Kozenji Temple, the family temple of Mogami Yoshimitsu, which was the largest plaza of the Mogami family, with 570,000 koku (Yamagata Prefecture)

Kozenji Temple, the family temple of Mogami Yoshiaki, who built the largest territory as a Sengoku daimyo in Dewa Province (present-day Yamagata Prefecture) from the Sengoku period to the Edo period, is located in Teppo-cho, in the center of Yamagata City

Who is Mogami Yoshiaki?

Mogami Yoshiaki the 11th head of Mogami clan, a Sengoku daimyo of Dewa Province , and the first head of the Dewa Yamagata Domain .

He came of age in 1560 at the age of 15. That same year, he made his debut in a battle against the Sagae clan, and continued to fight against the Mogami Eight Shields , including Tendo , Nobezawa, and Obanazawa clans , and pacified Dewa Province.

After that, he traveled around the Shonai region, which is now the Sea of ​​Japan coast of Yamagata Prefecture, and fought against the Daihoji clan and the Uesugi clan of Echigo

During the Battle of Sekigahara, the Uesugi army led by Naoe Kanetsugu invaded the Mogami what is commonly known as the "Keicho Dewa War ." He successfully repelled the attack, and as a result, gained control of the Shonai region. His territory included all of present-day Yamagata Prefecture (excluding Okitama County) and part of Akita Prefecture, and he became the first lord of the Dewa Yamagata domain with a fief of 570,000 koku

Incidentally, Mogami Yoshimitsu's younger sister, Yoshihime (later known as Hoshun'in), was the mother of

Kozenji Temple is located in Teppomachi, the center of Yamagata City

Kozenji Temple is a Soto Zen temple located in Teppo-cho, Yamagata City, and its mountain name is Tenryu-san .

It was originally called Keichoji Temple, but was renamed Kozenji Temple by Mogami Iechika

Mogami Yoshimitsu himself founded this temple by inviting a man named Shunrin Zento

Originally, it was located in what is now Nanukamachi, Yamagata City, but after the deaths of Yoshimitsu and Iechika, an internal dispute over the succession (the Mogami Disturbance) Torii Tadamasa, was transferred from the Iwakidaira Domain to take his place, moved it to its current location.

At the time of the relocation, 500 to 600 ronin from the former Mogami family gathered together and carried the remains of Yoshimitsu and those who had died with their families to the current Kozenji Temple, and the temple has since been protected by former retainers to the present day

A temple dedicated to the Bodhisattva Memyo, the ancestor of the San

the Ban'in Bodhisattva, enshrined in the hall on your left . I thought it was a Jizo statue, but the first character is different...I can't read it. After researching, I found out that it's "God" with "insect" underneath, and it seems to be pronounced "San."

Memyo Bodhisattva is a bodhisattva that originated in Chinese folk beliefs, and the god of sericulture and weaving . Judging from the characters, the "insect" in "god" might refer to "silkworms." This is just my imagination, though...

If you go further, you will come across a magnificent stone bridge in the temple grounds

The 23rd sacred site of the 108 Jizo statues in Yamagata

Immediately on the left after crossing the stone bridge is the Enmei Jizo , the 23rd sacred site of the 108 Jizo statues of

It is one of the sacred sites of Jizo Bodhisattva pilgrimage in the inland areas of Yamagata Prefecture, including Yamagata, Murayama, Tendo, Sagae, Mogami, Obanazawa, Higashine, and Shinjo, as well as the Mogami and Murayama regions

On the right side of the bridge you can see a magnificent bell tower

Kozenji Temple Main Hall

The front of the main hall. There are no flashy decorations, and it gives a solemn impression

However, there was a magnificent dragon sculpture on the front

For some reason, the Mogami family crest is tilted at a 90-degree angle at the bottom of the pillars supporting both sides. I wonder if there is some significance to this

Kozenji Temple Garden

If you go behind the main hall on the left side, you will see the entrance to the Kozenji Garden

This Enshu-style garden is said to have been created in the early Edo period approximately 3,000 square meters in size . It has been designated as a scenic spot by Yamagata City.

The exact year the garden was created and who created it are unknown, but it is said to be one of the oldest gardens in Yamagata Prefecture

Mogami Yoshiaki's grave

If you go further from Kozenji Temple Garden, you will see the grave of Mogami Yoshiaki

In addition to Lord Yoshimitsu, this is also the burial site of the 12th head Lord Iechika and the 13th , Lord Yoshitoshi , Sagae Hizen-no-kami Nagaoka Tajima-no-kami , who followed him to his death and committed suicide.

summary

Thanks to the skills of the Sengoku daimyo, Mogami Yoshimitsu, the Yamagata domain grew into one of the largest domains in the Edo shogunate, with a fief of 570,000 koku. However, just nine years after Yoshimitsu's death, a succession dispute broke out, involving his vassals, and the domain suffered the misfortune of having its entire territory confiscated.

It truly seems like a story of rise and fall, but the fact that it was such a powerful city can be seen from Yamagata Castle, which was also known as the Kasumi Castle

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

It's so big that the main castle is hazy and you can't see! Yamagata Castle, known as Kasumi Castle [Yamagata Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/24544

Yamagata City is the prefectural capital of Yamagata Prefecture. Yamagata Prefecture is divided into four regions: Okitama region in the south, Murayama region in the center, Mogami region in the northeast, and Shonai region along the Sea of ​​Japan. I am. Yamagata City belongs to the Murayama region, and was home to the Yamagata Domain during the Edo period. The Yamagata domain, which originally had 570,000 koku, increased to 50,000 koku at the end of the Edo period Dewa Province (Yamagata territory) Nationally designated important cultural property Collection: National Archives The Yamagata domain was the home of the feudal lord of the Sengoku period, Yoshiaki Mogami. However, he fought as part of the Tokugawa army in the Battle of Sekigahara, and Tokugawa Ieyasu took control of all of present-day Yamagata Prefecture, excluding the Okitama area, and Akita...

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If you visit the Yamagata Castle ruins or the Mogami Yoshiaki History Museum, be sure to also visit Kozenji Temple

Information

• Name: Kozenji Temple
• Address: 2-5-7 Teppomachi, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture, 990-2492
• Phone number: 023-622-7796
• URL: Mogami Yoshiaki History Museum

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Aoiwa

Traveling around the Tohoku region, I enjoy drinking delicious sake and exploring the local history, traditions, and customs. I write articles based on my interests. I'm currently interested in folk performing arts, local toys, and folk beliefs.