Who was Sumiyaki Tota? Visiting the grave of Sumiyaki Tota and his wife, who are the subject of a legend of gold [Kurihara City, Miyagi Prefecture]

In Kurihara City, located in northern Miyagi Prefecture on the border with Iwate Prefecture, there is a place name called "Kanari." It is said that gold dust was found in the Natsukawa River that flows through this area, and the legend of "Sumiyaki Tota,", is well-known.

And in Kanari, there remains a historical site called "The Tomb of Charcoal Burner Tota and His Wife." This article introduces the legend of Charcoal Burner Tota that is passed down in Miyagi Prefecture, and my visit to "The Tomb of Charcoal Burner Tota and His Wife."

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What is the Kanari district of Kurihara City?

The former Kannari town in Kurihara County (now Kannari, Kurihara City) has a long history, and is home to Hakusan Shrine, which is said to have been established here when Sakanoue no Tamuramaro set up camp here during his expedition to the east and prayed for victory, and then enshrined the shrine. There is also a legend that Minamoto no Yoritomo later prayed for victory at this Hakusan Shrine when he pursued the Fujiwara clan of Oshu

In the early modern period, it developed as a post town on the Oshu Kaido road, and the building that was used as the headquarters still remains in the Arikabe area. Other historical buildings that remain include Kannari Elementary School (a tangible cultural property designated by Miyagi Prefecture) and Kannari Christ Orthodox Church (a tangible cultural property designated by the former Kannari town)

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A success story for a poor charcoal maker?

The story goes back to the Heian period, when the Fujiwara clan flourished in Hiraizumi. It is a heartwarming tale of how a young man named Tota, a poor charcoal maker, became a millionaire

So, what is the story?

The daughter of a nobleman suddenly appeared! She came all the way from Kyoto to meet him

There was a man named Tota who worked as a charcoal burner. He was a hardworking, earnest man, but still young and single

One day, as Tota was making charcoal, his face black with soot, he was suddenly asked by a young woman's voice, "Are you Tota?"

When he looked up, he saw a woman standing there weakly, dressed in elegant attire reminiscent of a noblewoman from Kyoto. Tota was shocked and overwhelmed by the woman's noble attire, leaving him speechless

Then, perhaps exhausted from the fatigue of her journey, the woman collapses onto Tōta's chest and falls asleep

The sun had just set, and when Tōta laid the woman down in the charcoal kiln, she slept soundly until the next morning, with a look of relief on her face

In his distraught state, Tota could only walk around the hut, and morning came without him having slept a wink

Is Kannon's message a sign of destiny?

The woman wakes up as the morning light streams into the hut. Completely refreshed, she puts her hands on the dirt floor and, after apologizing for her sudden visit, begins to tell the story

The woman's name was Okoya. She was the daughter of the Minister of the Right in the capital, but her position was in jeopardy due to the ongoing conflict in the capital. Furthermore, she was not particularly good-looking, so she could not find a husband, and she continued to visit Kiyomizu-dera Temple, praying that she would be able to get married

Then, one moonlit night, shereceived a divine message from Kannon of Kiyomizu Temple: "There is a man named Tota in a place called Kanari in Michinoku. Go to him and become his wife."And after a long journey searching for Tota, she finally found him.

Okoya spoke calmly, and despite it being the first time they had met, it seemed she already had complete faith in Tota as her husband

As for Tota, he was unable to resist Okoya's capital atmosphere and unwavering attitude, and was unable to come to terms with the sudden situation of having a wife, but in the end the two ended up living together as husband and wife

There's no rice left to eat

Tōta, who worked as a charcoal burner, was poor. About a month after they began living together, Okoya confided in Tōta with a serious look on his face

"We've run out of rice to eat and the thread to mend our work clothes. Do you have any money to buy more?"

Tota replied, "Why not take some charcoal and exchange it for rice?"

