[Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture] Yoshitsune's Four Heavenly Kings, the Sato Tsugunobu and Tadanobu brothers, and their family's family temple, Io-ji

On the way from Fukushima Station to Iizaka Onsen, take the Fukushima Kotsu Iizaka Line and get off at a station called ``Ioji-mae'' where Tsugunobu Sato, Tadanobu Sato who was counted among Minamoto no Yoshitsune's Four Heavenly Kings, and their families are mourned. There is a temple.

Rurikozan Ioji Temple

Iouji is a Shingon sect temple located in Iizaka-cho, Fukushima City, near Fukushima Iizaka Onsen.According to the temple's origins, it is said to have been founded by Kobo Daishi Kukai in 826.

It is the family temple of the Sato family, part of the Oshu Fujiwara clan and ruled Nobuo's land (present-day Fukushima City to Date City) and is also a special sacred site for the Oshu Thirty-Three Kannon

of the mountain is Rurikozan, and the ``Io'' is another name for Yakushi Nyorai.In addition to the main hall, there is a main image of Yakushi-do Hall called ``Sabano Yakushi-do Hall'' in the inner part of the temple.

There is a group of tablets surrounding Yakushi-do Hall, and this is said to be the grave site of the Nobuo Shoji family.

In addition to the tombstones of the brothers Tsugunobu and Tadanobu Sato, there are also the tombstones of their father, Motoharu Sato, and their mother, Otowa, and the old camellia tree near Otowa's tombstone is called ``Otowa's camellia. ' ' It is said that there are flowers that fall as buds without opening, as if to represent the grief of a mother who lost her two sons.

The gravestone of the Sato brothers is now protected by a fence, but in the past, it was believed that if you shaved the tombstone and drank it, you would be cured of illness, and traces of the gravestone still remain. To do.

Matsuo Basho also stops by during his journey along Oku no Hosomichi.

In the 2nd year of Genroku (1689), Matsuo Basho also visited this place on his way to Oku-no-Hosomichi.

The poem reads, ``Both the koji and the sword are decorated with paper banners in the month of May.''

Tohoku Rokken trivia media: NEFT

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[Serialization: Following the narrow path in the back part 1] Your trip to Tohoku begins with "crossing the Shirakawa barrier"

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In the Edo period, when there were no airplanes, bullet trains, or automobiles, traveling on foot was the norm, and it was a life-threatening journey that was fraught with great hardship. (Basho) Matsuo Basho not only traveled on foot in Tohoku during this period, but also left behind his travelogue along with his haiku poems for future generations. Even today, it is so highly regarded that it is included in school textbooks, and you have probably all come across famous prefaces and haiku at least once. Here, we will follow the footprints that Basho left in the Tohoku region, and introduce seven articles about the current state of the places he visited and the haiku poems published in "Oku no Hosomichi." The narrow road in the back...

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It is said that Basho shed tears a total of four times during his journey through the Oku-no-Hosomichi, and one of those times was at Io-ji Temple, when he heard the sad story of his mother and two wives who lost the Sato brothers in the war. It is.

Yoshitsune's Four Heavenly Kings, the Sato Brothers, and the Sato family that ruled Nobuo's land for generations

is said to be a family whose founder was Fujiwara no Chidune , a descendant of Fujiwara no Kamatari, who was active in the Taika Reforms. It is called the Nobuo Sato clan because it ruled Nobuo's land (present-day Fukushima City to Date City)

Eisaku Sato, the Prime Minister of the Showa era, is also said to be a descendant of Nobuo Sato.

Sato Tsugunobu and Tadanobu brothers who were active as Yoshitsune's Four Heavenly Kings

In 1180, a member of the Oshu , protected Minamoto no Yoritomo, Tsugunobu Sato and Tadanobu Sato, who were relatives of the Fujiwara clan, were sent to accompany Yoshitsune as his ``assistants.''

The Sato brothers assisted Minamoto no Yoshitsune and played an active role in the Genpei War, and are counted Four Heavenly Kings'' in ``Genpei Rise and Susuki,'' a variant of the military chronicle ``The Tale of the Heike

The sad story of Basho's mother and two wives that brought tears to his eyes.

The Sato brothers continued to be active, but in 1185, their older brother Tsugunobu was killed by an arrow while protecting Yoshitsune at the Battle of Yashima His younger brother Tadanobu was also attacked while hiding in Kyoto in 1186, and although he fought bravely, he was unable to match the strength of numbers and committed suicide.

The Sato brothers were never able to see Nobuo's land again. When her mother, Otowa Gozen, , she mourned.

Seeing this, Tsugunobu's wife ``Wakasa'' and Tadanobu's wife ``Kaede'' suppressed their own sadness and appeared in front of Otowa wearing the armor of their respective husbands and warrior costumes. He is said to have cheered Otowa up by saying, ``I have now made a triumphant return.''

When Matsuo Basho learned of this story, he was moved to tears, saying, ``My humble fame has spread to the world.'' Inside the main hall of Io-ji Temple, dolls of ``Wakazakura'' and ``Kaede'' dressed as warriors from this time are enshrined.

• Link: Ioji Temple – About Ioji Temple

summary

Io-ji Temple is not only rich in history, but also a very beautiful temple that is well-maintained and well-maintained, and is one of the places you should definitely visit if you have a chance to visit Iizaka Onsen.

In addition to this , there is a treasure hall called Rurikoden can.

Especially for Sato-san from all over the country, this place may become his roots!

Iouji Temple＜Information＞

• Name: Rurikozan Ioji Temple
• Address: 45 Hiranoderamae, Iizaka-cho, Fukushima-shi, Fukushima 960-0231
• Phone number: 024-542-3797
• Official URL: https://www.iou-ji.or.jp/

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