Katakura Family Mausoleum

[Shiroishi City, Miyagi Prefecture] 4 historical sites related to Date Masamune's famous vassal, "Wisdom Katakura Kagetsuna" and the Katakura family

Shiroishi City is located in the southern part of Miyagi Prefecture. It is famous for being the land ruled by Katakura Kojuro Kagetsuna , who was active as Date Masamune's right-hand man and was called ``Katakura Kagetsuna of Wisdom'' along with ` `Date Tatsumi of War. .

This time, I would like to introduce some historical sites related to Katakura Kojuro Kagetsuna and the Katakura family!


4 historical sites of Katakura Kagetsuna and the Katakura family

Kagetsuna Katakura the first generation of the Katakura clan of the Sendai domain , is famous as a great general who served as a tactician for Date Masamune . Kagetsuna 's common name , Kojuro, was continued by successive generations of family heads even after Kagetsuna's death, and all the heads of the Katakura clan call themselves Katakura Kojuro○○.

At the end of the Edo period, due to the defeat of the Ouetsu clan alliance in the Boshin War, members of the Katakura family migrated to Hokkaido, but the history of the Katakura family remained in Shiroishi until then. It is.

The following article follows what happened to the Date family vassals after the Boshin War.

Shiroishi Castle, the residence of the Katakura clan, which was considered an exception to the One Country One Castle rule.

Shiroishi Castle became a branch castle of Sendai Castle and the residence of the Katakura clan, vassals of the Date clan. The fact that the Date clan and the Shogunate, which Date Masamune had built, continued to exist even after the ``One Country, One Castle Order'' was issued in 1615 by the Shogunate to prevent rebellions against the Shogunate and wars between countries. It makes you feel a close relationship.

During the Boshin War the Shiroishi clan conference was held here, which led to the formation of the Ouuetsu clan alliance , and it was an important stage at a turning point in the era.

Shiroishi Castle
Shiroishi Castle

In 1995, the castle tower, Ote Ichinomon, and Ninomon were faithfully restored, and they are now symbols of Shiroishi City.

Details of the area around the castle and its interior are summarized in the article below.

Shiroishi Castle<Information>

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Joeizan Kessanji Temple, where there is a single cedar tree that is said to be the grave marker of the first Katakura Kagetsuna.

Temple was founded in 1608 by Kagetsuna Katakura as the family temple of the Katakura family.

Statue of Katakura Kojuro Kagetsuna and the main hall of Kessanji Temple
Statue of Katakura Kojuro Kagetsuna and the main hall of Kessanji Temple

The first generation Kagetsuna and the second generation Shigenaga were buried in this temple, but the third generation Kagenaga moved the mausoleum to Mt. Atago (currently the Katakura family mausoleum).

Currently, the 10th generation of the family head is buried at the Katakura Family Mausoleum in Mt. Atago, and the 11th and subsequent generations of the family and their wives are buried here at Ketsuzanji Temple.

Katakura family cemetery information board
Katakura family cemetery information board

Information board for the Katakura family cemetery. In addition to the Katakura family, Yasuhiro Matsumae, the seventh son of Yoshihiro Matsumae, the first lord of the Matsumae domain in Hokkaido, with whom he has connections, and his descendants are also buried here.

A single cedar tree said to be the grave marker of Katakura Kojuro Kagetsuna
A single cedar tree said to be the grave marker of Katakura Kojuro Kagetsuna

If you go deeper into the precincts and follow the guide up the mountain path, you will come across a 400-year-old cedar tree that is said to be the grave marker for the first generation Kagetsuna

Keshan Temple<Information>

  • Name: Joeishan Jietshan Temple
  • Address: 2-7-20 Minamicho, Shiroishi City, Miyagi Prefecture 989-0248
  • Phone number: 0224-25-9258
  • Official URL: https://kessanji.jp/

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"Katakura Family Mausoleum" built by the third generation Katakura Kagenaga

Katakura Family Mausoleum is a mausoleum built by Katakura Kagenaga, the third generation, on October 14, 1680, the anniversary of the first Kagetsuna's death, by reburying the graves of Kagetsuna and the second generation Shigenaga from Kessanji Temple. .

Katakura Family Mausoleum
Katakura Family Mausoleum

Surrounded by a granite fence, it has a splendid structure with ten large stone statues lined up on a cobblestone floor and one tombstone, making it a valuable shrine that cannot be seen anywhere else. It is said to have a unique structure.

Outside the Tamagaki, on the right side of the photo, are the tombstones of six vassals who died under the first Kagetsuna.

By the way, a vassal is a vassal of a vassal, and with the Tokugawa shogun at the top, the daimyo is a vassal, and the daimyo's vassals are the vassals of the vassal from the perspective of the Tokugawa shogun.

Katakura Family Mausoleum information board
Katakura Family Mausoleum information board

Mrs. Masako, the wife of the seventh generation Murakado, is Date Yoshimura , so she is buried in this mausoleum, just like the castle lord.

A seated statue of Amida Nyorai, a grave marker at the Katakura Family Mausoleum
A seated statue of Amida Nyorai, a grave marker at the Katakura Family Mausoleum

The grave marker is a seated statue of Amida Nyorai, but only the tenth generation Munekage's grave marker is a square pillar stone monument.

Katakura Family Mausoleum <Information>

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The grave of Kita, who was Date Masamune's wet nurse and the creator of the black bell banner.

If you go a little further along National Route 113 towards Shichikashuku from Mt. Atago, where the Katakura family mausoleum is located, you will find the daughter of Yoshinao Oniwa, a vassal of Date, the half-sister of Kagetsuna Katakura, and the wet nurse of Masamune Date. There is also the grave of Kita Katakura .

She was a woman who excelled in both literary and martial arts, and is thought to have had a great influence on Kagetsuna, who was about 20 years older than her, as well as Date Masamune's personality formation during his childhood.

After Masamune Date grew up, he was attached to Megohime, who was Masamune's legal wife, and in 1594, he went to Kyoto with Megohime, who became a hostage of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. She served as a servant at the Date residence in Fushimi and had an audience with Hideyoshi Toyotomi, who was said to have noticed Kita's talent and praised her as ``Shonagon.''

Katakura Kita&#39;s grave
Katakura Kita's grave

The Katakura family's flag, a black bell on a white background, was devised by Kita for Kagetsuna, and is said to symbolize the wish that the Katakura family's name would ring throughout the world, as well as the meaning of mourning the spirits of those killed in war. Masu.

Kita's grave <Information>

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summary

Shiroishi City is famous for Shiroishi Washi, Shiroishi Onmen, Yajiro Kokeshi dolls, and recently Zao Fox Village, but it is still a castle town. There are also many historical sites that testify to its long history. Although it was in the form of an interview, it was very moving to be able to follow in the footsteps of Kagetsuna Katakura, who I have a personal fondness for.

By the way, Shiroishi also has several historical sites related to Yukimura Sanada, who had a strange connection with the Katakura family, and his descendants.

Those are summarized in a separate article, so if you are interested, please take a look.


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