Virtual Kubota Castle Town 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #11 Ogu-ji Temple

 

     Ogu-ji Temple was founded in 1625 by Umezu Masakage (1581-1633).

     Masakage became one of the servers of Satake Yoshinobu (1570-1633).  He was skilled in calculations and writing, and became a capable official.  He was also skilled in horse riding and had talent as a military samurai.  In 1602, when the Satake Family was transferred to Akita County, Dewa Province, he followed them and worked hard to establish the Kubota Domain, serving in key positions such as chief retainer and financial magistrate. In 1615, he also participated in the Siege of Osaka.

     In 1607, a silver mine was developed in Innai, Ogachi County, but Innai became a lawless area where crime was rampant, and silver production was poor.  Masakage was selected as the silver mine magistrate, and worked hard to correct discipline and improve the silver mine.  Thanks to Masakage's successful administration, law and order in the silver mine gradually improved and production increased.

     Masakage kept a diary with 25 volumes.  It covered from February 28th, 1612, when he became the silver mine magistrate, to March 3rd, 1623, 4 days before his death.

     Hiino village (present-day Futatsuimachi, Noshiro, Akita) was given as a fief to Masakage.  Because it was on high ground relative to the nearby Yoneshiro River, it had poor water supply.  At the beginning of the Edo Period, it was a poor village with only 15 to 16 households.  Masakage built an irrigation canal from the Fujikoto River in Yasaka (today's Yasaka, Fujisato, Yamamoto District, Akita 018-3204), and developed new rice fields.  In mountainous areas where irrigation canals were not easy to build, tunnels were dug through rock.  This is the Iwaseki Irrigation Canal, which was renovated in the Meiji Period and is still in use.  With the creation of new rice fields, Hiino village's population increased and the number of rice production also increased dramatically.  Masakage is enshrined as a god at Iwaseki Shrine, and a festival is held there annually on May 3rd for him to this day.

Address: 1 Chome-6-17 Kyokunan, Akita, 010-0925

Phone: 018-862-5775

 

Iwaseki Shrine

Address: Shimonoieushiro−72, Futatsuimachi, Noshiro, Akita 018-3152