Trees In the Town

Virtual Musashino 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #32 Tenryu-ji Temple

 

     Tenryu-ji Temple was founded by Saint Rat in Agano Village, Koma County, Musashi Province, in 911.  The saint was born to Aji in Amano Village, Ito County, Kii Province, at the hour of Rat (at twelve midnight), on the day of Rat (on the 5th, on the 17th, or on the 29th), in the month of Rat (in November), in the year of Rat (in 832).

     As Rat is the first of the twelve signs of the Japanese zodiac, he was believed to be a saint, and he actually became.

     At the age of 7, he became a Buddhist monk.  He adored the high virtue of Prince Hachiko (542–641).  After the assassination of his father in 592, Hachiko fled north along the western seacoast of Honshu.  He came ashore in Ideha Province and invested the rest of his life in religious pursuits in The Three Mountains of Ideha: Mt. Haguro, Mt. Gassan, and Mt. Yudono.  There, the prince took good care of people and relieved many of their sufferings.

     Rat practiced Buddhist asceticism in Mt. Yudono.  He set his mind to follow Hachiko's deeds of virtue.  When he arrived at where Koma Bridge is located, he was caught in a forest fire.  His lower body was engulfed in flames, but he kept chanting the Heart Sutra.  A sudden shower put out the forest fire and saved his life.  He perceived the favor of a dragon, arrived at the top of the hill on June 13th, and built a hermitage there.  He died on March 10th, 1012.  Priest Keisei (?-1041) changed the hermitage into a temple and named it Tenryu-ji, namely Heaven Dragon Temple.  The locals believed the temple's main deity, Eleven-Faced Ekadasamukha, would answer prayers for recovering from the injuries and illness of lower bodies.

     Did Saint Rat die at the age of 180?

     If you think Saint Rat lived too long, he might have been born in the next year of Rat, in 844.  Then, he was born on the day of Rat (on the 2nd, on the 14th, or on the 26th).  Still too long?  Then, on the day of Rat (on the 11th or on the 23rd) in 856.  Or on the day of Rat (on the 8th or on the 20th) in 868.  Could he have been born on the day of Rat (on the 5th, on the 17th, or on the 29th) in 880?  Was he too young to found a temple if he had been born on the day of Rat (on the 2nd, on the 14th, or on the 26th) in 892?

     Including his birthday, his stories could have been decorated by his followers.  Demons were said to have set fire to prevent Rat from climbing the mountain.  Seeing Rat's Buddhist religious performance, they repented their misdeeds and followed the saint.  That might have mirrored the religious conflicts between Saint Rat, who had mastered mountain asceticism and Buddhism, and the local mountain ascetics.  The mountain top commands a panoramic view of the Kanto Region, and such mountains and hills were generally bases of local mountain asceticism in the region.  In some such places, the conflicts between Buddhists newcomers and the local mountain ascetics were likely severer.  The Agano people were far gentler and far more broad-minded.  Rat responded to their gentleness and broad-mindedness with his religious mind and knowledge.  An independent religion, or at least an independent Buddhist school, was born.  It was in 1705 that Tenryu-ji Temple became a branch of the other temple, Rin'o-ji Temple in Nikko.

     At the turn of the 18th century, the Tokugawa Shogunate's religion policies were even stricter.

     Some of Nichiren Buddhism believers kept the dogma that nothing could be received (Fuju) from or given (Fuse) to those of other religions.  They were called the Fuju-Fuse sect.  In 1669, the movement was outlawed altogether.  Some priests and followers were beheaded.  In 1691, 63 priests and 11 believers were sent to Miyake-jima, Oshima, Kozu-shima, Nii-jima and Hachijo-jima Islands.

     Tenryu-ji Temple enshrines the image of Eleven-Faced Ekadasamukha.  Some say the dragon changed into Ekadasamukha, and others say Ekadasamukha changed into Saint Rat in Japan.

Address: 461 Minami, Hanno, Saitama 357-0214

Phone: 042-978-0050

Koma Bridge

Address: 992 Sakaishi, Hanno, Saitama 357-0215

Trees In the Town

Virtual Musashino 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #31 Hoko-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Hoko-ji Temple was founded by Priest Joshin (?-1381) at the north-western foot of Mt. Ryugai in Sakaishi Village, Koma County, Musashi Province.  Its foundation was supported by the Okabe Family.  Okabe Shinzaemon presented a sitting wooden Ksitigarbha statue to the temple in 1386.  The Okabe Family lived in the Okabe Fortress near the temple.

     Hoko-ji Temple is 172 meters above sea level, and Mt. Ryugai is 354 meters above sea level.  It means the mountain is about 180 meters above the Koma River.

     The mountain ridge of Mt. Ryugai stretches north-east, making the Koma River flow northward in a big bend.  Okabe Fortress was located in the middle of the ridge 240 meters above sea level.  The fortress and the river had just a 70-meters vertical drop, which didn't make the fortress impregnable.  Yet, it must have been quite a trouble to carry their crops to the fortress to protect the crops from outside enemies.  Why did the Okabe Family build the fortress halfway up the mountain?

     Agano Village grew in the Edo Period as its forestry thrived, but formerly it was just a mountain village with few rice fields.  Who dared to climb the 70-meters vertical drop to rob the Okabe Family of poor crops?  A halfway samurai just needed halfway measures, didn't they?

