Virtual Adachi Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage (the South) #21 Sanzo-in Temple

 

     It is unknown when Sanzo-in Temple was founded in Warabi Village, Adachi County, Musashi Province.  The foundation should have been after the 12th century, when the village was developed.

     There used to be itabi dated 1308 and 1493.  It means there were moderate-ranking samurai who died in 1308 and 1493.

     On April 22nd, 1293, Taira Yoritsuna (1241-1293), the Butler of the Hojo Clan, was killed by his lord, Hojo Sadatoki (1272-1311), in the chaos caused by the Kamakura Earthquake, which itself killed 23,024 people.  Sadatoki replaced Yoritsuna with Hojo Munekata (1278-1305), who belonged to a branch family of the Hojo Clan.  However, Munekata was suspected of having an ambition to become the Regent of the Kamakura Shogunate and was killed by Sadatoki.  Munekata’s child  was put in a cage and was sunk in the sea.

     Sadatoki tried to revive the power of the head family of the Hojo Clan.  In 1308, Sadatoki replaced the 8th Shogun, Prince Hisaaki (1276-1328), with Prince Morikuni (1301-1333).  He also promoted Nagasaki Morimune (?-1333) and Adachi Tokiaki (1285-1333) to have them support his son Takatoki (1304-1333).  After that, Sadatoki was tired of government business and was addicted to drinking.  Ironically enough, his arrangement and preparation worked.  The government functioned without him, or without the Hojo Clan.  The Kamakura Shogunate collapsed in 1333.

     On March 17th, 1451, Priest Keiyo found a 7-centimeter-tall statue of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses, in a trench nearby.  He recorded the story on March 18th, 1453.  

     The Chokyo War was fought in the Kanto Region from 1487 to 1505 between the Yamanouchi-Uesugi and Ogigayatsu-Uesugi Families.  The Battle of Tachikawanohara on November 13th, 1504, was the final showdown between Uesugi Akisada (1454-1510), who was the head of the Yamanouchi-Uesugi Family, and Uesugi Tomoyoshi (1473-1518), who was the head of the Ogigayatsu-Uesugi Family.  It didn't matter which side won.  The Chokyo War caused the Uesugi Clan to decline, left the Kanto Region further in confusion, and attracted Ise Shinkuro (1432-1519), who had come from Kyoto to Suruga Province in 1469 to make a warring-state-period hero, and who actually carried out his plan.  In 1493, he first started unifying Izu Province, which lay east to Suruga Province.

     The samurai buried under the itabi might have wanted to pray for their comfort in the other world.

     The temple might have been damaged in the Warring States Period, and was revived by Kwashima Saburoemon (?-1575).

Address: 2 Chome-30-10 Central, Warabi, Saitama 335-0004

Phone: 048-433-0434