Virtual New Innami County 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #26 Shomyo-ji Temple

 

     Legend has it that Saiko-ji Temple was founded by Prince Shotoku (547-622).  During the Kamakura Period (1185-1333), Kasuya Arinori, the lord of Gannan Manor, today's western Kakogawa City, built Kakogawa Fortress and made Saiko-ji Temple the family temple of the Kasuya Family.  In August, 1358, all 7 temple buildings were washed away by a great flood, but they were rebuilt around April, 1363, by Yasutsura, Arinori's great-grandson.  Later, it was damaged by fire during wartime, but Kasuya Takenori (1562-?), the 12th lord of the fortress, donated a guest hall.  On March 3rd, 1603, Priest Kankai renamed it Shomyo-in Temple, but it was later renamed Shomyo-ji Temple.  On September 27th, 1606, Nakamura Masakatsu, the magistrate of Ikeda Terumasa (1565-1613), donated 3 areas of rice fields.  On October 22nd, 1619, Itakura Katsushige (1545-1624) donated the temple rice fields worth 6 people’s annual living expenses.  The temple was later destroyed by fire again, but the current temple buildings were rebuilt in 1691.

     It is unknown why Katsushige contributed.  He had nothing to do with the Himeji Domain, let alone with Shomyo-ji Temple.

     Katsushige served in the Tokugawa Shogunate as the 2nd Kyoto Shoshidai, who was responsible for maintaining good relations and open communication between the shogunate and the imperial court, holding office in the period spanning the years from 1601 through 1620.

     In 1619, the Oyotsu Lady-in-Waiting Incident broke out.

     Yotsutsuji Yotsuko (?–1639) served as a lady-in-waiting to Emperor Go-Mizunoo (1596-1680).  Her father was Yotsutsuji Kimito (1540-1595), a Seior Second Rank Provisional Grand Councilor.  Her posthumous name was Myokyoin.  Her older sister was Keigan’in (?-1604), a concubine of Uesugi Kagekatsu (1556-1623).  Her brothers included Washio Takanao (1566-1608), Yotsutsuji Suetsugu (1581-1639), Inokuma Noritoshi (1583-1609), and Yabu Tsuguyoshi (1593-1653).

     Yotsuko initially served Kanshuji Haruko (1553-1620) and was known as Ayanokoji, but, around 1618, she served Emperor Go-Mizunoo as a lady-in-waiting, giving birth to one son and one daughter: Prince Kamo (1618-1622) and Princess Bunchi (1619-1697).

     When Tokugawa Kazuko (1607-1678) entered the Imperial Court as the Consort of Emperor Go-Mizunoo, Yotsuko was pressured by the Shogunate to be kept away from the Emperor and banished from the Imperial Palace (the Oyotsu Lady-in-Waiting Incident).  Soon after, she is said to have renounced worldly life, taken the Buddhist name Myokyoin, and lived in seclusion in Saga.

     In September, 1619, Madenokoji Atsufusa (1562-1626), who was the counselor of the first rank in the Imperial court, was held responsible for his supervisory duties and was exiled to the Tanba Sasayama Domain.  Yotsuko's older brothers, Suetsugu and Tsuguyoshi, were exiled to Bungo Province.  Furthermore, Nakamikado Naoyoshi (q590-1641), Horikawa Yasutane (1592-1673), and Tsuchimikado Hisanaga (1560-1625), who were close aides of the Emperor, were suspended from their duties.

     Anyway, no Royal Family member, no high-ranking noble, none of Yotsuko’s relatives were exiled to Shomyo-ji Temple.  Presumably, someone obscure could have been secluded in the temple.

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