[Aomori/Iwate] What is the mystery behind the "place names with doors" from Ichinohe to Kunohe? Find out the origins of the numerical place names scattered throughout the former southern territory!

The area from the Sanya Kamikita region of Aomori Prefecture domain called Nukanobu.

In this area, there are place names that are numbered with the ``he'' Ichinohe (Ichinohe Kunohe

These ``to'', which are not found in other regions, have remained in the names of cities, towns and villages to this day, with the exception of ``Shinohe,'' but there are various theories about their origin, and the truth is often unknown. I don't understand. In this article, we will introduce various theories about the origin of ``Tono Tsuku place names''.

Place names with “he” in the former southern territory

As of June 2024, these place names remain as the names of municipalities in Aomori and Iwate prefectures.

Iwate Prefecture has Ichinohe Town, Ninohe City, and Kunohe Village, and Aomori Prefecture has Sannohe Town, Gonohe Town, Rokunohe Town, and Shichinohe Town. There is the town of Chinohe, and the city of Hachinohe.

Of these, only Shinohe does not remain as a municipality, and there are various theories as to where it was located, so it is not clear for sure.

There is a theory that there was a family within the Nambu clan that used the surname Shinohe, and that the area where their descendants lived was called 'Shinohe,' but there is no proof of either.

I will discuss this in more detail in another article at a later date.

Why aren't the houses one to nine in a row?

From Ichinohe to Shichinohe, the houses are lined up in numerical order from south to north along the Oshu Highway, but Hachinohe, which follows Shichinohe, is a port city on the Pacific coast heading southeast from there.

Kunohe is located further south of Hachinohe and east of Ichinohe and Ninohe over Mt. Orikasa, but there is a theory that ``the area north of Shichinohe was not suitable for breeding horses,'' ``Emishinohe.'' There is a theory that Hachinohe and Kunohe were added because a fence was needed on the east side to prevent the above

There is no established theory as to why it came to be called "~do", but among the various theories, the one introduced below is considered to be the most likely.

The theory is that it comes from the Nambu clan's ``Kumaki''

This area was once called Nukanobu and was divided into seven villages, from Ichinobe to Kunobe, each with its own horse farm. It is said that there was.

In addition, it is said that the surrounding villages that did not belong to this area were divided into four areas: north, south, east, and west.

the Nanbu clan, who moved from Kai during the Kamakura period, established this system called ` `Kyukabe Shimon'' or ``Shimon Kunohe,' the ranch that produced Nanbu komas, which was called ``Nanbu Kumaki'', The theory is that it is the original.

Kumaki was numbered clockwise, with numbers 1 and 2 at the south gate, 3, 4, and 5 at the west gate, 6 and 7 at the north gate, and 8 and 9 at the east gate, indicating the order in which the Nanbu clan ruled the territory. It is also said that

Mr. Nanbu moved from Kai to Mutsu.

The Nanbu clan originated in Kai Province's Nanbu-go (Yamanashi Prefecture), but Saburo Mitsuyuki Nanbu, who was given Nukabe District by Minamoto no Yoritomo, built a castle in what is now Nanbu Town, Sannohe District, Aomori Prefecture, and moved to this area. It is said that he ruled.

Mitsuyuki, who expanded his influence in Mutsu, had six sons, and his eldest son, Yukitomo, was an illegitimate child and became the founder of the Ichinohe clan, while his second son, Sanemitsu, succeeded the Sannohe Nanbu clan.

Furthermore, it is said that the third son Sanenaga became the founder of the Hachinohe clan, the fourth son Asakiyo became the founder of the Shichinohe clan, the fifth son Munekiyo became the founder of the Shichinohe clan, and the sixth son Gyōren became the founder of the Kunohe clan.

The theory is that it was built for defense against the Emishi.

It is said that ``place names with doors'' already existed in Nukabe during the Kamakura period, before it was ruled by the Nanbu clan.

During the Konin era (810-824), Bunya Watamaro went on an expedition from the capital to conquer Emishi, and a fence was built as a forward base from northern Iwate Prefecture to eastern Aomori Prefecture . It was built and developed.

According to this theory, the ``home place name'' is derived from the fences placed on the fence, and the fences were placed at intervals that allowed the conquering army to march northward from the south in about a day up to Shichinohe. is said to be the basis for this.

The area around the fence came to form a village, and it is said that numbering it led to the appearance of ``place names with doors.''

The theory is that it originated from a ranch run by the Oshu Fujiwara clan.

There is a theory that Nukabe County, the largest county in Japan, was established by the Fujiwara clan of Hiraizumi in the mid-12th century.

The official name of Nukabe is that it is written in the Azuma Kagami that Fujiwara Motohira "gave Shunma Nukabe Isohibi" to Unkei, a Buddhist sculptor who created the principal image of Motsuji Temple. The basis for this theory is that it first appeared in .

At that time, horses, which were a specialty of this region, ``kume'' and were paid as annual tax, and ``to'' is said to have been an administrative organization for the Fujiwara clan to manage these horses. Masu.

Nukabe County is a vast area that includes Ninohe City, Ninohe County, and Kunohe County in Iwate Prefecture, and Kamikita County, Sannohe County, Hachinohe City, Misawa City, and Towada City in Aomori Prefecture. It is said that it was operated separately.

What is Nukanobu no Shunme?

Nukabe has been known as a production area for famous horses since the Heian period, and was prized as a fast horse in places like Kyoto.

There is a word ``Hedachi'' that indicates which ``door'' these horses were born in, and in ``Azuma Kagami'', when Minamoto no Yoritomo presented horses to Goshirakawa, Goshirakawa-in was ``Hedachi''. It is written that he expressed interest in ``Todachi''.

In addition, the ``Genpei Rise and Susukiki'' also Kajiwara Kagesue Sasaki Takatsuna, who fought for the lead in the Battle of Ujigawa in 1184, It is written that it was ``Sannohe Tate'' and ``Seven House Tate''.

The theory is that it originated from the Kiyohara clan, which preceded the Fujiwara clan.

There is a theory that Nukabe County's existence as a government-run ranch began during the reign of Kiyohara Sanehira, who ruled this region before the rise of the Oshu Fujiwara clan.

summary

Place names with ``Kan numerals + ``he'' that remain only in the southern domain, which stretches from Aomori Prefecture to Iwate Prefecture, are known as ``mystery spots'' whose origins are unknown.

Recently, a pilgrimage to the ``place names with doors,'' which involves visiting Ichinohe to Kunohe in order, has been attracting attention because it has a similar feel to the anime's ``Sacred Place Tour.''

We will be introducing the history of each ``door'', the highlights of famous historical sites, local gourmet food, etc. in NFFT in the future, and we hope that it will be helpful to readers who are interested in this pilgrimage.