     It is unknown whether the Okabe Family was a branch of the Okabe Family, who were based in Okabe Village, Hanzawa County, Musashi Province, and who were a branch of the Inomata 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 7 corps on the plateaus in the province: the Musashi Seven Corps.  The Inomata Corps was one of the 7.

     Inomata Tadakane's son, Tadatsuna, moved to Okabe Village and called his family Okabe.  Tadatsuna's grandson, Tadazumi (?-1197), first fought for Minamoto Yoshitomo (1123-1160) in the Hogen Rebellion in 1156 and in the Heiji Rebellion in 1160.  Yoshitomo was assassinated 3 days after he was defeated in the Heiji Rebellion.  After the defeat, Tadazumi returned to his homeland, Okabe, Hanzawa County, Musashi Province.  When Yoshitomo’s son, Yoritomo (1147-1199), raised his army against the Taira Clan, Tadazumi joined the army.  His killing of Taira Tadanori (1144-1184) in the Battle of Ichinotani in 1184 is depicted in the Tale of Heike, which is supposed to have been composed before 1309.  He fought for Yoritomo in countless battles and fightings, and died a natural death in 1197.

     In 1438, the Eikyo War broke out between Ashikaga Mochiuji (1398-1439), the 4th Kanto Deputy Shogun, and Uesugi Norizane (1410-1466), the Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate.  The central Shogunate in Kyoto supported Norizane, and Emperor Go-Hanazono issued an order to suppress and punish Mochiuji as the enemy of the Imperial Court.  Such an order hadn't been issued for 60 years.  When Mochiuji was cornered to commit suicide by the central Shogunate and thus the Imperial Court, Okabe Kagezumi (?-1439) joined Mochiuji.

     At the end of the Warring States Period, Okabe Yoshimasa (1573-1647) was subject to the Matsuda Family, who were the vassals of the Later Hojo Clan.  When the Later Hojo Clan held Odawara Castle against Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598), Matsuda Norihide (?-1590) had secret communications with Hideyoshi, and Hojo Ujinao (1562-1591) imprisoned Norihide.  After Odawara Castle fell, Norihide was ordered by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) to kill himself.  Yoshimasa assisted Norihide in committing hara-kiri by cutting off Norihide's head.  Yoshimasa stayed in Mt. Koya for a while and was hired by Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) through the mediation of Itabeoka Kosetsusai (1537-1609) in 1593.

     What happened to the Okabe Family in Agano Village?  They might have gone halfway down to their rice fields and became farmers.  Under the Pax Tokugawana, they didn't have to carry up their crops over the 70 meters vertical drop.

     Kami-Agano Village was first documented in 1599.  Sakaishi Village became independent from Kami-Agano Village later.  Kami-Agano Village could have become independent from Agano Village in the Warring States Period, and Sakaishi Village might have become independent from Kami-Agano Village under the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Address: 333-1 Sakaishimachibun, Hanno, Saitama 357-0213

Phone: 042-978-0038

The Site of Okabe Fortress

Address: 172 Sakaishimachibun, Hanno, Saitama 357-0213

Trees In the Town

Virtual Musashino 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #30 Fukutoku-ji Temple

 

     Fukutoku-ji Temple was founded by Priest Hozan (?-1231) in 1212 in Agana Village, Koma County, Musashi Province, in the upper reaches of the Koma Rive, which merges into the Oppe River, which in turn merges into the Ara River.

     In 1185, Minamoto Yoritomo (1147-1199) established the Kamakura Shogunate, the government by the samurai, for the samurai, and of the samurai.  Even after the establishment of the shogunate, however, the land system remained dependent on the manor system.  Utilizing the manor system, and seizing the ownership of manors from aristocrats, the samurai class expanded their power and grew into a new ruling class.  On the other hand, they cultivated the back countries of the eastern provinces with their own hands.

     It has been said that there was no large-scale development in medieval society before the Edo Period.  The evidence for the stagnation of development in the Middle Ages has been based on the number of each province's lands described in the Wamyo Ruijusho (namely Japanese Names for Things Classified and Annotated),  which was a Japanese dictionary compiled in 938, and in the Shugaisho (literally Collection of Trivia), compiled from the 13th century to the 14th century.  According to the 2 materials, in the approximately 400 years from the 10th century to the 14th century, the area of rice fields increased by only 100,000 hectares.  In the 1st century in the Edo Period, the area of rice fields increased by 1.5 million hectares.  Shugaisho, however, was compiled by aristocrats and thus only totaled the rice fields aristocracy could know.  Those developed by samurai were excluded.  Furthermore, it does not include non-rice farmlands at all.

     Lt has recently become clear that the late Heian and Kamakura Periods were the era of great cultivation by the local samurai although the large alluvial plains in the Kanto region were still sparsely populated and large rivers' flooding was still uncontrollable, making it difficult to develop them with the technology and capital available at the time.

     The samurai in the Kanto Region carried out the development in two forms: large-scale development by high-ranking samurai and small-scale development by half-farmer samurai. 

