Hinohara village's ancient history footsteps
  revealed by the place names.

 
    Hinohara village was progressed region
    in Kanto region in Japan more than 1000 years ago.
 
《 For many maps, it may takes a little time to switch the screen. 》
guide: Komakitsu Okabe
Top Page Prince Tamesada Surrender Village People Mysteries Contact Us
 

  Hinohara Castle's surrender was in order to avoid unnecessary war.

The surrender of Hinohara Castle (mountain fortress) was on the same day when Mr. Hojo's Odawara Castle fell on July 12th in 1590.  Why?

When Hachioji Castle was attacked in June of that year, there was a war that killed many people.

Hachioji Castle was being protected by the chief retainer Kaneko. On the other hand, Kenmotsu Yokochi (横地監物) the top of the chief retainer of the castle saw no interest in the battle at that time, and came to Hinohara Castle with monks and soldiers who were in the fight.

Looking at Ujishige Hirayama and his servants were preparering for heavy fighting in Hinohara Castle, Kenmotsu Yokochi explained the battle is futile, and made efforts to stop the exhausting futile fight also for the villagers.
 【 Hinohara Castle
    Hachiouji Castle 】
 
 
より大きな地図で 檜原城・八王子城 を表示

In the meantime, the the information conveyed to Hinohara Catles that Odawara Castle fell and Odawara castellan Ujiyasu Hojo and Ujiteru Hojo who were there for reinforcements were killed. Because there was no longer no meaning of fighting for Hinohara Castle without Hojo castellans, Hinohara castellan Ujishige Hirayama decided that Hinohara Castle surrendered on the same day July 12th when Odawara Castle felled after the pursuade of Kenmotu Yokochi.

Then they talked together what to do then after.

There were gathered many peasants who were ready for fight in the house which present trade name is "Manjuya" in Motoshuku (本宿). The pace was called "Manjo" which meant a gathering place surounded by tents, and the place was called "Manjuya".

 tentative castle surounded
 with a long stretched curtain 
   Manjo (幔城)  ⇒  Manjuya (trade name)

Most peasants went back home according to the persuade.  Some soldiers helped the lord Ujishige Hirayama (平山氏重) in making the idea of the destination of the postwar Hirayama.

Hinohara castellan Ujishige Hirayama made a temporary building at the highest place in Nakazato (中里), and consulted the ex post facto with Kenmotsu Yokochi (横地監物).

The place which is located upper side of Miyata house is called "Tono-no-Yashiki" (= castellan's house) even now.

Castellan Ujishige Hirayama who decided about the future came to the conclusion that he will become a monk to pray for peace of the people because he was no more the castellan.

Tono-no-Yashiki
   Hinohara Castle 】
 
 
より大きな地図で とののやしき と 檜原城 を表示

He made a temple near Akigawa River in Nakazato (中里) while living in the temporary building, and decided to live there.

The following stories which were handed down in Senzoku district were created after that.
@ The rock where Ujishige hided
A The rock from where Gengoro saw Ujishige
B One thusand waraji which wre given from the sky after the lord prayed

     The temple site
     The Hidden rock
     Gengoro's Rock
     One thusand waraji
【 Ujishige Hirayama and related sites 】
 
 
より大きな地図で 平山氏重 ゆかりの場所 を表示

【 Gengoro's Rock 】
 
"Gengoro's Rock" and the mountain
seen from the road near the hidden rock.
【 The Hidden rock 】
 
"Hidden rock" is in the lower left
of the car in the woods.
 
Note: Gengoro's Rock is not confirmed because of trees now. Whether that was seen in past is unconfirmed.)

Well, he lived in the temple on the opposite side of the river in Nakazato, and occasionally deepened exchanges with his son Ujihisa or Knmotsu Yokochi, or went to the village and rural.

After the death of Ujishige, the temple was dismantled and rebuilted as a temple in the area of Kokubunji.

Those who joined to build the temple when Hinohara Castle was surrendered, took away the wreckage to Kokubunji when they went there for developing the area. It is said that the temple remains today.

Cemetery in Senzoku (千足)
 
千足の墓地
He is said to have been buried in the cemetery in Senzoku (千足) after his death.

After the death of Ujishige Hirayama, villagers (of Senzoku area) built a shrine as Hinohara Village's imperial tomb with the strong worship toward Ujishige Hirayama. The shrine exists even now.

