Tomb of Minamoto no Yoritomo
Encyclopedia
The is a monument in Kamakura
, Kanagawa
, Japan, located some hundred meters north of the site where the palace called Ōkura Bakufu
, seat of Minamoto no Yoritomo
's government, once stood. Although there is no evidence his remains are actually there, it is commonly assumed to be the resting place of Minamoto no Yoritomo
, founder and first shogun
of the Kamakura shogunate
. The cenotaph
consists of a 186 cm gorintō
(a Buddhist stone stupa
) surrounded by a stone tamagaki
(a fence usually delimiting the sacred soil of a Shinto shrine), and was built during the Edo period
(1603–1868), far after the shogun's death in 1199. In the course of history, the site's prestige has attracted other structures, so that now it is occupied by the Site of the Hokke-dō, (the spot where Yoritomo's Hokke-dō, or funeral temple, used to stand during the Edo period
), (not to be confused with the omonymous shrine part of Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū), and the black stone stele commemorating the Hokke-dō and the mass suicide of the Miura clan
. A couple of hundred meters further to the east lie the yagura
(an artificial cave used during the Kamakura period
as a grave or as a cenotaph) of the Miura clan
, the twin tombs of Oe no Hiromoto
and of his son Mōri Suemitsu, and the grave of Yoritomo's illegitimate son Shimazu Tadahisa
. The grave of Yoritomo and the ruins of the Hokke-dō are national Historic Sites.
era, 13th day of the first month) he was buried in a Buddhist temple
on the side of a hill just north of his government's seat, the Ōkura Bakufu. The temple stood where the tomb of Yoritomo now is, and was moved elsewhere in the Edo period. The temple hadn't yet assumed the name it is now known under, but was simply Yoritomo's , the temple which enshrined his tutelary goddess Shō-Kannon. The name under which this area in now known, Nishi Mikado
or "Western Gate", is itself a relic of the time in which it was just west of the shogun's palace.
was Yoritomo's personal temple, which was destroyed, moved and rebuilt several times in the course of its history and which is no longer extant. On the site where it used to stand before it was demolished in 1872 there are now a shrine called Shirahata Shrine and a stone stele which reads:
A is today a Tendai
hall whose layout allows walking around a statue for meditation. The purpose of walking is to concentrate on the Lotus Sūtra
and seek the ultimate truth. In Yoritomo's time however the term simply meant someone's funerary hall. That use of the word had its origin in the fact that the Lotus Sūtra (Hokkekyō) was usually read during funeral ceremonies.
Built in 1189 as Yoritomo's personal temple, at his death in 1199 it became his grave and there were performed his funerary rites. The Hokke-dō however assumed its present name only the following year, in occasion of Yoritomo's yearly funeral rites for that year. Likely a building of a certain size, it had as its dōshi (officiating monk) the famous holy man Eisai
and, according to the Azuma Kagami
, it was visited by Hōjō Tokimasa
and the powerful of the shogunate.
The main object of worship chosen by Yoritomo was a 6 cm silver statue of Shō-Kannon, which seems to attest that the temple wasn't built simply as a grave for the shogun.
rebelled against the Hōjō regents in the so-called and his famous son Asahina Yoshihide
stormed into the Ōkura Bakufu, burning it into the ground. Second shogun Minamoto no Sanetomo
consequently had to run for his life, and found refuge in the Hokke-dō. Shikken
Hōjō Yoshitoki
and Ōe no Hiromoto followed him there. It seems likely that this was done not simply because the temple was close, but also because it was in an elevated position, was sufficiently large to house an army and therefore easily defensible, and was probably fortified.
, at the closing of the (also known as the ) barricaded inside the Hokke-dō under the orders of Miura Yasumura and committed seppuku
(mass suicide). It is said that the whole floor was red with their blood.
The episode was the culmination of events that saw the tension between the Hōjō and the Adachi clans, on one side, and the Miura on the other, grow to the point where Adachi Yasumori with his troops attacked Yasumura's mansion in Nishi Mikado
. The mansion was burned down and the clan took refuge inside the Hokke-dō. There, realizing their position was hopeless, the decision was taken to proceed with the seppuku. Their deaths are commemorated in a yagura carved in the rock a few hundred meters to the east of this site. (See below)
(1600–1878) the Hokke-dō had already moved to the spot where Shirahata Jinja is today. The area around the tomb of Yoritomo is clearly shown in an Edo period drawing (below), and in it the Hokke-dō has already moved from its original site on the side of the hill to the plain under the original location. Clearly visible in the upper left corner are also the tombs of Ōe no Hiromoto, Shimazu Tadahisa and Mōri Suemitsu.
