Virtual Kameda Domain 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #13 Yakuo-ji Temple

 

     It is unknown when Yakuo-ji Temple was founded in Kameda Castle Town.

     When Iwaki Takakuni (1844-1911) was the 12th lord of the Kameda Domain, the Japanese Civil War broke out.  The war was fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa Shogunate and the coalition seeking to seize political power in the name of the Imperial Court.  The Kameda Domain first fought for the shogunate.  In July, 1868, the domain switched to the Imperial Court.  In August, it went over to the shogunate.  The residence was burned down by the Imperial Army on September 21st.  On September 28th, the domain surrendered to the court, and Takakuni returned to Kameda on October 25th.  He stayed in Yakuo-ji Temple.  That means Yakuo-ji Temple wasn’t burned down and still existed at the time.  It is unknown when the temple was abolished and where its buildings have gone.  On December 22nd, Takakuni moved to Sosen-ji Temple in Asakusa.  Yakuo-ji Temple should have been abolished after 1869.

     For your information, Sosen-ji Temple was moved to its present place after the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake.

     Kameda Castle Museum has Yakuoji Hall, which seems to have been a whitewashed storehouse.  Judging from its name, the hall might have been owned by Yakuo-ji Temple.  All in all, the temple might have been near the castle.

     For your information, Iwaki Takatada unified Iwaki County, Mutsu Province, in 1442.  He revived Yakuo-ji Temple, which had been founded by Priest Tokuitsu in 806.  His son, Chikataka, and grandson, Tsunetaka (?-1542), even invaded Hitachi Province.  The Iwaki Family might have thought Yakuo-ji Temple answered to their faith, and Iwaki Yoshitaka (1609-1672), the 1st lord of the Kameda Domain, could have founded another Yakuo-ji Temple near his residence when he moved to Kameda in 1623.  He built Kameda Residence and developed the town at the foot of the residence.  In the 1980's, the fake castle tower and the fake main gate were built for the sake of sightseeing.  Ever since then, the site is called Kameda Castle, but there never was a castle in the Edo Period.  Then, did Yakuo-ji Temple really exist?  Didn’t the Iwaki family call their warehouse Yakuoji?

Kametajosatoyasohachi Museum

Address: Takashiro-4 Iwakishimohebita, Yurihonjo, Akita 018-1223

Phone: 0184-74-2500

Sosen-ji Temple

Address: 3 Chome-7-9 Azusawa, Itabashi City, Tokyo 174-0051

Phone: 03-3965-7676

Yakuo-ji Temple

Address: Hanawa-73 Yotsukuramachi Yakuoji, Iwaki, Fukushima 979-0224

Phone: 0246-33-2552