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