The Buddhist temple was also used as a Shinto shrine (as was normal at the time), and in fact it enshrined the spirit of Yoritomo. When however during the Meiji period
the separation of Buddhism
and Shinto
was made mandatory with the (see the articles Shinbutsu Bunri
and Haibutsu kishaku
), Yoritomo's kami
had by law to be enshrined with the name in today's Shirahata Shrine, a Shinto shrine under the administration of Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū. The name Shirahata, meaning "white flag", is a reference to the white Minamoto flag. The area where the demolished Hokke-dō used to stand was then declared a national Historic Site. According to the sign in front of Shirahata Shrine, the present building was built in 1970 with charity donations.
's forcible separation of Shinto and Buddhism. According to a 1795 document called , at the time just to the north of the Ōkura Bakufu there was . The author mentions that locals were pleased by the fact that repairs to it were planned.
The first mention of a gorintō is of 1814. Shimazu Shigehide in 1779 had his ancestor's tomb repaired, a temizubachi installed and the whole place refurbished.
Every year on April 13, as part of the Kamakura Matsuri week of celebrations, in front of the tomb is held the . From Kyūshū comes also a representative of the Shimazu clan
, whose founder Shimazu Tadashisa is buried in the vicinity.
Ōe no Hiromoto
was a kuge
and the Kamakura shogunate
's chief vassal, and he greatly contributed to the development and consolidation of its administrative structure.
Shimazu Tadahisa
(? - 1227) was the illegitimate son of shogun Yoritomo and a sister of Hiki Yoshikazu
, and the founder of the Shimazu clan
. He was nominated shugo
, or governor, of Satsuma province in Kyūshū
. His family would then retain control of the province until the Meiji restoration
in the 19th century. His tomb was built here by his descendant Shigehide in 1779.
(1211–1247) was Ōe no Hiromoto's fourth son and the founder of the Mōri clan
. He died together with the Miura at the Hokke-dō in 1247.
Their graves, carved from the side of the hill, stand side to side and are still regularly tended to.
in and around Kamakura, for reasons that are unclear warriors
, priests and sometimes even commoners were buried in caves called Yagura
carved out of the soft limestone
that makes up the hills around the city. Yagura containing a gorintō
were sometimes used also as cenotaphs (memorial monuments). The souls of those of the Miura clan who perished during the siege of the neighboring Hokke-dō are enshrined in a small yagura whose opening is barely visible to the left of the base of the twin stairways leading to the tombs of Shimazu Tadahisa and Mōri Suemitsu (see map above). The cenotaph is still tended and visited.
Kamakura, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...
, Kanagawa
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
, Japan, located some hundred meters north of the site where the palace called Ōkura Bakufu
Okura Bakufu
(also called is the name of shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo's first government. It took its name from the location in Kamakura, Kanagawa prefecture, where Yoritomo's palace used to stand. Ōkura in Kamakura is defined as the area comprised between Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū, the Asaina Pass, the Namerigawa...
, seat of Minamoto no Yoritomo
Minamoto no Yoritomo
was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan. He ruled from 1192 until 1199.-Early life and exile :Yoritomo was the third son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, heir of the Minamoto clan, and his official wife, a daughter of Fujiwara no Suenori, who was a member of the...
's government, once stood. Although there is no evidence his remains are actually there, it is commonly assumed to be the resting place of Minamoto no Yoritomo
Minamoto no Yoritomo
was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan. He ruled from 1192 until 1199.-Early life and exile :Yoritomo was the third son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, heir of the Minamoto clan, and his official wife, a daughter of Fujiwara no Suenori, who was a member of the...
, founder and first shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
of the Kamakura shogunate
Kamakura shogunate
The Kamakura shogunate was a military dictatorship in Japan headed by the shoguns from 1185 to 1333. It was based in Kamakura. The Kamakura period draws its name from the capital of the shogunate...
. The cenotaph
Cenotaph
A cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek κενοτάφιον = kenotaphion...
consists of a 186 cm gorintō
Gorinto
is the name of a Japanese type of Buddhist pagoda believed to have been first adopted by the Shingon and Tendai sects during the mid Heian period. It is used for memorial or funerary purposes and is therefore common in Buddhist temples and cemeteries. It is also called or , where the term sotoba...
(a Buddhist stone stupa
Stupa
A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
) surrounded by a stone tamagaki
Tamagaki
A is a fence surrounding a Japanese Shinto shrine, a sacred area or an imperial palace. Believed to have been initially just a brushwood barrier of trees, tamagaki have since been made of a variety of materials including wood, stone and — in recent years — concrete...
