Virtual Mogami 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #8 Sofuku-in Temple

 

     Hachiman-gu Shrine, whose god was later believed to be a guardian god of samurai,  was founded in Mogami County, Ideha Province, sometime between 729 and 749 by Ono Azumabito (?-742).

     In March, 724, the northern foreigners along the Pacific coast of the north-eastern region of Honshu rebelled against the Imperial Court, and killed Saeki Koyamaro (?-724), the 3rd officer of Mutsu Province after the Governor and the Vice-Governor.  In April, Fujiwara Umakai (694-737) was appointed as a general.  Azumabito accompanied him as a vice-general.  The expedition army returned in November.  In 729, Azumabito was appointed as Commander-in-Chief of the defense of the north.  In January, 737, he was doubled as the Inspector of Mutsu Province.  On March 1st in the same year, he left Mutsu Province with 196-strong central cavalry and 499-strong central infantry, 5,000-strong provincial soldiers, and 249 northern foreigners who had surrendered to open an access route to Ideha Province.  Presumably, he founded the Hachiman-gu Shrine in Ideha Province in the year.  Later, the shrine came to be called Mutsukunugi-Hachiman-gu Shrine.

     Sofuku-in Temple was founded in October, 1071, as the shrine temple of Mutsukunugi-Hachiman-gu Shrine.

     In 1070, Minamoto Yoritoshi, the Governor of Mutsu Province, and Kiyohara Sadahira advanced north and reached Ezowake-shima Island, whose whereabouts are still controversial. Some argue the island was Hokkaido, while others say it was a part of the Tohoku Region.  Anyway, the main strength of the expedition force was the Kiyohara Clan.

     While Yoritoshi was in the battle front, Fujiwara Motomichi, a local official of Mutsu Provincial Government, stole the Governor's seal and the key of provincial warehouses.  Yoritoshi was dismissed, and Sadahira had the achievement of the war all to himself.  In addition, Sadahira gained supremacy in the sea route along the Pacific Ocean.  As the Kiyohara Clan seemed to have controlled the sea route along the Sea of Japan, they monopolized the wealth of the Tohoku Region and the profit from the commerce between the region and the other provinces of  Japan, and beyond.  They could have traded with those in Hokkaido and Primorsky.

Address: 1 Chome-2-20 Teppomachi, Yamagata, 990-2492

Phone: 023-631-0048