Virtual Kameda Domain 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #33 Kozen-ji Temple

 

     Kusunoki Masanobu is believed to have invited Priest Teiki from Daijo-ji Temple in Kaga Province to found Erin-ji Temple to pray for the comfort of his ancestors in the other world.  Teiki also founded Kozen-ji Temple in 1388, supported by Akotsu Toshihiro.

     In 1587, Kozen-ji Temple was abruptly abolished for unknown reasons.

     The Minato Incident is the generic term to refer to the 3 wars which mainly broke out around Minato Fortress in the estuary of Omono River in Dewa Province in the Warring States Period.  The wars were fought between the Northern Ando Pirates, who were based in the estuary of Yoneshiro River, and the Southern Ando Pirates, who were based in the estuary of Omono River.

     Since the early days of the Kamakura Shogunate, Hokkaido had been a place of exile for serious criminals, and the main role of the Ezo Magistrate was to send the exiles to prison and to monitor them.  The position began in 1217, when the then Regent, Hojo Yoshitoki (1163-1224), became the governor of Mutsu, and appointed Ando Takahide as Ezo Magistrate.  This position became a hereditary position of the Ando Family, or the Ando Pirates, and the magistrate office was located in Tosaminato, which was the base of the Ando Pirates.  The Ando family, commissioned by the Hojo Clan, collected taxes on the profits from trading ships and paid them to the head family of the Hojo Clan.

     In the 15th century, the Ando Pirates and the Nanbu Family, who were based in the central part of Mutsu Province, struggled for supremacy in the northernmost part of Honshu.  When the Nanbu Family attacked the Amdo Pirates in the 1430's, Ando Morisue and his son, Yasusue, fled to Hokkaido.  Yasusue fought back to Tsugaru in 1445.  Yasusue landed on the western coast of Tsugaru Peninsula.  Yasusue built a fort along the coast but died of illness in the fort.  His son, Yoshisue, built Oinotate Fort in Oura Village, Hanawa County, but was defeated by the Nanbu Family, and killed himself on October 9th, 1453.  The head family of the Ando Pirates died out. 

     A branch of the Ando Pirates existed in the estuary of Yoneshiro River as the Northern Ando Pirates, and another lasted in that of Omono River as the Southern Ando Pirates.  The details are unknown but the 2 branches fought against each other in 1544 in the 1st Minato Incident.  

     In 1570, Ando Shigesue (1540-1579), who was the 10th head of the Southern Ando Pirates, tried to control the watertaransportation along Omono River and confronted the samurai in the lower reaches of the river.  The samurai included Toshima Genba, who was based in Toshima Fortress, Shimokari Ukyo, who is supposed to have been based in today's Kanaashishitakari, Akita, 010-0114, and Kawajiri Nakatsukasa, who is supposed to have been based in today's Kawashirimachi, Okawabata, Akita, 010-0941.  They involved the Onodera Family, who was based in Yokote Fortress, and Tozawa Family, who was based in Kakudate Fortress, in the upper reaches of Omono River, and raised an army against Shigesue.  The war, the Second Minato Incident, lasted for 2 years.  A fierce battle was fought in today's Tegatayama Minamimachi, Akita, 010-0845.

      Ando Chikasue (1539-1587), who was the 8th head of the Northern Ando Pirates, stepped in the war, and had Shigesue defeat Genba and the others.  Genba fled to his father-in-law, the Nikaho Family of Yuri County.  After the war, the lower reaches of the Omono River came under Chikasue's control, and Shigesue was removed to Toshima Fortress.

     On May 17th, 1582, Chikasue held a feast to assassinate Asari Katsuyori, who was based in Odate Fortress in the middle reaches of Yoneshiro River.

     Chikasue also faced the advance of the Daihoji Family from Shonai Plain.  The Daihoji Family ruled the plain from 1192 to 1587 for 395 years.  However, in 1583, Daihoji Yoshiuji (1551-1583) was betrayed by his vassal and was cornered to kill himself.  With the help of the self-destruction of the Daihoji Family, he brought Yuri County under his control.  After unifying most of the coastal areas of northern Dewa Province, Chikasue advanced inland and fought against the Tozawa Family over control of the Omono River basin.

     Ando Chikasue was steadily establishing his position as a warlord, but in 1587, during a battle with Tozawa Moriyasu (1566-1590), who was based in Kakunodate Fortress, Chikasue died of an illness in the camp at Yodogawa in Senboku County (today's Kyowakamiyodokawa, Daisen, Akita 019-2413).

     As Chikasue's son, Sanesue (1576-1660), succeeded him, Shigesue's son, Michisue (1564-?), launched a rebellion against Sanesuke in February 1589 to restore the Southern Ando Pirates, contacting the Nanbu Family and the Onodera Family, and also allied with the Tozawa Family.  That was the start of the Third Minato Incident.

