Virtual Kesen 33 Kannon Pigrimage #5 Kamiosabe Kannon-do Hall

 

     At the turn of the 12th century, the ancestors of the Sugawara Family escaped to Osabe Village, Kesen County, Mutsu Province.  As #3, #4, and #5 deities of the Kesen 33 Kannon Pilgrimage are called Osabe 3 Kannon, the ancestors of Koya and Kumagai Families might have also escaped together.  Escaped from what?  The timing suggests they escaped from the destruction of the Northern Fujiwara Clan in 1189 by Minamoto Yoritomo (1147-1199).

     The original deity was a 5-centimeters-tall image of Arya Avalokitesvara, who is the human-figure prototype of the other 6 metamorphoses, but it has been replaced by a 50-centimeters-tall sitting statue of Arya Avalokitesvara.

     What is Osabe?

     Osabe Village was located south of Imaizumi Village, facing Koharagi Village, Motoyoshi County, to the south, and Hirota Bay to the east.  According to a letter dated June 2nd, 1588, addressed to Konno Jirozaemon by Kasai Harunobu (15334-1597), a battle took place in Osabe during the rebellion of Hamada Hirotsuna (1523-1592), who was defeated.  In 1705, Osabe Village had 76 families with a total of 801 people, 8 slaves, 31 peasants, including 318 salt boilers, and 20 guns. The village had 275 horses, 3 bigger boats, 19 fishing boats, 17 small boats, 27 fast boats, and 25 one-seater boats.  The village seems to have depended on fishing and horse breeding.

     Who was Hamada Hirotsuna?

     The Kanto samurai didn't come to Kesen County at the beginning of Kamakura Period, and the Kon Family ruled the county under the title of Kesen County Governor, which was the same title their ancestors were given by the Imperial Court in the ancient times.

     The Kon Family fought on the side of the Northern Fujiwara Clan when Yoritomo destroyed the clan in 1189, and Kon Hidetoki was killed in battle.  His son, Tametoshi, hid in the mountains, and, when Okawa Kaneto, who was based along the eastern shore of Hachiro-gata Lagoon, and who was a remnant of the Northern Fujiwara Clan, rebelled against the Kamakura Shogunate from December, 1189, to March of the following year, Tametoshi served on the side of the Kamakura Shogunate, and is said to have been restored to the position of the county governor.

     The Kon Family is said to have been based in Yokota Motojuku Fortress.  During the Warring States Period, the Kon Family was encroached upon by the power of the samurai from Motoyoshi County and declined.  The Hamada Family was one of the samurai and they were based in Azuma Fortress.  Anyway, as the county had a few rice fields, it was rather peaceful.

     Something, however, came over Hamada Hirotsuna.  He had Shigetoshi and Nobukatsu, his 1st and 2nd sons, adopted into the Esashi Family in Esashi County, Mutsu Province, and started invading southward in his 60's.  He defeated Motoyoshi Shigetsugu in the Utatsu Battle in 1586 and annexed the Utatsu area.  In 1587, he challenged Kumagai Naoyoshi, the lord of Akaiwa Fortress, but the battlefront became deadlocked when the Kasai Family supported Naoyoshi, resulting in a ceasefire.  In March, 1588, Hirotsuna again objected to the reduction in his territory and attempted to recapture Yonegasaki Fortress, which had been taken by the Oikawa Family, but was defeated, losing all his territory.

     His third son, Nobutsuna, succeeded to the headship of the family.

     In 1590, the Kasai Family was "dismissed" by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598).  On October 16th of the year, revolts against Hideyoshi's rule broke out.  On July 4th, 1591, the revolts were finally suppressed.  On August 14th, Date Masamune (1567-1636) summoned the leaders of the revolts to Sueyama, Momunofu County, Mutsu Province, and killed them all.

     Nobutsuna took part in the revolts and was killed by Masamune.  The Hamada Family lost its power and Hirotsuna went into seclusion.  He died in 1592 at the age of 70.

     Whether Hirotsuna went wrong in his late 60's or not wouldn't have changed the Hamada Family's final doom.

     What was Motoyoshi County like?

     Before the 8th century, the Kesen area was outside the rule of the Imperial Court and was inhabited by northern foreigners.

     In 758, Monou Fortress was built as a base for the Imperial Army.  The area of what would later become Motoyoshi County was part of Monou County.

     Before 811, the northern half of Monou County was divided, and Kesen County was organized, including what would later become the northern part of Motoyoshi County.

     Before the beginning of the 12th century, Motoyoshi Manor was established by combining the northern part of Monou County and the southern part of Kesen County, with the Shizugawa area, which was a hub for maritime traffic, as its center.  Initially, the manor was owned by the Fujiwara Clan, and later became under the direct control of the Emperor.  The manor's main tax was gold and horses.  It became one of the bases of the Northern Fujiwara Clan, who were in charge of transporting taxes.  It is recorded that the 4th son of Fujiwara Hidehira (1122-1187), Takahira(?-1201), ruled the manor.  It is unknown when the manor became Motoyoshi County.

     The county was first documented in 1611, when Sebastian Vizcaino (1548-1624), a Spanish explorer, surveyed the coasts of Oshika, Monou, Motoyoshi, and Kesen counties.

     In 1646, as part of the Tokugawa Shogunate's policy of national isolation, Date Tadamune (1600-1658), the 2nd lord of the Sendai Domain, ordered the establishment of 5 coast guard observation posts within the domain.  One of the 5 was established at Tomarihama in Utatsu Village.

Address: Kamiosabe-17 Kesencho, Rikuzentakata, Iwate 029-2204

Yokota Motojuku Fortress

Address: Motojuku, Yokotacho, Rikuzentakata, Iwate 029-2202

Azuma Fortress Site

Address: Honmaru Takatacho, Rikuzentakata, Iwate 029-2205

Utatsu Fort Site

Address: Tatehama Utatsu, Minamisanriku, Motoyoshi District, Miyagi 988-0445

Akaiwa Fortress Site

Address: Matsukawa, Kesennuma, Miyagi 988-0852

Yonegasaki Fortress Ruins

Address: Tate-65-2 Yonesakicho, Rikuzentakata, Iwate 029-2206

Tomarihama Foreign Ships Guardhouse Site

Address:  Utatsu, Minamisanriku, Motoyoshi District, Miyagi 988-0444

Hachigamori Foreign Ships Guardhouse Site

Address: Hachigamori Sanrikucho Ryori, Ofunato, Iwate 022-0211

Ayukawagahama Foreign Ships Guardhouse Site

Address: Ayukawahama, Ishinomaki, Miyagi 986-2523

Ohama Foreign Ships Guardhouse Site

Address: Miyato, Higashimatsushima, Miyagi 981-0412

Phone: 0225-88-3927

Isozakiyama Foreign Ships Guardhouse Site

Address: Hamayachi 44-1, Sakamoto, Yamamoto, Watari District, Miyagi 989-2111