Virtual Kesen 33 Kannon Pigrimage #17 Jokyu-ji Temple

 

     When Mutsu Province was divided into 5: Mutsu, Rikuchu, Rikuzen, Iwashiro, and Iwaki from north to south, Kesen County belonged to Rikuzen Province.  Rikuchu Province consisted the greater part of Iwate Prefecture while Rikuzen Province made up the greater part of Miyagi Prefecture.  After all, Kesen District belongs to Iwate Prefecture while Kesennuma City belongs to Miyagi Prefecture.

     As that suggests, Kesen County was always the issue of territorial rights in Medieval days.  In August, 1485, for example, the Nanbu troops invaded Kesen County through Akabane Pass and fought against the Kasai troops in Arisu Village.  Akabane Pass was a strategic point over the territorial issue.

     The Matsuda Family was dispatched by the Kasai Family, who was based in today's Miyagi Prefecture, to Kamiarisu Village, Kesen County, Mutsu Province.  They founded Jokyu-an Temple in 1504 as their family temple.  The family is said to have been based in Hinokuchi Fort in Ezo Hamlet, Arisu Village.  In those days, Masanobu (1433-1506) was the 13th head of the Kasai Family.  As he succeeded the headship in 1483, it might have been Masanobu who dispatched the Matsuda Family.  In those days, Masayasu (1461-1507) was the 22nd head of the Nanbu Family, who was based along the border between today's Aomori and Iwate Prefectures.  He had 5 sons, they worked or fought together to strengthen their family, and advanced southward.

     Kasai Harunobu (1534-1597) was the 17th and last head of the Kasai Family, which was abolished by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598) in 1590.  Harunobu drifted from one province to another, and died in Kaga Province on October 9th, 1597.

     After the abolishment of the Kasai Family, the Matsuda Family became farmers.  Some bereaved vassals of the Kasai Family are said to have planted Japanese locusts in front of their houses as signs of being comrades.  It is unknown whether the Masuda Family planted the locusts or not.

     Jokyu-an Temple declined but was revived by the 17th priest of Shobo-ji Temple in 1673.  In the 17th century, the danka system was established by the Tokugawa Shogunate.  Under the system, the Tokugawa Clan made the affiliation with a Buddhist temple compulsory to all citizens.

     In 1952, the temple chaged its name to Jokyu-ji.

Address: Ezo-145 Kamiarisu, Sumita, Kesen District, Iwate 029-2501

Phone: 0192-48-2714

Akabane Ski Resort

Address: 41 Chiwari−47, Kamigocho Hirakura, Tōno City, Iwate 028-0775

Phone: 0198-65-3343

Shobo-ji Temple

Address: Shoboji-129 Mizusawaku Kuroishicho, Oshu, Iwate 023-0101

Phone: 0197-26-4041