     In the 8th century, rice fields were rezoned by the unit of 11,881 square meters.  Horizontal 6 units were called Jo, and vertical 6 units were called Ri.  Accordingly, the rezoning system was called the Jori system.  As ancien regime broke down, many peasants escaped from the Jori-system areas to throw off the yoke of ancient slavery.  "Public" rice fields were devastated and were wasted.  Provincial governments were in a financial crisis.  Some provincial officers and officials became samurai and some local samurai became locally hired provincial officials.  They both appropriated the devastated "public" fields as theirs and redeveloped the fields.  That was the former type of development.  The latter type was carried out by village communities.  They built and maintained irrigation facilities such as ponds.

     The areas that had not been used as rice fields, such as slightly elevated areas such as natural embankments, became rice fields.  Some rice fields were developed in the mountains.

     In this way, alluvial fans, river terraces, and tips of deltas, which had been untouched in ancient times, were reclaimed.  The development of the Kanto Region during the Kamakura period is particularly notable.

     The foundation of Fukutoku-ji Temple could have been supported by the development of rice fields in Agana Village.

     The village's main industry was, however, forestry.

     Ina Tadaharu (1592-1653) made the Ara River flow west into the Iruma River in 1629.  It means the Ara River started running closer to Edo.  That made it easier for Agana Village to provide logs to Edo.  As the Ara River's watercourse moved west, the logs provided from the river were called Nishikawa-zai, namely West River Wood.  As the town of Edo grew, and as it experienced big fires, the forestry in the area grew and its population increased.  Several hamlets became independent villages, and Koshu Village was one of them.

     The village's prosperity even supported Chiba Toshitane (1713-1789) in his studying astronomy.  He studied under Nakane Genkei (1662-1733) and Koda Chikamitsu (1692-1758).  Toshitane mainly studied eclipses of the sun and the moon.  His chief work is Shoku-san Kappo-ritsu, or the Calculation to Predict Eclipses.

Koshu has a rock named Tenmon-iwa, from which Tadaharu made astronomy observations.

Address: 71 Koshu, Hanno, Saitama 357-0204

Phone: 042-978-1272

Tenmon-iwa (Astronomy Rock)

Address: 185 Koshu, Hanno, Saitama 357-0204

Trees In the Town

Virtual Musashino 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #29 Chonen-ji Temple

 

     Chonen-ji Temple was founded in Shirako Village, Koma County, Musashi Province, supposedly in the 13th century since its precincts have an old itabi dated 1299.

     The Northern and Southern Courts Period lasted from 1337 to 1392.  The Northern Court was led by the Ashikaga Clan.  However, on November 30th, 1351, the battle between Ashikaga Takauji (1305-1358) and his younger brother, Tadayoshi (1306-1352), broke out around the Satta Pass in Suruga Province.  On January 5th, 1352, Tadayoshi surrendered to Takauji, was confined to Jomyo-ji Temple in Kamakura, and died suddenly on February 26th.  It is unknown whether Tadayoshi died of a disease or was poisoned as “Taiheiki” (“Chronicle of Great Peace”, a Japanese historical military epic written in the late 14th century) writes.

     The Southern Court took full advantage of the breakup of the Ashikaga Clan, and occupied Kamakura on Leap February 15th.  A series of battles were fought in Musashi and Sagami Provinces, and finally Takauji regained Kamakura on March 12th.

     In July 1353, Takauji returned to Kyoto and left Kamakura to Ashikaga Motouji (1340-1367), the first Kanto Deputy Shogun.  Motouji pitched camp along the Iruma River, a strategic line to defend Kamakura.  He had to stay there for 9 years to fight against the Southern Court.  As the Iruma River ran near Koma County, the county became under the direct control of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate, and Chonen-ji Temple became a focal temple in the area.

     Generation by generation, the Kanto Deputy Shogunate declined, so Chonen-ji Temple was forgotten.

     It was Oishi Sadahisa (1491-1549) who revived Chonen-ji Temple.  He was the lord of Takiyama Fortress.  Sadahisa ordered Shirako Village to pay an annual land tax to Chonen-ji Temple on July 1st, 1543.  3 years later, he was forced to adopt Hojo Ujiteru (1542-1590), marrying his daughter, Hisa (?-1590), to Ujiteru.  The Oishi Family was practically swallowed by the Later Hojo Clan.  On January 13th, 1566, Ujiteru exempted Chonen-ji Temple from annual land taxes.  On March 3rd, 1579, Matsuda Naohide (?-1614) gave what small portion of the Oishi Family he had gotten to his vassal, Yamaguchi Shigeaki.  Norihide seems to have gotten small portions of the territories the Later Hojo Clan occupied.  As Shigeaki's offspring offered his 75-centimeter-long sword to Takehata-Yokote Shrine, he might have also been interested in ruling Yokote Village.  Hisa was said to have killed herself when Hachioji Castle fell in 1590.

     In 1598, Priest Genitsu (?-1603) revived the temple, converting it to the Soto Chan School.

     Some argue the place name Shirako comes from Silla.

There used to be the Three Kingdoms Period in the Korean Peninsula from the 1st century BC till the 7th century.  The Three Kingdoms consisted of Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje.

