Virtual Mogami 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #33 Getsuzo-in Temple

 

     Before Buddhism was introduced, prehistoric people in the Sakegawa, namely Salmon River, area had the animism to worship salmon. Some argue that floating lanterns on the Sakegawa River reflects the prehistoric belief. It is unknown when Buddhism was introduced to the area, but the Namazue Family brought Getsuzo-in Temple's image of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses, to the area.

     The 5th-generation offspring of Fujiwara Michinaga (966-1027) baccame a steward of the manor of Kofuku-ji Temple in Omi Province.

     In the Warring States Period (1467-1568), their offspring became samurai and a branch of them was based in Namazue Manor and built the Namazue Fortress there.

     In 1568, when Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582) invaed the southern half of Omi Province, Rokkaku Yoshikata (1521-1598) and his son, Yoshiharu (1545-1612), lost Battle of Kannonji Castle to Nobunaga. They fled and were welcomed into Namazue Fortress by Namazue Sadakake and his son, Sadaharu. They resisted Nobunaga with the support of former vassals of the Rokkaku Family and Kudara-ji Temple. Nobunaga first occupied the temple, and then ordered Shibata Katsuie (1522-1583), Sakuma Nobumori (1528-1582), Niwa Nagahide (1535-1585), Gamo Katahide (1534-1584), and others to build forts such as Imoto Fort and Nakato Fort around Namazue Fortress and to surround it. The fortress, however, did not fall soon. Finally, on September 4th, 1573, Katsuie attacked the fortress again, Yoshikata fled from the fortress, and the fortress fell. The Namazue Family dispersed to various parts of Japan. Tsunamura arrived at the Sakegawa River in Ideha Province with his family.

     Some argue that a branch of the Namazue Family had advanced to Senboku County in Ideha Province as early as at the end of the 15th century, after the Onin War (1467-1477). In those days, the Hosokawa and Ouchi Clans were in dispute over trading with Korea and China. In the Onin War, the shogunate power was divided into 2; the East Force and the West Force. The East Force was commanded by Hosokawa Katsumoto (1430-1473), and that naturally led the Ouchi Clan to joining the West Force. The war lasted over a decade, and that might have caused a branch of the Namazue Family to move to Ideha Province.

     In the 1520's and 1530's, the Namazue Family in Senboku County even advanced to Iwabana Village in Mogami County. In 1563, they were defeated by the Daiho Family in Shonai County, and retreated to the Sakegawa area. Since then, they called themselves Sakenobe.

     If the story is true, the new refugee family members in the 1570's might have counted on their distant relatives in the Sakenobe area.

     Another branch of the Namazue Family moved to Osaka after their defeat in 1573, they left their family name in the Osaka City Namazue Elementary School. The family seems to have had quite a broad network across Japan.

     What kind of network did they have?

     One possibility is that they made good use of the network of certain types of woodworkers who were called either kijishi or kijiya.

     A kijishi or kijiya is a craftsman who uses something like a potter's wheel to process and manufacture wood products such as bowls and trays.

     Legend has it that it began in the 9th century when Prince Koretaka (844-897), who lived a secluded life in Hirudani, Omi Province, (present-day Higashiomi City, Shiga Prefecture), invented how to apply a potter's wheel to carving wooden tableware and others. The newly invented woodworker's wheel, or the wood-turner's wheel, was spinned by a string. He taught woodturning techniques to the surrounding woodworkers. The wheel and technique was passed down to various parts of Japan.

     The wood-turners referred to themselves as retainers of Prince Koretaka and descendants of Ogura Hidemi, who was the then prime minister. They said that they were guaranteed the right to enter the mountains of various provinces and freely cut down timber above the 7th station of the mountain. They were a group of people who lived in the mountains and moved around in the mountains, possessing copies of the letter of Emperor Suzaku (923-952). In reality, this letter is considered to be a fake document, and a copy of the letter did not guarantee special privileges. The copies, however, became effective over time as they were treated by the people and the rulers of the time according to precedent.

     Woodturners made a living by moving from place to place where wood materials were abundant, turning wood and trading with villagers, and lacquerers. Some wood-turners gave up their nomadic lifestyle and established villages to make a living through slash-and-burn farming and tree planting. These villages also became bases for mobile wood-turners.

     A branch of the Namazue Family might have moved first to Echizen Province, where many wood-turners and lacquerers worked for the Asakura Clan, who ruled the province. When the clan was destroyed by Nobunaga, some workers fled to Ideha and Mutsu Provinces. The branch family could have gone there together.

Address: 2829 Niwazuki, Sakegawa, Mogami District, Yamagata 999-5207

Phone: 0233-55-2343

Kofuku-ji Temple

Address: 48 Noboriojicho, Nara, 630-8213

Phone: 0742-22-7755

Namazue Castle Ruins

Address: 1296 Namazuecho, Higashiomi, Shiga 527-0172

Kannonji Castle Ruins

Address: Azuchicho Ishidera, Omihachiman, Shiga 521-1331

Namazue Elementary School

Address: 3 Chome-9-27 Imafukunishi, Joto Ward, Osaka, 536-0004

Phone: 06-6939-0023