Virtual Saitama City Chichibu 34 Kannon Pilgrimage #27 Oshima-do Hall

 

     It is unknown when Oshima-do Hall was founded in Nakamaru Village, Adachi County, Musashi Province.  It is also unknown when the village, whose special products were Chinese yams and the extract liquid of astringent persimmons, was developed.  It had 47 households at the turn of the 19th century.  The village came to be called Minami-Nakamaru, namely South Nakamaru, because Saitama Prefecture had another Nakamaru Village in the north.  The 2 villages weren't next to each other.

     The Saitama City Museum keeps the documents of Oshima Family, the head of Nakamaru Village.  One of the documents dates back to 1591, a year after Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) moved to the Kanto Region.

     The hall enshrines Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses.

     Nakamura Village was developed by 8 families including the Oshima, Kabata, Kuranami, Mitomi, and Yabe Families.  The Oshima and Kabata Families were said to have been the samurai who had been subject to the Kasuga Family. 

     Kasuga Yukimoto was based in Sugaya Village, Adachi County, Musashi Province.  He was subject to the Ota Family in Iwatsuki Fortress.  When Ota Sukemasa (1522-1591) became subject to Hojo Ujiyasu (1515-1571) in January, 1548. In 1559, Yukimoto followed Sukemasa and fought for the Later Hojo Clan.  In 1560, when Nagao Terutora(1530-1578) invaded the Kanto Region to outsource his local starvation, Sukemasa changed his sides to Terutora, and Yukimoto followed Sukemasa.  In 1564, Sukemasa's eldest son, Ujisuke (1542-1567), rebelled against Sukemasa, Yukimoto followed Ujisuke.  Ujisuke became subject to Hojo Ujimasa (1538-1590).

     Presumably, the Oshima and Kabata Families became farmers after the collapse of the Later Hojo Clan in 1590.

Address: 289-3 Minaminakamaru, Minuma Ward, Saitama, 337-0041

Saitama City Museum

Address: 2 Chome-1-2 Takahanacho, Omiya Ward, Saitama, 330-0803

Phone: 048-644-2322