     Michisue and his allies temporarily seized Minato Fortress, organizing the local samurai including the Yatsuyanagi Family, who are supposed to have been based in today's Sotoasahikawa Yatsuyanagi, Akita, 010-0803, and the Nagai Family.  Michisue forced Sanesue into a corner by forcing him to besiege himself in Hiyama Fortress.  The siege of the fortress lasted for more than 5 months, but a temporary peace agreement was reached when the Nanbu Family attacked the Onodera Family.  Taking advantage of this opportunity, the samurai in Yuri County, including the Akaotsu Family and the Hanegawa Family, joined Sanesue.  They moved north from the county and Sanesue moved south from Hiyama Fortress to attack Minato Fortress, resulting in a pincer attack on Michisue's forces.  Minato Fortress once again fell into Sanesue's hands.  The remnants of the Michisue's forces won the Battle of Terauchi in today's Terauchi, Akita, 011-0901, but were dispersed when  Michisue seeked refuge to the Nanbu Family.

     Sanesue fought against the allies of the Tozawa and Onodera Families around Mt. Minenoyama in today's Kyowamineyoshikawa, Daisen, Akita 019-2431.  After the battle the 2 sides reached a peace agreement.  Sanesue finally united the Ando Pirates.

     Kozen-ji Temple was abolished when Ando Chikasue died in the north and the Daihoji Family collapsed in the south.  The Akotsu Family, who ruled the area, was still active till 1600.  The temple and the family weren’t in the same boat. 

     Kozen-ji Temple was revived by Taizon, the 13th head priest of Ryumon-ji Temple in 1752.  It took 165 years for the temple to be revived, when many new temples were founded and old temples were revived at the beginning of the 17th century, thanks to the danka system the Tokugawa Shogunate imposed on their people.  Under the system, every citizen was supposed to belong to an official Buddhist temple, and thus the number of temples increased.  Kozen-ji Temple’s rebuilding was finished in 1758.

      Kozen-ji Temple’s abrupt abolishment and retarded revival is a mystery.  The temple might have been simply involved in battle and burned down, and the Tokugawa Shogunate’s national isolation policy caused the piracy across the Sea of Japan to decline.

     Kawamura Zuiken (1618–1700) developed Japanese ocean trading routes: the Eastern Circuit Route and the Western Circuit Route.  In 1671, he established the ocean shipping route from north around the Boso Peninsula via Shimoda in Izu Province to Edo.  The time required was shortened by about a year.  In 1672, he devised the Western Circuit Route, which transported rice from northern Japan through the Shimonoseki Straits and the Seto Inland Sea, around Ki Peninsula, and via Shimoda in Izu Province to Edo, reducing the transshipment loss significantly.

     He thus established the trading routes around the Japanese Archipelago and the ports along the Sea of Japan prospered after the 18th century.  Even for the remnants of the Ando Pirates, that might have made up for the loss of trading across the Sea of Japan.

     Kozen-ji Temple could have functioned against the Akotsu Family, who fought for the Northern Ando Pirates.  It could have taken over 5 generations for the locals to forget about its rude behavior.

Address: Kozenjimae-105 Matsugasaki, Yurihonjo, Akita 015-0032

Phone: 0184-28-2157

Minato Fortress Site

Address: Tsuchizaki Gaiku Park, 3 Chome-9-56 Tsuchizakiminato Chuo, Akita, 011-0946

Ruins of Tosaminato

Address: Furunakamichi-61 Jusan, Goshogawara, Aomori 037-0403

Phone: 0173-35-2111

Erin-ji Temple

Address: Hodooka-37 Uchikurose, Yurihonjo, Akita 015-0022

Phone: 0184-22-1060

Daijo-ji Temple

Address: Ru-10 Kanazawa, Ishikawa 921-8114

Phone: 076-241-2680

Ryumon-ji Temple

Address: Mukaiyama-25 Iwakiakahira, Yurihonjo, Akita 018-1215

Phone: 0184-72-2373

Toshima Fortress Site

Address: Kawabetoshima, Akita, 019-2611

Yokote Fortress Site

Address: 29-1 Shiroyamamachi, Yokote, Akita 013-0012

Phone: 0182-32-1096

Kakudate Fortress Site

Address: Furushiroyama Kakunodatemachi, Semboku, Akita 014-1115

Phone: 0187-43-2295

Odate Fortress Site

Address: 3-1 Nakajo, Odate, Akita 017-0891

Hiyama Fortress Ruins

Address: Kiriyamashita Hiyama, Noshiro, Akita 016-0151