Virtual Old Tsugaru 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #22 Gikei-ji Temple

 

     Minamoto Yoshitsune (1159-1189), who militarily succeeded in overthrowing the Taira Clan, was politically refused to join the Kamakura Shogunate.  He escaped to Mutsu Province after November, 1186.  Some believe he fled along the coast of the Sea of Japan.  Anyway, he was killed there on Leap April 30th, 1189.

     In 1189, after destroying the Northern Fujiwara Clan, Minamoto Yoritomo (1147-1199) appointed Kasai Kiyoshige (1161-1238) as Oshu General Magistrate on September 22nd, and returned to Kamakura on the 28th.  In Mutsu Province, the land of the samurai who had been subordinate to the Northern Fujiwara clan was confiscated, and many samurai from the Kanto Region, including Kiyoshige, were given the position of manor steward.  On the other hand, the Tagajo Regional Government officials continued to manage the affairs of the region.  In the inland areas of Dewa Province, which were not used as battlefields, the traditional local powerful families kept their power, causing friction between the Kanto samurai and the local powers.  In December, a rumor spread that Minamoto Yoshitsune (1159-1189), Minamoto Yoshitaka (1173-1184), and a son of Fujiwara Hidehira (1122-1187), who were supposed to have been killed by Yoritomo, were marching to Kamakura together.  In the same month, Okawa Kaneto, who was based along the eastern shore of Hachiro-gata Lagoon, and who was a remnant of the Northern Fujiwara Clan, started rebelling against the Kamakura Shogunate.  It is unknown whether Kaneto himself spread the rumor or he just made use of the rumor, but he made guerrilla fighting in Tagawa and Yamakita Counties, Dewa Province, till March next year.  Since then, the legend that Yoshitsune didn't die in 1189 was born.

     According to one legend: Yoshitsune fled further north along the Pacific coast, landed on Tanesashi Beach (Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture), stayed briefly around present-day Hachinohe City, and then reach Minamaya in Tsugaru Peninsula by way of Koda Hachiman-gu Shrine, Ogami Shrine, Silla Shrine, Kifune Shrine, and Utou Shrine.

     Near Koda Hachiman-gu Shrine, Yoshitsune stayed at today’s Takadate Kawaragi, Hachinohe, Aomori 039-1161.  He presented the Vaisravana image and the copy of Large Prajnaparamita Sutras to the shrine.  Yoshitsune’s wife Lady Kuga died in Hachinohe in 1205 and was buried where Ogami Shrine is located.  The burial place came to be regarded as a holy place and Ogami Shrine was founded there.  The shrine still treasures her hand mirror.  Yoshitsune ordered Itabashi Kisaburo to build his residence where Silla Shrine is located.

     Princess Joruri tried to follow Yoshitsune and finally had a reunion with him near Kifune Shrine.  She, however, became seriously ill.  Yoshitsune’s vassal, Washio Tsuneharu, stayed and continued looking after her.  In spite of his care, she passed away.  Tsuneharu stayed and prayed for her comfort in the other world till his death.  On his way to Minmaya, Yoshitsune visited and prayed in Utou Shrine.

     Yoshitsune tried to cross the Tsugaru Straits from Cape Tappi, the tip of the Tsugaru Peninsula, to reach Hokkaido, but was held up by strong winds.  He was at a loss and placed his guardian deity, the Avalokitesvara statue, on a huge rock and prayed for 3 days and 3 nights.  It is said that a gray-haired hermit then appeared and gave him 3 fast dragon-horses, allowing him to safely reach Hokkaido.

     When Enku (1632-1695) visited the Minmaya area in 1667, he found an Avalokitesvara statue emitting a divine light from Mayaishi Rock, and, that night, Avalokitesvara appeared to him in a dream and heartfeltly explained the above-mentioned origins to him. Enku then realized that this Avalokitesvara statue was Yoshitsune's guardian deity.  He carved another Avalokitesvara statue himself, placed Yoshitsune's guardian deity inside the statue, and built a hermitage.

     According to another tradition, Yoshitsune left his guardian deity which had been placed in the front of his helmet in Echizen Province.  Centuries later, in the early Edo Period, Jinbe of Asuwa County, Echizen Province, owned the deity and handed it over to the Ito Family, a shipping wholesaler of Minmaya.  The family still runs a B & B there.  The deity was what Enku found.

Address: Minmayaienoue, Sotogahama, Higashitsugaru District, Aomori 030-1732

Phone: 0174-37-2045

Koda-Hachiman-gu Shrine

Address: 1 Chome-2-1 Koda, Hachinohe, Aomori 039-1160

Phone: 0178-28-3007

Ogami-jinja Shrine

Address: 2 Chome-1-51 Uchimaru, Hachinohe, Aomori 031-0075

Phone: 0178-22-1770

Silla Shrine

Address: 1 Chome-6-10 Choja, Hachinohe, Aomori 031-0021

Phone: 0178-22-1769

Kifune Shrine

Address: Suzumori-291 NonaiAomori, 039-3503

Utou Shrine

Address: 2 Chome-7-18 Yasukata, Aomori, 030-0803

Phone: 017-722-4843

Mayaishi

Address: 1728 030 Minmayanakahama, Sotogahama, Higashitsugaru District, Aomori 030-1728