Virtual Adachi Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage (the South) #18 Kannon-ji Temple

 

     Kannon-ji Temple was revived by Priest Ryoyo (?-1598), supported by Sho Hidenaga.

     Hidenaga first lived in Hashido Village, Niikura County, Musashi Province.  Presumably, he was a samurai there and was subject to the Later Hojo Clan.  After the collapse of the clan in 1590, he became a farmer and moved to Niizo Village with his second son, Ietsugu (?-1640).  Hidenaga presented a stone lantern dated 1595 to the temple.  He could have been a branch of the Sho Family.

     Who was the Sho Family?

     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 samurai families.  By marriage, those samurai families composed corps on the plateaus in the province: Yokoyama, Inomata, Murayama, Noyo, Tan, and Nishi Corps.

     Kodama Corps were the largest corps and had 100 branches including those with different Chinese characters with the same pronunciation: Kodama, Sho, Honjo, Asaba, Asami, Shinjo, Araya, Izumi, Sakaki, Inajima,  Nissai, Iwata, Ise, Imai, Urakami, Kozuke, Okawara, Osawa, Otsuka, Orui, Obuchi, Ohama, Oku, Okudaira, Okutsuka, Okazaki, Obata, Ogawara, Omino, Katayama, Kanesawa, Kashiwajima, Katsura, Kashiwazaki, Kita, Kuroiwa, Kurisu, Aoda, Kuragano, Kugezuka, Gugezuka, Gokan, Shodai,Konakayama, Koma, Shioya, Shimana, Shimakata, Shirakura, Komoda, Omoda, E, Edouchi, Ogose, Shimana, Takao, Takayama, Tako, Takezawa, Tachikawa, Hata, Chichibu, Tomita, Tomino, Toshima, Torikata, Yoshiasano, Naoshita, Nakajo, Nagatsuka, Nagaoka, Naruse, Nagura, Naito, Nishi, Niwa, Fukuda, Yasuo, Horikago, Hirukawa, Makino, Mashimo, Miyata, Mizokami, Mina, Musha, Makishi, Yajima, Yamada, Yamakoshi, Yamana, Hitoyoshi, Yoshizumi, Yoshijima, Yoshida, Yomota, and Shioten Families.

     The Kodama Family was the head family of the Kodama Corps.  The 4th head of the Kodama Family called his family Sho, namely Manor.  The 5th head of the family, Ienaga, expanded his power across the Kanna River to Kozuke Province.  On November, 14th, 1175, Ise Shrine accused the Kodama Family of their violent conduct over the Takayama Royal Manor.  Ienaga killed Taira Tomoakira (1169-1184) in the Battle of Ichinotani in 1184, he was awarded the Kusakabe Manor in Bicchu Province.  As his first son, Yoriie, was killed in the battle, Ienaga moved to the manor with his second son, Ietsugu.  His 4th son, Tokiie, succeeded to the Kodama Manor and the Takayama Royal Manor, which Ienaga had taken over.  Tokiie started calling his family Honjo, literally Original Manor.

     It is unknown when Kannon-ji Temple was founded.  As its precincts have an itabi dated 1253, it should be older than that.

     The temple's main deity is Cintamanicakra, who usually has 6 arms and holds chintamani (a wish-fulfilling jewel) in one of the six.

Address: 1791 Niizo, Toda, Saitama 335-0021

Phone: 048-441-4127