     According to Nihon Shoki (the Chronicle of Japan), in 601, a Silla spy was caught and sent to Kozuke Province.  In 666, more than 2,000 Baekje people were transferred to the Eastern Provinces.  In 684, 23 Baekje men and women were transferred to Musashi Province.  In 687, 56 Goguryeo people were transferred to Hitachi Province.  14 Silla people were transferred to Shimotsuke Province, and 22 were transferred to Musashi Province.  In 689, Silla people were transferred to Shimotsuke Province.  In 690, 12 Silla people were transferred to Musashi Province, and some others were transferred to Shimotsuke Province.  In 716, 1799 Goguryeo people, who had lived in Suruga, Sagami, Kai, Kazusa, Shimousa, Hitachi and Shimotsuke Provinces, were transferred to Musashi Province, and Goguryeo County was set up there.  In 758, 32 priests, 2 nuns, 19 men and 21 women, who were all from Silla, were transferred to Musashi Province, and Silla County was set up.  In 760,naturalized 131 Silla people were transferred to Musashi Province.

Chonen-ji Temple is also the #27 member of the Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.

Address: 260 Shirako, Hanno, Saitama 357-0205

Phone: 042-978-2062

Takehata-Yokote Shrine

Address: 509 Yokote, Hidaka, Saitama 350-1257

Phone: 042-982-3139

Trees In the Town

Virtual Musashino 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #28 Ryusen-ji Temple

 

     Ryusen-ji Temple was founded in Yokote Village, Koma County, Musashi Province, in 1024, and its Kannon-do Hall was built in 1025.

     Matsuda Naohide (?-1614) packed Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra in a wooden box and presented them to Ryusen-ji Temple when the Later Hojo Clan was destroyed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598) in 1590.

     Previously, when the Later Hojo Clan held Odawara Castle against Hideyoshi, Naohide joined them with his father, Norihide (?-1590), and his brother, Masaharu (?-1590).  In the castle, Norihide and Masaharu had secret communications with Hideyoshi, and Naohide informed Hojo Ujinao (1562-1591), who immediately killed Masaharu and imprisoned Norihide.  After Odawara Castle fell, Norihide was ordered by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) to kill himself.  Ujinao moved to Mt. Koya and Naohide followed him.  He remained loyal to his master at the cost of the lives of his father and brother.  His loyalty paid.  After Ujinao’s death, he was hired by the Maeda Clan and died in Kanazawa, Kaga Province.

     Yokote Village was first documented in 1549, when the 3.5 percent of the village was given to Naohide.  The other part of the village was owned and ruled by Mita Tsunahide (1491-1563).

     The Mita Family originated from Somaho, Tama County, Musashi Province.  As Somaho meant the plantation managed by the provincial government, the family could have been the local officials who managed tree planting in the area to provide Japanese cedar trees for the Musashi Provincial Government.

     The family was first documented in 1300, and the village was first documented in 1373.  Presumably, the family became samurai during the Kamakura Period (1185-1333).  They were based in Katsunuma Fortress.

     From 1560 to 1574, Uesugi Terutora (1530-1578), who was the warlord of Echigo Province, invaded the Kanto Region almost every year after harvest seasons and spent the winter there to outsource the shortage of food caused by famine.  He fed his soldiers with the crops harvested in the Kanto Region.  The local small-scale warlords, especially those who were in the northern part of the region, had to choose either to surrender to Terutora by paying protection crops and offering military force, or to be robbed of their territories.  What was worse, Terutora brought Uesugi Norimasa (1523-1579), the last head of the Yamauchi-Uesugi Clan, the former Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate, and Konoe Sakihisa (1536-1612), the Prime Minister of the Imperial Court, with him.  He had virtually the authority to dismiss and appoint any provincial officers.  Most local samurai in the northern part of the region changed their sides almost every year.

     Mita Tsunahide couldn't stand what the Later Hojo Clan did.  They thrust their vassal into his territory.  He was afraid that the 3.5 percent would lead to the whole takeover.  He took the opportunity of Terutora's invasion to fight back against the clan.  Even after Terutora turned back to Echigo Province, Tsunahide kept fighting.  He was afraid his family would be taken over by the clan.  He moved his base from Katsunuma Fortress to Karakai Fortress, deep in the mountains.  In 1563 at last, the fortress was seized by Hojo Ujiteru (1542-1590), who had taken over the Oishi Family.  Tsunahide's sons were taken care of by his vassals.  However, his first son, Jugoro, died in the same year.  His second son, Yoshizo, died in 1564.  His third and last son, Gorotaro, killed himself in Izu Province in 1572.  Tsunahide's brother, Tsunakatsu (1526-1577), became subject to Ujiteru, and was said to have been killed in battle in Echigo Province in 1577, when the Later Hojo Clan tried to take over the Uesugi Family, but the battle broke out soon after Terutora died an accidental death on March 13th, 1578.  It is questionable when, where, or how Tsunakatsu was killed.  Tsunakatsu's son, Moritsuna (?-1641), was later hired by Tokugawa Shogunate.

     Was Tsunahide's decision reasonable?  Should he have compromised?

     When God Yawata came to Chichibu, local earthly gods resisted.  Yawata allied with the god of Mt. Buko, and defeated the local gods with their arrows.  The legend might have reflected the incidents between indigenous people and newcomers.  A pro-central-government forces invaded the Chichibu Valley and the locals there resisted.  The invaders allied with mountain people who were based around Mt. Buko.