The area before the shrine is called Goryo-para (= saint fields 御陵ッ原) and has become the present Senzoku (千足) settlements.
【 Goryo Shrine (御陵神社) 】
 
御陵神社

【 Goryo-para (御陵ッ原) 】
 
御陵ッ原
 
Goryo Shrine (御陵神社) is located
left side of the above area.
Cemetery in Senzoku (千足)
Goryo Shrine (御陵神社)
Goryo-para (御陵ッ原) 】
 
 
より大きな地図で 墓地と御陵神社と御陵ッ原 を表示

Note: The description above is different from the story in "Hinohara Village local history" issued by Board of Education Hinohara Village, on March 31, 1996, or from the story that is commonly referred to as "Hinohara castellan Ujishige Hirayama died in battle in Senzoku (千足)".  However, in a recent survey of Mr. Okabe, this story is more correct.

Maybe the legend that is said in general was perhaps to hide that Ujishige lived in hiding with the villagers help ? ! )

 

  "Kenmotsu Yokochi" and "Ujihisa" lived the rest of their lives happy.

After discussing at temporary building in Nakazato(中里), Kenmotsu Yokochi (横地監物) settled in Shiraya (白矢) in Hinohara Village along with the son of Ujishige Hirayama.

The place is mountain-like peak, which is close to scenic places in the high sky.

Kenmotsu Yokochi and the son of Ujishige Hirayama entered the temple with the priest who accompanyed to them, and discussed about the future.
Shiraya (白矢)(visitable by car)
 
 
より大きな地図で 白矢の地 を表示

【 Landscape seen in south direction from Shiraya 】
 
【 Stele showing
the temple site 】
 

After the opinion of Yokochi (横地), Ujihisa (氏久) began the life away from the everyday world and then trained at the temple.  Yokochi lived in a home where there are few houses down just a little south of the temple, and continued the lives of working in the field on fine days and reading at home on rainy days.

Next year (in 1591), when the war ended and peace came with Toyotomi's world, Kenmotsu visited Atsuta Shrine in Nagoya with Ujihisa (氏久). It was for inviting the spiritual symbol from Atsuta Shrine to worship at Myoga-daira near Shiraya (白矢).

Seeing or hearing people's lives and lifestyles in the middle of the journey was a good to study in Ujihisa's life. Kenmotsu also tried to know the social trends, and thought about the later life.  After a long journey that spent six months, Kenmotsu builded a small shrine house close to his living house and worshiped the spiritual symbol naming it a big shrine and visited it every day with important mind.

There was merit therefore, people got good agricultural products, people got better lives working well, so that people visited shrine more. Many people visited the shrine.

Because Kenmotsu Yokochi taught about life and how to live to the pilgrims who came to the shrine, the shrine became popular to the countryside around the shrine as there were merits. The place where there was the shrine became to be called "Myoga-Daira" (the flat place full of merits).

The name of "Myoga Daira" came not from "myoga" (= Japanese ginger, a vegetable's name) but from "myoga" (= divine protection).

"Myoga" meant not a vesitable's name but "Myoga" that is blessings of the Gods we receive unwittingly.

Myogadaira (ミョウガ平)
the temple site in Shiraya (白矢) 】
 
 
より大きな地図で ミョウガ平 を表示

Kenmotsu Yokochi spent a quiet life in Myoga Daira. And people regretted him when he died.

Because of the Kenmotsu Yokochi's testament to hope to be buried at the place where Lake Ogochi can be seen to avoid annoying people of Hinohara, his tomb is located at the west of Ogochi Pass.

【 Tomb of Kenmotsu Yokochi 】
 
 
より大きな地図で 横地の墓 を表示

After Kenmotsu Yokochi's death, Ujishisa Hirayama changed his name to Sohaku (=pure monk) and moved to Motoshuku (本宿). It is reported that he participated in a naked festival that took place in March, or visited Ujishige Hirayama at his house named Sekinoshiro (関白=the emperor's chief advisor) in his left life.

注: The description above is different from the story explained in "Hinohara-village local history" issued by Board of Education Hinohara-village, on March 31, 1996, or the story that is commonly referred to as Kenmotsu undergoned suicide near Ogochi Pass. However, in a recent survey of Mr. Okabe, this story is more correct.)

■Helpful Site  (in Japanese)
  a naked festival that took place in March:
  御とう神事 −おとうしんじ−   中世から受け継がれる“食”の神事


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