Virtual Kameda Domain 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #15 Ansho-ji Temple

 

     Kumano Shrine was invited to Amasagi Village in 1398.  The village was ruled by the Akotsu Family.

     Ako-tsu Port was also ruled by the Akotsu Family, who enjoyed good relations with the Ando Pirates.  They built Akotsu Fortress on the top of the hill behind the port.  The Akotsu Family was dismissed in 1600.  Tateoka Mitsushige (1547-1639) moved to the area in 1603, but was dismissed in 1622.  In 1623, Iwaki Yoshitaka (1609-1672) moved in.  He built Kameda Residence at the foot of a hill in Amasagi Village and developed a 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.  It is unclear if we can call Kamedamachi, or Kameda Town, a castle town.  Anyway, the town became the capital of the Kameda Domain.

     It is unknown when Ansho-ji Temple was founded as Kumano Shrine's shrine temple.

     In 1697, the 3rd domain lord, Shigetaka (1628-1708), presented the Bhaisajyaguru statue to Kumano Shrine.

     On December 22nd, 1727, Ansho-ji Temple's priest visited the office of the domain's Jisha-bugyo, or the temple and shrine commissioner.  The priest and that of Jisen-in Temple started fighting and Jisen-in Temple's priest made a slash at Ansho-ji Temple's priest, who had 4 severe wounds and died on the 30th.  Jisen-in Temple's priest was caught on the spot and was executed on the 26th.  

     In 1765, the Kameda Castle Town was burnt in a big fire, and Kumano Shrine was burned down.  In 1772, the 6th lord, Takayoshi (1724-1782), moved the shrine to its present location on a hill across Kinu River.  Presumably, he also moved Amasagi-Inari and Shinmei-sha Shrines there.  Today's Kumano Shrine has Inari Shrine and Shinmei-sha Shrine as its branches.  In 1773, Kumano Shrine’s main hall was rebuilt.

       Presumably, Jisho-in Temple was the shrine temple of either Amasagi-Inari Shrine or Shinmei-sha Shrine.  Amasagi-Inari Shrine enshrined Amasagi Taro, who fought against Sakanoue Tamuramaro (758-811), who invaded the Tohoku Region as the general of the Imperial Army.  Jisen-in Temple could have had local pride.

     Amasagi-Inari Shrine was ordered to be a branch of Kumano Shrine by the Iwaki Family.  It is unknown whether the order was carried out before the bloodshed incident, between the incident and the fire, or after the fire.  The main building of Amasagi-Inari Shrine was rebuilt by Kato Shinkuro in 1840.

     Ansho-ji Temple might have been abolished after the Meiji Restoration Government issued the Gods and Buddhas Separation Order in 1868.

Kumano Shrine

Address: Umegasawa−10, Iwakiakahira, Yurihonjo, Akita 018-1215

Phone: 0184-72-2136

Amasagi Village

Address: 92-2 Iwakikamedakamedamachi, Yurihonjo, Akita 018-1217

Phone: 0184-74-2525