     Tradition says that God Yawata was enshrined in Yokote in 870.  The offspring of the above-mentioned invaders might have advanced to Yokote.  In 1363, God Takeminakata was also enshrined.  When people from Suwa County, Shinano Province, immigrated to Musashi Province, they brought God Takeminakata with them.  Their offspring worshiped Takeminakata as a god of wind, water and agriculture.  When their offspring emigrated to other places, they brought Takeminakata with them, and there are about 25,000 Suwa Shrines in Japan.  Presumably, some of their offspring re-immigrated to Yokote, bringing Takeminakata with them, after the collapse of the Kamakura shogunate in 1333.

     Ryusen-ji Temple enshrines Thousand-Armed Sahasrabhuja, and is also #28 member of the Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.

Address: 79-1 Yokote, Hidaka, Saitama 350-1257

Phone: 042-982-1682

Katsunuma Castle Ruins

Address: 6 Chome−27−17 Higashioume, Ome, Tokyo 198-0042

Karakai Castle Ruins

Address: 8 Chome Nariki, Ome, Tokyo 198-0001

Phone: 0428-22-1111

Takehata-Yokote Shrine

Address: 509 Yokote, Hidaka, Saitama 350-1257

Phone: 042-982-3139

Trees In the Town

Virtual Musashino 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #27 Shoon-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Shoon-ji Temple was founded in Kurihara Village, Koma County, Musashi Province, by Priest Soka (?-1396), who was supported by his father, Uesugi Norimasa (?-1366).  According to the family tree, Soka was the only son of Norimasa.  Why didn't he become a samurai?

     Norimasa was born to Noriaki (1306-1368) as his first son.  In 1342, Uesugi Kiyoko (1270-1342) died.  She was the mother of Ashikaga Takauji (1305-1358), the first Shogun of the Ashikaga Shogunate.  Noriaki was busy fighting against the Southern Court in Echigo Province as the Guardian Samurai of the province.  Norimasa took part in her funeral as the agent of his father.

     When the Kanno Disturbance or Kanno Incident, which was a civil war developed from conflicts between Ashikaga Takauji (1305-1358), the first Shogun of the Ashikaga Shogunate, and his brother, Tadayoshi (1306-1352), broke out in 1350, Norimasa and his father, Noriaki, fought for Tadayoshi, who went over from the Northern Court to the Southern Court to gain momentum.  Norimasa, accordingly, fought against the Northern Court Army in Echigo Province in the year.  Next year, he moved to Kai Province to attack Ko Morofuyu (?-1351), a vassal of Takauji.  Norimasa cornered Morofuyu in Susawa Fortress, where Morofuyu killed himself on January 17th.

      November the 30th, 1351, the battle between Takauji and Tadayoshi broke out around the Satta Pass in Suruga Province at the dawn of the Muromachi Shogunate under the Ashikaga Clan,and Shigetomo took Tadayoshi’s side.  By another ill chance, on January 5th, 1352, Tadayoshi surrendered to Takauji, was confined to Jomyo-ji Temple in Kamakura, and died a sudden death on February 26th.  No matter whether Tadayoshi died of a disease or was poisoned to death as “Taiheiki” (“Chronicle of Great Peace”, a Japanese historical military epic written in the late 14th century) writes.

     After the defeat in the Battle of Satta Pass, Noriaki and Norimasa kept guerilla-like fightings.  After the death of Takauji in 1358, Hatakeyama Kunikiyo (?-1362), the Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate, lost his position in 1361, and Noriaki became the Guardian Samurai of Echigo and Kozuke Provinces as well as the Regent.  Noriaki and Norimasa laid the foundation for the prosperity of the Uesugi Clan in the Kanto Region.  Norimasa, however, died in 1366.

     Soka studied under Priest Muge Myoken (?-1369), who studied in Yuan China under Zhongfeng Mingben (1263–1323).  After his father's death, Soka went to Yuan China and studied there for 10 years.  He came back to Japan in 1378.  Then, the foundation of Shoon-ji Temple must have been before Norimasa died in 1366.

     Noriaki was succeeded by his nephew, Tomofusa (1335-1391), who also became the Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate.  It is unknown why Soka chose to live as a priest.

     Kuritsubo, namely Chestnut Pot, Village was named so because the area was famous for its chestnuts.  The villagers stored chestnuts in pots.

     Shoon-ji Temple is also the #30 member of the Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.

Address: 184 Kuritsubo, Hidaka, Saitama 350-1245

Phone: 042-985-4589

The Site of Susawa Fortress

Address: Oarashi, Minami-Alps, Yamanashi 400-0234

Trees In the Town

Virtual Musashino 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #26 Shoden-in Temple

 

     Shoden-in Temple was founded in Koma County, Musashi Province, in 751.

     Koma County was established in 716 by 1799 immigrants from Gogulyeo, which had been destroyed by Tang China and Silla in 668.  The immigrants had first settled in 7 provinces in Tokaido Region: Suruga, Kai, Sagami, Kamiusa, Shimousa, Hitachi, and Shimotsuke Provinces.  The first governor of the county was Yagwang.

     Yagwang first visited Japan in 666 as a vice leader of a diplomatic mission dispatched from Gogulyeo.  He seemed to have gone into exile in Japan after the collapse of Goguryeo.  As he was given the Konikishi title by the Japanese government in 703, he had been a member of the royal family of Gogulyeo.