(a fence usually delimiting the sacred soil of a Shinto shrine), and was built during the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
(1603–1868), far after the shogun's death in 1199. In the course of history, the site's prestige has attracted other structures, so that now it is occupied by the Site of the Hokke-dō, (the spot where Yoritomo's Hokke-dō, or funeral temple, used to stand during the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
), (not to be confused with the omonymous shrine part of Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū), and the black stone stele commemorating the Hokke-dō and the mass suicide of the Miura clan
Miura clan
The ' was one of the branch families descended from the Taira clan. They held large fiefs, and great political influence. They were one of the primary opponents of the Hōjō family of regents, in the mid-13th century, and again at the beginning of the 16th...
. A couple of hundred meters further to the east lie the yagura
Yagura
Yagura is the Japanese word for "tower" or "turret." The word is most often seen in reference to structures within Japanese castle compounds, but can be used in a variety of other situations as well. The bandstand tower erected for Bon Festival is often called a yagura, as are similar structures...
(an artificial cave used during the Kamakura period
Kamakura period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....
as a grave or as a cenotaph) of the Miura clan
Miura clan
The ' was one of the branch families descended from the Taira clan. They held large fiefs, and great political influence. They were one of the primary opponents of the Hōjō family of regents, in the mid-13th century, and again at the beginning of the 16th...
, the twin tombs of Oe no Hiromoto
Oe no Hiromoto
Ōe no Hiromoto was a kuge and vassal of Japan's Kamakura shogunate, and contributed to establishing the shogunate's governmental structure....
and of his son Mōri Suemitsu, and the grave of Yoritomo's illegitimate son Shimazu Tadahisa
Shimazu Tadahisa
was the founder of the Shimazu samurai clan.According to a record of his life, he was reportedly born in Sumiyoshi Taisha in Osaka. He was initially Koremune Tadayoshi but after being given the territory of Shimazu, Hyūga Province to rule from by Minamoto no Yoritomo, he took the name of...
. The grave of Yoritomo and the ruins of the Hokke-dō are national Historic Sites.
History
When Yoritomo suddenly died falling from his horse on February 8, 1199 (ShōjiShoji
In traditional Japanese architecture, a shōji is a door, window or room divider consisting of translucent paper over a frame of wood which holds together a lattice of wood or bamboo...
era, 13th day of the first month) he was buried in a Buddhist temple
Buddhist temples in Japan
Along with Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples are the most numerous, famous, and important religious buildings in Japan.The term "Shinto shrine" is used in opposition to "Buddhist temple" to mirror in English the distinction made in Japanese between Shinto and Buddhist religious structures. In...
on the side of a hill just north of his government's seat, the Ōkura Bakufu. The temple stood where the tomb of Yoritomo now is, and was moved elsewhere in the Edo period. The temple hadn't yet assumed the name it is now known under, but was simply Yoritomo's , the temple which enshrined his tutelary goddess Shō-Kannon. The name under which this area in now known, Nishi Mikado
Nishi Mikado
is the name of a neighborhood in Kamakura, a city located in Kanagawa, Japan, about 50 km south-south-west of Tokyo. Nishi Mikado lies north-east of Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū.- Etymology of the name:...
or "Western Gate", is itself a relic of the time in which it was just west of the shogun's palace.
Remains of the Hokke-dō
The Hokke-dōDō (architecture)
is a Japanese word for building. It is very often used in Japanese Buddhism as a suffix in the name of some of the many buildings that can be part of a Japanese temple compound. The prefix can be the name of a deity associated with it is a Japanese word for building. It is very often used in...
was Yoritomo's personal temple, which was destroyed, moved and rebuilt several times in the course of its history and which is no longer extant. On the site where it used to stand before it was demolished in 1872 there are now a shrine called Shirahata Shrine and a stone stele which reads:
The Hokke-dō originally enshrined Yoritomo's tutelary goddess[Shō-Kannon] but, after his death, was turned into his grave. When in June 1217 (KempōKEMPOKEPCO may refer to:* Korea Electric Power Corporation, a South Korean power provider* Kansai Electric Power Company, a Japanese power provider...
5, 5th month) Wada YoshimoriWada Yoshimoriwas an early Kamakura period military commander. A gokenin of the Kamakura shogunate, he was the first director of the Samurai-dokoro.He was the son of Miura Yoshiaki and grandson of Sugimoto Yoshimune, making him a descendant of the Heike. Among his sons were Wada Yoshinao, Asahina Yoshihide, and...
rebelled and set the Ōkura Bakufu on fire, this is where shogun SanetomoMinamoto no SanetomoMinamoto no Sanetomo was the third shogun of the Kamakura shogunate Sanetomo was the second son of the founder of the Kamakura shogunate Minamoto no Yoritomo, his mother was Hōjō Masako, and his older brother was the second Kamakura shogun Minamoto no Yoriie.His childhood name was...
found refuge. Also, on August 7, 1247 (HōjiHojiwas a after Kangen and before Kenchō. This period spanned the years from February 1247 to March 1249. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1247 ; 1247: The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of events...
