Virtual New Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #10 Seisho-ji Temple

 

     In 901, when Sugawara Michizane (845-903) was exiled and on his way to Dazaifu, his lady-in-waiting died suddenly.  He built a hermitage to pray for the comfort of her in the other world.  It is said that the area faced the sea at the time.  By the way, why did Michizane and his followers stay in the area where Seisho-ji Temple is located today?  Had the prehistoric port at the foot of Minato Shrine already stopped functioning as a port?  If so, which port did Gyoki (668-749) maintain?  Did he improve the prehistoric port, or did he install the one Michizane used?

     In 1394, Ashikaga Yoshimochi (1386-1428) became the 4th Shogun of Muromachi Shogunate.  His vassal became a Buddhist monk for some reason.  In 1395, the monk founded Seisho-ji Temple at the site of the hermitage Michizane had built.  Why did the monk become reclusive?

     In 1394, the concubines of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358-1408), the 3rd Shogun, gave birth to his 4th and 5th sons, Yoshitsugu (1394-1418) and Yoshinori (1394-1441).  Yoshitsugu was later killed by Ashikaga Yoshimochi (1386-1428).  Ashikaga Yoshikazu (1407-1425), the 5th Shogun, and Yoshimochi died of a disease one after another, and the shogunate became vacant.  Chief vassals assembled at Iwashimizu-Hachiman-gu Shrine and decided the next shogun by lot on January 17, 1428.  And Yoshinori became the 6th Shogun and assassinated his political opponents one after another.

     The monk might have foreseen the dark clouds.

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