     After Yagwang’s death, Priest Seungle (?-751) planned to build a temple to enshrine the Vighnesvara statue, which he had brought from Gogulyeo, and to pray for the comfort of Yagwang in the other world.  However, the priest died before realizing his plan.  It was Yagwang's 3rd son, Seong’un, who founded Shoraku-ji Temple, the #32 temple of the Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, with the assistance of his nephew, Hong’in, who was a son of Yagwang’s elder brother, Gajung.  Both Seong’un and Hong’in were apprentices of Seungle.

     Sometime between 1624 and 1645, the temple burned down, and was later revived by Priest Shukai, who also changed the temple from the East Asian Yogacara School to the Chisan Sect of Shingon Buddhism.

     The precincts have 2 old itabi.  One is dated 1244 and the other 1289.  The temple also keeps an old copper bell which is dated 1261.  Presumably, the temple flourished under the Kamakura Shogunate.

     Presumably, the area was developed in the Warring States Period (1467-1568), and came to be called Niihori, namely New Trench, after Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) moved into the Kanto Region in 1590.  It was first documented in 1597.

Address: 990-1 Niihori, Hidaka, Saitama 350-1243

Phone: 042-989-3425

Trees In the Town

Virtual Musashino 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #25 Ensen-ji Temple

 

     Ensen-ji Temple was founded by Priest Keishu in Hiramatsu Village, Koma County, Musashi Province, sometime between 1716 and 1735, as the village was developed at the foot of a hill on which the Moomin Valley Park is located today.

     Bad weather started at the end of 1731.  In 1732, the rainy season lasted for 2 months, and that caused a cold summer.  Harmful planthoppers bred on rice plants.  In 46 domains, their rice harvest was reduced to 27 percent of normal yields.  969,900 people died of hunger.  In the Kanto Region, tax increases imposed by Tokugawa Yoshimune (1684-1751) had weakened the resilience of peasants.  In 1733, the price of rice soared in Edo.  1,700 people assaulted the building of Takama Denbe, a rice dealer, and threw his household goods and straw bags in a river.  After the famine, Aoki Kon’yo (1698-1769) devised planting sweet potatoes as famine food.  He was nicknamed Dr. Sweet Potato.

     Ensen-ji Temple’s precincts have Myoken Shrine, in which Sudrsti is enshrined.  Sudrsti was the deity of the deification of the northern pole star and/or the Big Dipper.  Tradition says that the Sudrsti statue was brought from Kyoto by Taira Masakado (903-940), who was a hero in the Kanto Region and was a villain in Kyoto.  When Masakado was defeated, Watanuki Toyohachi, Masakado’s vassal, hid himself in Hiramatsu Village, concealed the statue, and prayed to it at home.  Generations later, Watanuki Isuke obtained approval to enshrine the statue in the precincts of Ensen-ji Temple in 1847.

     Ensen-ji Temple is also the #3 member of the Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.

Address: 376 Hiramatsu, Hanno, Saitama 357-0014

Phone: 042-973-5716

Moomin Valley Park

Address: 327-6 Miyazawa, Hanno, Saitama 357-0001

Trees In the Town

Virtual Musashino 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #24 Kannon-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Kannon-ji Temple was founded in Hanno Village, Koma County, Musashi Province.

     The place name Hanno first appeared in history in the 12th century.  Chichibu Motofusa's 4th son, Motokane (?-1199), lived in Hanno and called his family Hanno.  When Minamoto Yoriie (1182-1204), the 2nd Shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate, ordered Nakano Yoshinari, Wada Tomomori, Hiki Saburo (?-1203), and Ogasawara Nagatsune (1179-1247) to attack Adachi Kagemori (?-1248) in July, 1199, Motokane fought for Kagemori and was killed in battle.  That was the end of the Hanno Family.  It is unknown who ruled the Hanno area afterwards.  The place name Hanno was first documented in 1547.  On May 19th, 1562, Hojo Ujiteru (1542-1590) gave part of the village to Miyadera Yoshichiro.  As Hanno Village was located at the mouth of the valley of the Iruma River, it prospered for supplying logs to Edo. 

     The temple's main deity, the statue of Cintamanicakra, who usually has 6 arms and holds chintamani (a wish-fulfilling jewel) in one of the six, was said to have been carved by Kukai (774-835).

     The temple also keeps a drawing of Looking-at-Cascade Avalokitesvara, which was said to have been drawn by Kao, who was a famous painter in the 14th century.  However, it hasn’t been identified who Kao was.

     Some suggest that he was a painter of the Takuma School with the name Jinga, who belonged to the line from Takuma Shoga at the beginning of the 12th century to Takuma Eiga at the end of the 14th century.  He was given the suffix “ga” as an important member of the school.

     The others argue that the Kao was another career of Kao Sonen (?-1345), a monk of Chan Buddhism, who went to Yuan Dynasty China in 1320, studied under Zhongfeng Mingben (1263–1323) and Gulin Qingmao (1262-1329), and returned to Japan in 1326.  Back in Japan, he stayed and studied in Sofuku-ji, Manju-ji, Kencho-ji, and Nanzen-ji Temples.  No contemporary written documents, however, talked about his painting.  Anyway, his style somewhat resembled that of Liang Kai (1140-1210) in Southern Song Dynasty China.

