Kubota Castle Town 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

 

     Kubota Castle Town 33 Kannon Pilgrimage was organized between 1681 and 1684 by Hiranoya Jinbei, who was a wealthy merchant who handled the domain’s rice, exporting the rice either to Edo or Osaka by ship.

     Kubota Castle was built in the Edo Period 5 kilometers east-south-east from Akita Castle, which was an ancient castle.

     In 709, Ideha County, which was changed to Dewa later by the end of the 12th century, was established at the northern end of Koshi Province.  Ideha Fortress was supposedly built around that time at the estuary of Mogami River.  Ideha County was separated from Koshi Province and was promoted to province in 712.  In 733, Ideha Fortress was relocated north, or advanced, to Akita at the estuary of Omono River at about 100 kilometers from its original place.   Ideha Fortress in Akita was first documented as Akita Castle on March 16th, 760.  The Akita area at the time was sparsely populated, and no large-scale villages were found.  The fortress was in the front line.  A kind of farmer-soldiers were sent to the area mainly from Koshi and Shinano Provinces, and a kind of a small “castle town” was formed around the fortress.  The villagers consisted of immigrant farmer-soldiers and “subordinate Emishi”, who had surrendered themselves to Japan.  The areas around Akita Castle became unstable for some reason or other, and at last in 780, Abe Yakamaro, a general in Akita Castle, reported to Emperor Konin (709-781) that the castle should be abandoned, which meant to retreat about 100 kilometers south again.  The Imperial Court replied to him, "Akita Castle was built by former generals and prime ministers.  It has stood the test of time."  The Ideha Provincial Government was moved back south, but Akita Castle remained as the front line of the Imperial Army.

     Excavation findings at Akita Castle have revealed several facts that suggest exchanges with Bolhae.  Although there is no solid evidence in the form of written historical materials, it is highly likely that Akita Castle received Balhae envoys, who frequently visited Ideha Province throughout the Nara Period. Akita Castle was the northernmost of all the fortresses built by the Imperial Court, and was in an important position as the base for governance through the Ritsuryo system, as well as for exchanges not only with the northern foreigners of Tsugaru and Hokkaido but also across the Sea of Japan.

     The findings in Terauchiunoki, Akita, 011-0938, the south-east part of the castle, also show that the buildings there had neither foundation stones nor roof tiles before the beginning of the 9th century.  It is unknown whether the change of the architectures were due to the skills people there had or because of the change of the use of the buildings.

 On February 3rd, 830, the Tencho Earthquake hit the Akita area.  According to Ruiju Kokushi, which is a historical text that categorized the events listed in the Six National Histories, and whose compilation was completed in 892, all the buildings of Akita Castle were destroyed.  15 people were crushed to death.  Over 100 people broke their arms and legs.  The earthquake caused many cracks.  The Omono River ran dry and looked like a groove.  The landslides stopped rivers and caused floods.

     Due to the years of harsh administration by Yoshimine Chikashi, the officer of the Akita Castle, the dissatisfaction of subordinate foreigners reached its peak.  In March, 878, they rose up and raided Akita Fortress, and Chikashi was unable to defend the fortress and fled.  The subordinate foreigners set fire to the surrounding area, and the Governor of Ideha Province, Fujiwara Okiyo (817-891) also fled.  Excavations have also uncovered layers of charred soil, which attests to the fact that the castle was burned down during the rebellion.

On April 17th, 938, it was reported to the Imperial Court that the surrendered northern foreigners rebelled against the army in Akita Castle with other types of northern foreigners, whose ethnic attributes are unknown.  They robbed Akita County of the tax rice.  The court ordered the mobilization of the jobless people in Ideha Province.  On July 18th, the court ordered tax rice to be given to the newly hired soldiers as food.  Taking a different perspective on the usage of the tax rice, we can say the government bribed the rebellious locals who had been deprived of their crops with the tax rice which the locals had grown.  In short, the government could have conceded the locals by reducing taxes.

     In the latter half of the 10th century, the Akita Castle ceased functioning as an ancient government office.  Even the buildings in Terauchiunoki, which are supposed to have been Buddhist temples, disappeared after the first half of the 11th century.

     After Sakanoue Tamuramaro (758-811) died on May 23rd, 811, the Imperial Court changed their policy against or for northern foreigners, especially those of them who lived in Japanese territory, from suppression to assimilation.  On June 2nd, 812, they ordered communities of northern foreigners to choose their own chiefs.  It wasn’t recorded how the communities of northern foreigners chose their own chiefs, but chief-ships became hereditary and that made powerful families more powerful.  Eventually, the Kawashiri Family came to rule the estuary of Omono River.  Kawashiri means the mouth of a river.  They built a fortress where Kubota Castle was built in the Edo Period.  The Ando Pirates built Minato Fortress about 2 kilometers north of Akita Castle in the 14th century at the latest.  Minato literally means Port.  The Kawashiri Family became subject to the Ando Pirates.

     All in all, the Kubota Castle town is not only a castle town but also a port town.  Its history goes back to Ancient times.  There could have lived, or at least visited, varieties of ethnic groups including Japanese in the Ancient times.  I'm excited to see what multi-layered colors that give to the Kubota Castle Town 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.

     The locals make a pilgrimage to the 33 holy places annually on January 16th, sticking cards with their late parents' posthumous Buddhist names.  If you go on the pilgrimage 3 straight years, they will rest in peace.

     As the Kubota Castle Town became Akita City, the pilgrimage is also called the Akita City 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.

Kubota Castle Ruins

Address: 1-4 Senshukoen, Akita, 010-0876