Virtual Musashino 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #11 Fumon-in Temple

  

     It is unknown when Fumon-in Temple was founded by the Mitsu-ido Wells in Kotesashigahara.  Legend has it that Kukai (774-835) visited Kotesashigahara.  He saw a woman walk a long distance to get water.  He had pity on her and dug 3 holes with his Buddhist staff.  Locals dug 3 wells at the 3 points Kukai indicated.  Only one of the 3 wells exists today.  The place name Arai literally means New Wells.

     Kotesashigahara turned into a battlefield for 3 times.

     Nitta Yoshisada (1301-1338) raised his army in Ikushina Shrine in Kozuke Province with 150-strong cavalry on May 8, 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.  On May 11th, his army encountered 30,000-strong cavalry of the Kamakura Shogunate with Hojo Sadakuni (1287-1333) as a general, and with Nagasaki Takashige (?-1333), Nagasaki Yasumitsu, and Kaji Jirozaemon as vice generals.  Over 300 of Nitta's and more than 500 of the shogunate's were killed in the battle.  Both armies were exhausted.  Nitta's army retreated to Iruma River, and the shogunate's army pulled out to Kume River.

     After the Kamakura Shogunate was destroyed, Hojo Tokiyuki (1325-1353) rose in revolt in June, 1335, and advanced to Kamakura, which was garrisoned by Ashikaga Naoyoshi (1307-1352).  After July 20th, Tokiyuki defeated Naoyoshi's army in Onakagegahara, Kotesashigahara, Musashi-fuchu, and Idenosawa successively.  On the 25th, he finally broke through Naoyoshi's final defense line in Tsurumi.  Tokiyuki occupied Kamakura on the 25th.

     After Tokiyuki was suppressed, Nitta Yoshisada and Ashikaga Takauji (1305-1358) conflicted with each other.  After Yoshisada's death, his son, Yoshioki (1331-1358), occupied Kamakura on February 18th, 1352.  On the 28th, Yoshioki's army and Takauji's army clashed against each other in 3 battlefields including Kotesashigahara.

     Fumon-in Temple enshrines Thousand-Armed Sahasrabhuja and is also the #7 member of the Sayama 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  The temple was moved to its present place in the 1660's.

Address: 1 Chome−25−5 Kamiarai, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-1142

Phone: 04-2922-2814

Mitsu-ido Well

Address: 1 Chome-26 Nishitokorozawa, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-1144