     Tosa Hidenobu published Butsuzo-zui (Illustrated Compendium of Buddhist Images) in 1783.  In the compendium, he listed 33 popular subjects of Buddhism Avalokiteshvara drawings and paintings: #1 Holding-Willow-Spray Avalokitesvara, #2 Naga Avalokitesvara, #3 Holding-Buddhism-Scripture Avalokitesvara, #4 Halo Avalokitesvara, #5 Sitting-on-Cloud Avalokitesvara, #6 Pandara Vasini Avalokitesvara, #7 Sitting-on-Lotus-Leaf Avalokitesvara, #8 Looking-at-Cascade Avalokitesvara, #9 Listening-to-Stream Avalokitesvara, #10 Holding-Fish-Cage Avalokitesvara, #11 Brahman (Virtuous-Lord) Avalokitesvara, #12 Looking-at-Reflected-Moon Avalokiteshvara, #13 Sitting-on-Leaf Avalokitesvara, #14 Blue-Headed Avalokitesvara, #15 Great Commander Avalokitesvara, #16 Life-Prolonging Avalokitesvara, #17 Relief-from-Ruination Avalokitesvara, #18 In-Cave-with-Venom Avalokitesvara, #19 Wave Reduction Avalokitesvara, #20 Anavatapta Avalokitesvara, #21 One-Knee-Drawn-Up Avalokitesvara, #22 Leaf-Robe Avalokitesvara, #23 Holding-Lapis-Lazuli-Censer Avalokitesvara, #24 Tara Avalokitesvara, #25 Sit-in-in-Clam Avalokitesvara, #26 Twenty-Four-Hour Avalokitesvara, #27 Universal-Benevolence Avalokitesvar, #28 Celestial Beauty Avalokitesvara, #29 Brahmani Avalokitesvara, who put palms together, #30 Controlling-Thunderbolt Avalokitesvar, #31 Peaceful-Vajrapani Avalokiteshvara, #32 Holding-Lotus-Flower Avalokitesvara, and #33 Sprinkling-Purified-Water Avalokitesvara.

     Some subjects came directly from the Lotus Sutra Chapter XXV, some were based on folklore in China, and others had been created in Japan.  He put stronger emphasis on the number 33, and might have embellished a couple of subjects to increase the number to 33.  He also might have considered the 33 subjects to be artistically more meaningful manifestations of Avalokitesvara than those from the Lotus Sutra, at least in Japan.

     Kannon-ji Temple was revived by Priest Choyo (?-1735).  It might have been abandoned during the great famine in the 1730’s.

     Bad weather started at the end of 1731.  In 1732, the rainy season lasted for 2 months, and that caused a cold summer.  Harmful planthoppers bred on rice plants.  In 46 domains, their rice harvest was reduced to 27 percent of normal yields.  969,900 people died of hunger.  In the Kanto Region, tax increases imposed by Tokugawa Yoshimune (1684-1751) had weakened the resilience of peasants.

     On May 23rd, 1868, the Battle of Hanno broke out as a part of the Boshin War (1868-1869), the civil war at the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate.  Shibusawa Seiichiro (1838-1912) organized the 1,500 strong Shinbu Army, based it in Chikan-ji Temple (Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #1), Nonin-ji Temple (Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #13) and Kodo-ji Temple (Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #15) as well as Kannon-ji Temple, fought against the 3,500 strong Meiji Revolutionary Army, and lost within a couple of hours.  The temples burned down.  It was not recorded how many were killed in the battle.  After the Meiji Restoration, Seiichiro became a successful businessman.

     The temple has a Dakini statue.  Dakini is a type of sacred female spirit in Hinduism and Buddhism and was disseminated to Japan through Shingon Buddhism.  It became linked to the Inari God with the fox iconography.

     The temple's precincts also have a statue of White Elephant, which appears in the Encouragement of Climb, which is a manga series written and illustrated by Shiro.

     Kannon-ji Temple is also the #10 member of the Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.

Address: 5-17 Yamatecho, Hanno, Saitama 357-0031

Phone: 042-973-1331

Trees In the Town

Virtual Musashino 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #23 Joshin-ji Temple

 

     Joshin-ji Temple was founded by Priest Iton (?-1616) in Yaoroshi Village, Koma County, Musashi Province.  Maeganuki Village was developed where the Nariki River merges into the Iruma River.  Legend has it that 3 arrows shot by Taira Masakado (?-940) arrived at the area.  Speculating what the legend meant, I think I can say that a few of Masakado's remnants might have hidden themselves in the area.

     Taira Masakado (903-940)was born in Shimousa Province: specifically and presumably either in Toyoda or Sashima County, which were both along the Kinu River.  Later, he left for Kyoto at the age of either 15 or 16 to be hired by Fujiwara Tadahira (880-949), who was the 2nd Prime Minister at the time and who became the Prime Minister in 924, to climb up the social ladder.  After 12 years or so, he returned to the Kanto Region, without achieving anything in the central political circles.  In 939, Masakado tried to be independent from Japan in the Kanto Region.  His revolt was suppressed and his head was believed to be buried in some places around Japan.  In short, he generated countless legends.  It took samurai over 2 centuries to establish the government by samurai, for samurai, of samurai: the Kamakura Shogunate.

