Virtual Kodama Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #22 Youn-ji Temple

 

     Mangan-ji Temple was founded in 820 by Ennin (794-864).  Nitta Yoshisada (1301-1338), who invaded Kamakura to destroy the Kamakura Shogunate and the Hojo Clan in 1333, presented the temple a Acalanatha statue.  The precincts have the graves of Hata Tokiyoshi (1299-1341) and his vassal, Kodama Mitsunobu.  Tokiyoshi, who had been born in Chichibu County, Musashi Province, was one of Yoshisada's 4 best vassals.  Yoshisada, Tokiyoshi, and Mitsunobu attacked Heisen-ji Temple in 1338.  What is Heisen-ji Temple?

     Taicho (682-767) was born in Asozu (namely Aso Port) in Echizen Province as the second son of Mikami Yasuzumi, the head of a local powerful family.  The Mikami Family ran the water transportation along the Hino River.  Taicho-ji Temple in Fukui still has a well whose water is said to have been used for Taicho's first bath.  Taicho became a Buddhist monk at the age of 14, with his first Buddhist name Hocho.  He climbed Mt. Ochi and trained by praying to Eleven-Faced Ekadasamukha.  In 702, he was appointed by Emperor Karu (683-707) as a priest of the protection of the nation, and founded Toyohara-ji Temple in Sakai County, Echizen Province.  After that, He climbed Mt. Haku in Kaga Province in 717 and sensed Bodhisattva there.  He is said to be the first person to reach the top of Mt. Haku, and was the pioneer of mountain asceticism there.  In the same year, he founded Heisen-ji Temple in Ono County, Echizen Province.

     During the Southern and Northern Courts Period, Heisen-ji Temple sided with the Southern Court first.  However, when Shiba Takatsune (1305-1367) of the Northern Court guaranteed the temple's ownership of Fujishima Manor, it switched sides to the Northern Court.  In 1338, Yoshisada was killed on his way to the temple.  Still, Tokiyoshi and Mitsunobu kept fighting against Heisen-ji Temple.  2 years passed, and Takatsune suspected that Heisen-ji Temple actually went over to the Southern Court's side.  He sent 30,000-strong troops.  On October 22nd, 1341, Tokiyoshi made a suicide attack with his loyal 16 cavalry against Takatsune's troops.  He was shot to death.  Mitsunobu cut his head and broke through the enemy lines and brought the head back to Musashi Province, and buried it in Mangan-ji Temple.

     In the Warring States Period, Mangan-ji Temple burned down, and was revived by the Saito Family as Suei-ji.  The Battle of Kannagawa in 1582 left the temple in ruins.  In the Edo Period, Kawakubo Nobutoshi (1564-1639) revived the temple and renamed it Youn-ji.

     Nobutoshi was a nephew of Takeda Harunobu (1521-1573) in Kai Province.  After the Takeda Clan was destroyed by Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582) in 1582, Nobutoshi became subject to Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616).  Ieyasu moved to the Kanto Region in 1590, and Nobutoshi followed him.

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