Virtual Upper Tada Manor 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #9 Renge-ji Temple

 

     Renge-ji Temple was founded by Priest Hodo, who had traveled from India through Tang China and the Korean kingdom of Baekje to Japan from the 6th to 7th centuries.  He arrived in Japan sometime between 645 and 654, when Emperor Kotoku (596-654), the leading figure of the Taika Reforms, was based in the Naniwa Nagara-Toyosaki Palace.  While the emperor reigned, Gogureo and Silla sent their envoys to Japan in addition to Baekje, which had already sent their envoys to Japan.  The emperor also built Nutari Fortress in 647 in today's Nuttarihigashi, Chuo Ward, Niigata, 950-0075, and Iwafune Fortress in 648 in today's Iwafune, Murakami, Niigata 958-0000, as the northernmost forefront of the Imperial Army against northern foreigners.  All in all, he employed an aggressive external policy.  In 653, however, Prince Nakano Oe (626-672), Prince Oama (630–686), Ex-Empress Kogyoku (8594-661), and Empress Hashihito (?-665), who was of course the emperor’s wife, left Naniwa and returned to Yamato Province, walking out on the emperor, who died of illness next year.

     What does the breakup of the Royal Family imply?  There could have been an epidemic brought from abroad.  Such spreads of plagues brought from abroad was one of the reasons why the Imperial Court shut themselves in valleys around Nara and Kyoto.

     The temple has a stone monument dated 1489.

     After the Onin War (1467-1477), the authority of the Ashikaga Shogunate declined greatly and inferiors started overpowering superiors. On June 24th, 1441, the 6th Shogun, Ashikaga Yoshioki (1394-1441), was killed by Akamatsu Mitsusuke (1381-1441).  On July 21st, 1443, the 7th Shogun, Yoshikatsu (1434-1443), died young.

     The 2 pictures of Diamond Realm Mandala and Womb Realm Mandala were presented to the temple in 1448.

      The 8th Shogun, Yoshihisa (1465-1489), tried hard to reestablish the power of the shogunate, and, in order to subjugate Rokkaku Takayori (?-1520), the guardian samurai of Omi Province, who had seized the territories of nobles, temples, and shrines, led an army of 20,000 and marched to Omi Province on September 12th, 1487.  The Chokyo-Entoku War started.  Takayori abandoned Kannonji Castle and fled to Koga County, but continued guerrilla fighting.  Yoshihisa was held in Magari, Kurita County, Omi Province for one year and five months until his death.

     The above-mentioned stone monument was built in those days.

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Naniwa-no-Miya-Ato Park (Naniwanomiya Palace Site Park)

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