be a chief of the Mutsu Province on August 5th, 1333, and moved there with his expeditionary force on October 10th in the same year. He managed to bring the region under his control by the end of the next year.  He carried out 2 campaigns from the province to Kyoto to restore Imperial rule.

     Ashikaga Takauji (1305-1358) appointed Ashikaga Ienaga (1321-1338) as the General of Mutsu Province in 1335 to contain Akiie.  Ienaga moved to Shiba County in the province and then called his family Shiba.

     On December 22nd, Akiie left Mutsu Province with a 50,000-strong army to Kyoto to fight against Takauji.  On January 2nd, 1336, Akiie attacked Kamakura, defeated the forces of Ashikaga Yoshiakira (1330-1367), the 3rd son of Takauji, and Momoi Naotsune (?-1376), and occupied Kamakura.  The next day, Akiie left Kamakura and continued to advance to Kyoto.  On January 6th he reached Totomi Province, and, on January 12th, he reached Aichi River in Omi Province.  Akiie's army moved an average of about 40 kilometers a day, running a long distance of 600 kilometers in just half a month.  That was the fastest march in Japan.  Akiie's army crossed Lake Biwa in a day and had an audience with Emperor Godaigo in Sakamoto.  Finally, on January 30th, he defeated Takauji and succeeded in forcing him to leave Kyoto.

     On March 24th, Akiie left Kyoto to return to Mutsu Province.  Ienaga obstructed Akiie but couldn't stop him.  Yusho-ji Temple could have been involved in a battle on Akiie's way back to Mutsu Province.

     In 1537, Hojo Ujiyasu (1515-1571) fought against Uesugi Tomosada (1525-1546), the head of the Ogigayatsu-Uesugi Family, in Azamiyama, Kodama County, Musashi Province.  Yusho-ji Temple was burned down in battle again.  It was rebuilt in 1554.

     Yusho-ji Temple's main deity is Acalanatha.  It also enshrines Cintamanicakra, who usually has 6 arms and holds chintamani (a wish-fulfilling jewel) in one of the six, as the #19 deity of the Kodama Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.

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