When Okoya heard this and tried to take the charcoal out of the kiln, Tota stopped her, saying that it would take three more days for the charcoal to be ready. Okoya pressed Tota, asking if it was okay to go without food or water for three days, but Tota said that he had no choice but to endure it

For Okoya, who had lived a wealthy life in the capital, it was the first time she had experienced not having enough money to buy food. Okoya took out from her obi a bag containing gold dust that she had carefully kept as travel expenses, and handed it to Tōta, saying, "Please use this to buy some rice."

Perhaps embarrassed about having had an argument, Fujita quickly left the house

Tota didn't know what gold dust was

After a while, Tota returned with a duck in his hand

"With this, I can survive for three days," said Tota happily. Okoya was stunned to see this

"That's enough money to live on in the capital for three months! So why only one duck?" Hearing this, he learned that he had thrown the bag of gold dust that Okoya had entrusted to him, hitting the duck and killing it. Okoya sat down in shock, and Tota asked, "How can you buy so many things with that little amount?"

"If there's anything like that, there are loads of them lying around in the mountains behind our house."

Hearing this, Okoya's eyes lit up. Hearing this, he let Tota guide him to the mountain behind the house, and wondered why he hadn't noticed before. The cracks in the grass-covered rocks sparkled everywhere

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The current grave and the legend of Kaneuri Kichiji

Now, let me explain about the graves of the charcoal burner Tota and his wife, which still remain in the area

According to tradition, the graves of the charcoal burner Tota and his wife that remain todaywere erected in 1715 by the local headman, Mr. Sasaki, who then moved the graves to their current location to honor them. The original grave site is said to have been on Terabayama, the hill behind Jofuku-ji Temple, which is about a 7-minute walk from the current grave site. Jofuku-ji Temple is also located in the Kanari district of Kurihara City.

Looking at the information board installed at the site, we can see that the current burial groundrenovated in 2002 (Heisei 14),. With the addition of stone steps, a plaza, and information boards, it is now an easily accessible historical site for visitors.

The information board states that the charcoal burner Tota and his wife had three children : Tachibana Osamu (Yoshitsugu), Tachibana Nai, and Tachibana Roku . Of these, the eldest son, Tachibana Osamu, is said to have become a wealthy merchant who traveled between Kyoto and Oshu, served Fujiwara Hidehira, and is known as Kinuri Yoshitsugu, the man who guided Minamoto no Yoshitsune to Hiraizumi

As you climb the stone steps from the entrance, the surrounding scenery changes from rice fields to a cedar forest. The distance is not very long, but the walking path surrounded by trees has a unique tranquility, and there is a solemn atmosphere to it as it leads to the resting place of the charcoal burner Tota and his wife

Climbing the stone steps, you'll find the graves of the charcoal burner Tota and his wife quietly nestled within a protective structure. Now, with a roof in place, it's clear that the stone monuments and twin stone pagodas, passed down through generations, are carefully preserved

In the center stands a stone monument inscribed with an epitaph, flanked by twin stone pagodas on either side. According to the explanatory plaque in front of the tomb, the two stone pagodas are believed to have originally been in the shape of a three-story pagoda, and it is said that they once bore inscriptions of the death dates and posthumous Buddhist names of Tota and Okoya. However, over the long years, the characters have worn away, and their contents are no longer legible

Fortunately, there is an explanatory plaque in front of the tomb that details the contents of the inscription on the stone monument and the history of the tomb. According to the plaque, the inscription seems to describe how Tota struck gold and made his fortune, as well as legends related to his descendants

Among these, the most well-knownthe legend linking Tota and Kinuri Kichiji.

Kinuri Kichiji appears in medieval literature such as "Heiji Monogatari" and "Yoshitsune Ki" as a man who traded gold in the capital and guided Minamoto no Yoshitsune to Hiraizumi. On the other hand, in the Kurihara region, there is a legend that this Kinuri Kichiji was either Sumiyaki Tota himself, or Tota's eldest son, Kichiji

However, such legends are not unique to Kurihara City. Similar legends exist in various parts of Tohoku, including Zao Town in Miyagi Prefecture, and their content and lineage differ slightly from region to region

Therefore, no contemporary historical documents have been found that directly support the relationship between Sumiyaki Tota and Kinuri Kichiji, and it is currently passed down as one of the local legends

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