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