This site is an online media that delivers all sorts of trivia about the six Tohoku prefectures, from sightseeing and gourmet spots to local customs, history, and more
In Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture, there is a historic hot spring resort called Iizaka Onsen. It is famous for being a place where Matsuo Basho stayed, but there are other people associated with Iizaka as well. One such person who accompanied Minamoto noYoshitsuneandTsugunobu, who produced the Sato brothers,Shinobu.
What is Iizaka Onsen?
South of Iizaka Onsenpeopleflows the Ogawa River, a tributary of the Surikami River. It is believed that in the area where this Ogawa River intersects with the current Iizaka HighwaylivedThe the 2nd centuryaroundYamato, he bathed in a hot spring that is believed to be Iizaka Onsen, called Sabako no Yu (written in kanji as 佐波古 or 鯖湖), and recovered his health. Shūi Wakashū, an imperial anthology of Japanese poetry believed to have been compiled in the early 11th century, contains , "Is the village where the person I parted from without seeing Sabako lives beyond the mountains where Sabako can be seen?" , suggesting that Sabako was a well-known place from ancient times.
During the Genpei War,Sato Motoharu, who is said to be the father of the Sato brothers Tsugunobu and Tadanobu,whoShinobu(present-day Fukushima City). He was known as "Yunoshoji" and is believed to have had a deep connection with the Sabako hot springs.
A panel of the Sato brothers installed at Iizaka Onsen Station
Towards the end of the Kamakura period, a man named Date Masanobu, who was from a branch family of the Date clan, built a castle in this area andname Iizakaadopted the This is the origin of the place name Iizaka, and from this time onward, the area became known as a hot spring resort.
In the mid-Edo period, with the development of various highways, not only locals but also travelers began to visit Iizaka Onsen. , who stayed overnight in Iizaka,Matsuo Bashois , saying, "I stayed in a shabby inn that leaked when it rained. I was bitten by mosquitoes and fleas and couldn't sleep. My chronic illness flared up again, and I was in so much pain that I almost faintedhad a terrible experience...").
In addition to Matsuo Basho, other famous haiku poets and tanka poets such as Masaoka Shiki and Yosano Akiko later visited Iizaka Onsen
During the Meiji period, the hot spring's components were scientifically analyzed and it was discovered that it contained radium, which led to the hot spring once again becoming known nationwide as "Iizaka Radium Hot Springs."
A monument marking the site where radium was first discovered in Japan
By the way, most of the explanation up to this point was written on the stone monument marking the birthplace of Iizaka Onsen
Stone monument marking the birthplace of Iizaka Onsen
I arrived in Iizaka Onsen by taking the Fukushima Kotsu Iizaka Line train, and as soon as I stepped out of Iizaka Onsen Station, the hot spring area unfolded before me (as hot spring enthusiasts know, even at stations named "Onsen" (hot spring), you often have to take a bus or other transportation from the station). Within walking distance from the station, there were various sights to see, including the monument marking the birthplace of Iizaka Onsen (pictured earlier), the Totsuna Bridge, a registered tangible cultural property spanning the Surikami River, the former Horikiri Residence, which was the home of a wealthy merchant and farmer since the Edo period, a public bath that you can easily enter, and a free footbath.
Former Horikiri Residence
For more information about the Fukushima Transportation Iizaka Line, which I took to get to Iizaka Onsen, please see this article
, who ruled the Shinobu region including IizakaThe Shinobu Sato clan, who played an active role in the Taika ReformsNakatomi no Kamatari(later Fujiwara no Kamatari) They were a family whose founder was Chitsune, the second son of Fujiwara no Hidesato, who suppressed the rebellion of Taira no Masakado. In addition to Shinobu, the Shinobu Sato clan also ruled the neighboring Date and Shirakawa. which was based in Hiraizumi, in present-day Iwate Prefecturea member of the Oshu Fujiwara clan,was also Motoharu's wife, Otowa, was the granddaughter of Fujiwara no Kiyohira, the first head of the Oshu Fujiwara clan, and Motoharu's daughter married the third son of Fujiwara no Hidehira, the third head of the clan.
Incidentally, Sato Motoharu's castle was called Otori Castle. It is said to have been located on Tateyama, west of the town of Iizaka, and the site is now Tateyama Park.
Tatenoyama Park<Information>
Name: Tatenoyama Park
Location: Tatenoyama, Iizaka-cho, Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture
The Sato brothers Tsugunobu and Tadanobu, who assisted Minamoto no Yoshitsune
After the Heiji Rebellion in 1160 (Heiji 1), in which the Minamoto clan was defeated by the Taira clan, Minamoto no Yoshitsune,, was initially entrusted to Kurama-dera Temple in Kyoto. Later, he traveled a long distance to Hiraizumi and was sheltered by Fujiwara no Hidehira. Eventually, when Yoritomo raised an army to overthrow the Taira clan, Yoshitsune joined him and fought against them, ultimately becoming the greatest contributor to the defeat of the Taira clan at the Battle of Dan-no-ura in 1185 (Genryaku 2).
However, Yoshitsune, who was under the protection of the Oshu Fujiwara clan, had almost no military power. It was the sons of Sato Motoharu of the Shinobu Sato clan who assisted Yoshitsune.
Motoharu's sons, the elder brotherTsugunobu and the younger brother Tadanobu, joined Yoshitsune's army to pursue the Taira clan at Hidehira's command. However, before they could achieve their goal of destroying the Taira clan, the elder brother Tsugunobu was killed in the Battle of Yashima (located in present-day Kagawa Prefecture, the battle where Nasu Yoichi is said to have shot an arrow through a fan target), and it is said that Yoshitsune was deeply saddened by this.