     Later, Yaoroshi and Iwabuchi Villages became independent from Maeganuki Village on the upper part along Iruma River and on the upper part along Nariki River respectively.

     The 6th priest, Ryoken, built a Vaisravana hall in 1782, and Priest Taigan built a Bhaisajyaguru hall.  Joshin-ji Temple is also the #9 member of the Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.

Address: 222 Yaoroshi, Hanno, Saitama 357-0042

Phone: 042-972-3937

Trees In the Town

Virtual Musashino 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #22 Ensho-ji Temple

 

     Ensho-ji Temple was founded in Noda Village, Koma County, Musashi Province, in 1205 by Kaji Ieshige to pray for the comfort of his father, Iesue, in the other world.  Iesue was killed in the Battle of Futamata River.

     On June 22nd, 1205, Hatakeyama Shigetada (1164-1205) left his hometown in Obusuma County, Musashi Province, with 130-strong cavalry to answer the emergency call from Kamakura.  When he arrived at Futamata River, what he faced was an army of tens of thousands strong.  He realized he was trapped.  Instead of retreating, he made up his mind to die with a good grace.  It was his old friend, Adachi Kagemori (?-1248), who charged at him first.  Shigetada's first son, Shigehide (1183-1205), fought back against Kagemori.  As Shigetada was shot to death, Shigehide killed himself on the spot.  It isn't so clear which side Iesue fought for, but as the Kaji Family survived, it is more probable that he fought for the Hojo Clan.

     The temple's precincts have 9 old blue itabi.  One is dated May 16th, 1254.  Its epitaph was composed by "a dutiful son", presumably, for his late parents.

     The second oldest is dated November 23rd, 1256, with its epitaph composed by Tanji Yasuie.  He composed another epitaph for an itabi in Raigo-ji Temple.  The itabi is dated February 23rd in the same year.  The third oldest is dated January 13th, 1270.  The itabi was built for Tanji Yasuie by his son, Tanji Muneyasu, who also built a stone statue in Mt. Koya.

     The 4th oldest is dated August 2nd, 1305.  The 5th oldest is dated May 22nd, 1333.

     Nitta Yoshisada (1301-1338) raised his army in Kozuke Province with 150 strong cavalry on May 8th, 1333.  He was to meet the 100,000 strong cavalry of the Kamakura Shogunate somewhere between Kozuke and Sagami Provinces.  The shogunate had been established by the Minamoto Clan, beating down the Taira Clan, but had been controlled by the Hojo Clan, who were the branch clan of the Taira Clan, after the 4th shogun.  The Nitta Family was one of the powerful branch families of the Minamoto Clan.

     Yoshisada had pride in his bloodline and content against the Hojo Clan.  When he arrived at Tone River, the number of his cavalry increased to 7,000 strong.  After crossing the river, the number jumped to 207,000.  He defeated the garrisons of the Kamakura Shogunate along the Iruma River on May 11th.  Before daybreak on May 21st, Yoshisada finally stormed into Kamakura, and cornered the Hojo Clan into their family temple, Tosho-ji Temple, where hundreds of clan members and their followers including Kaji Iesada killed themselves on the 22nd.

     The 6th oldest is dated August 15th, 1354.  Its epitaph was composed by Kaji Morisue.

     The 7th oldest is dated September 5th, 1368.  The 8th oldest is dated August 16th, 1489.  The other is just unreadable.

     The Tanji and Kaji Families belonged to the Tan Corps, one of the Musashi Seven Corps.

     Most of Musashi Province is plateaus covered deeply 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 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 7 corps on the plateaus in the province: the Musashi Seven Corps.    The Tan Corps was one of the 7.

       In the Northern and Southern Courts Period (1336-1392), the Tan Corps fought for the Southern Court, the loser.  When Uesugi Ujinori (?-1417), the Regent of the Kanto Deputy Shogunate, rebelled against Ashikaga Mochiuji (1398-1439), the 4th Kanto Deputy Shogun, in 1416, the Tan Corps fought for Ujinori, the loser.  Accordingly, the corps weakened.

     The itabi in Ensho-ji Temple seem to have been built before the downfall of the Tan Corps.  Noda literally means Field Paddy Field.  There used to be 16 Noda Villages as modern municipalities in Japan.  There should have been countless Noda Villages before the modernization of Japan.  Noda Village concerned was developed in the left bank of Iruma River presumably in the Kamakura Period (1185-1333).

     Ensho-ji Temple enshrines Cintamanicakra, who usually has 6 arms and holds chintamani (a wish-fulfilling jewel) in one of the six, and is also the #11 member of the Koma 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  What was Koma County?  When Tang China and Silla destroyed Gogulyeo in 668, more than 200,000 Gogulyeo people were taken to China as prisoners of war and about 7,000 were sent to Silla.  Some escaped to Japan.  In 716, those who had settled in Suruga, Kai, Sagami, Kamiusa, Shimousa, Hitachi, and Shimotsuke Province, 1799 of them, were removed to Musashi Province and they established Koma County in the province.  It is unknown whether the re-settlement accorded to the wills of ex-Gogulyeo people or caused by the alternation of Japanese immigration policies.

Address: 158 Noda, Iruma, Saitama 358-0054

Phone: 04-2932-0829