After Yoshitsune defeated the Taira clan at the Battle of Dan-no-ura, he incurred the wrath of his brother Yoritomo and suddenly found himself being pursued by Yoritomo. Sato Tadanobu separated from Yoshitsune, who had fled the capital (Kyoto), and went into hiding in the capital, but his whereabouts were discovered, and he was attacked by Yoritomo's men and lost his life.
The Sato brothers, having left Shinobu village, each met their end in a place far from Shinobu. Minamoto no Yoshitsune is known as a tragic general (although it cannot be said that he is entirely blameless), and the Sato brothers could also be said to deserve the same title.
By the way, was Minamoto no Yoshitsune someone the Sato brothers felt they should be so devoted to that they would risk their lives for him? It seems there was no need for them to show excessive loyalty to Yoshitsune, who was merely under Hidehira's protection. As an answer to this question, there is a theory that the wife Yoshitsune took while he was staying in Hiraizumi was the daughter of Sato Motoharu, meaning that the Sato brothers and Yoshitsune were brothers-in-law.
The Nobuo Sato clan after the fall of the Taira clan
As a result of his conflict with his brother Yoritomo, Minamoto no Yoshitsune fled to Oshu, seeking refuge with Fujiwara no Hidehira once again. However, after Hidehira's death, his son, Yasuhira, the fourth head of the family, succumbed to pressure from Yoritomo. Ultimately, Yoshitsune was attacked by Yasuhira in 1189 (Bunji 5) and forced to commit suicide.
However, this did not mean that the Oshu Fujiwara clan was safe. Minamoto no Yoritomo,no Yasuhira'sYoshitsune and his subsequent forced suicide, launched an attack from Kamakura to eliminate him as well. While he had left the pursuit of the Taira clan entirely to his younger brothers (Yoshitsune and Noriyori, etc.), he showed great determination by personally venturing to Oshu. This "Battle of Oshu" ended quickly in a victory for the Kamakura side, bringing an end to the Oshu Fujiwara clan's more than 100 years of glory.
Of course, the Shinobu Sato clan, a branch of the Oshu Fujiwara clan, could not escape unscathed. Sato Motoharu is believed to have fought against the Kamakura forces at Ishinasaka (thought to be either Iizaka, or somewhere around Hiraishi or Matsukawa in southern Fukushima City), and was defeated. It is said that Motoharu was either killed in this battle or captured and then released.
Leaving aside Motoharu's fate, the Shinobu Sato clan itself was not wiped out in this battle. Some remained in Shinobu, others moved to the surrounding areas, and the majority migrated to distant provinces such as Ise (present-day Mie Prefecture) during the Nanboku-cho period. Eisaku Sato, the 61st to 63rd Prime Minister, is said to be a descendant of Tadanobu Sato.
Among my ancestors, there is a family with the surname Sato who have lived in an area close to Iizaka for generations. According to the family tree passed down through the family, my ancestors are said to be connected to the Sato brothers, Tsugunobu and Tadanobu. However, I myself do not recall ever seeing that family tree, and I am not certain whether the family tree that identifies my ancestors as the Sato brothers is actually accurate. Nevertheless, I find it romantic to think that my ancestors may have been followers of Minamoto no Yoshitsune.
The family temple of the Sato clan
Two stations south of Iizaka Onsen Station on the Fukushima Kotsu Iizaka Line is a station called "Ioji-mae." As the name suggests, Ioji Temple is within walking distance of the station, and this temple is the family temple of the Shinobu Sato clan. The gravestones of the Sato brothers, their father Motoharu, and their mother Otowa are located there.
Furthermore, a camellia tree grows beside the tombstone of Motoharu and Otowa. It is said that this tree embodies Otowa's deep sorrow at the loss of her two sons, and that the camellias fall off while still in bud.
In the temple's main hall, there are dolls of Tsugunobu's wife, Wakazakura, and Tadanobu's wife, Kaede, dressed as warriors. This is based on the story that the two women, in an attempt to comfort the grieving Otowa, disguised themselves as their husbands in warrior attire.
Bronze statues of the Sato brothers and Minamoto no Yoshitsune have also been erected within the temple grounds
In "The Tale of the Heike," it is written that Sato Tsugunobu was shot by an enemy arrow in the Battle of Yashima, taking the blow in place of Yoshitsune. He is as someone who died in place of my lord, "To be remembered for generations to comeis the only reason I am to live in this life." The end of Yoshitsune and the Sato brothers was tragic, but as Tsugunobu's last words suggest, their bond continues to touch the hearts of many people even today, about 840 years later. Iizaka is not only known for its famous hot springs, but it is also a place recommended for history buffs.
![Whisky Collection Koriyama](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_0751-EDIT-150x150.jpg.webp "Report from the first whisky event in Tohoku, "Whiskey Collection Koriyama"! [Fukushima Prefecture]")
![11_MG_9631](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/11_MG_9631-150x150.jpg.webp "Pilgrimage to the 33 Kannon temples remaining in Minamiaizu. The "Mikurairi 33 Kannon temples" certified as a Japan Heritage Site [Fukushima Prefecture]")
![1 round dumpling](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/31485117_m-150x150.jpg.webp "What is Fukushima City's "Disc Gyoza"? Introducing Recommended Restaurants and Its History [Fukushima Prefecture]")