1, 5th day of the 6th month) Miura YasumuraMiura clanThe ' was one of the branch families descended from the Taira clan. They held large fiefs, and great political influence. They were one of the primary opponents of the Hōjō family of regents, in the mid-13th century, and again at the beginning of the 16th...
barricaded in here to resist the onslaught of HōjōHojo clanSee the late Hōjō clan for the Hōjō clan of the Sengoku Period.The in the history of Japan was a family who controlled the hereditary title of shikken of the Kamakura Shogunate. In practice, the family had actual governmental power, many times dictatorial, rather than Kamakura shoguns, or the...
forces, but was defeated. He therefore gathered 500 members of his clan and committed with them mass suicide, dyeing the ground in red and black with their blood.
A is today a Tendai
Tendai
is a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism, a descendant of the Chinese Tiantai or Lotus Sutra school.Chappell frames the relevance of Tendai for a universal Buddhism:- History :...
hall whose layout allows walking around a statue for meditation. The purpose of walking is to concentrate on the Lotus Sūtra
Lotus Sutra
The Lotus Sūtra is one of the most popular and influential Mahāyāna sūtras, and the basis on which the Tiantai and Nichiren sects of Buddhism were established.-Title:...
and seek the ultimate truth. In Yoritomo's time however the term simply meant someone's funerary hall. That use of the word had its origin in the fact that the Lotus Sūtra (Hokkekyō) was usually read during funeral ceremonies.
Built in 1189 as Yoritomo's personal temple, at his death in 1199 it became his grave and there were performed his funerary rites. The Hokke-dō however assumed its present name only the following year, in occasion of Yoritomo's yearly funeral rites for that year. Likely a building of a certain size, it had as its dōshi (officiating monk) the famous holy man Eisai
Eisai
Myōan Eisai was a Japanese Buddhist priest, credited with bringing the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism and green tea from China to Japan. He is often known simply as Eisai Zenji , literally "Zen master Eisai"....
and, according to the Azuma Kagami
Azuma Kagami
The , or "mirror of the east", is a Japanese medieval text that chronicles events of the Kamakura Shogunate from Minamoto no Yoritomo's rebellion against the Taira clan in Izokuni of 1180 to Munetaka Shinnō and his return to Kyoto in 1266...
, it was visited by Hōjō Tokimasa
Hojo Tokimasa
was the first Hōjō shikken of the Kamakura bakufu and head of the Hōjō clan. He was shikken from the death of Minamoto no Yoritomo in 1199 until his abdication in 1205.- Background: The Hōjō Clan :...
and the powerful of the shogunate.
The main object of worship chosen by Yoritomo was a 6 cm silver statue of Shō-Kannon, which seems to attest that the temple wasn't built simply as a grave for the shogun.
The Wada Kassen
In 1213 Wada YoshimoriWada Yoshimori
was an early Kamakura period military commander. A gokenin of the Kamakura shogunate, he was the first director of the Samurai-dokoro.He was the son of Miura Yoshiaki and grandson of Sugimoto Yoshimune, making him a descendant of the Heike. Among his sons were Wada Yoshinao, Asahina Yoshihide, and...
rebelled against the Hōjō regents in the so-called and his famous son Asahina Yoshihide
Asahina Yoshihide
, also known as , was a Japanese warrior of the early 13th century, and the son of Wada Yoshimori. His name stems from the fact he used to live in . Though very likely a historical figure, Yoshihide appears in literature and in Kabuki as a somewhat superhuman legendary character...
stormed into the Ōkura Bakufu, burning it into the ground. Second shogun Minamoto no Sanetomo
Minamoto no Sanetomo
Minamoto no Sanetomo was the third shogun of the Kamakura shogunate Sanetomo was the second son of the founder of the Kamakura shogunate Minamoto no Yoritomo, his mother was Hōjō Masako, and his older brother was the second Kamakura shogun Minamoto no Yoriie.His childhood name was...
consequently had to run for his life, and found refuge in the Hokke-dō. Shikken
Shikken
The was the regent for the shogun in the Kamakura shogunate in Japan. The post was monopolized by the Hōjō clan, and this system only existed once in Japanese history, between 1203 and 1333...
Hōjō Yoshitoki
Hojo Yoshitoki
was the second Hōjō shikken of the Kamakura shogunate and head of the Hōjō clan. He was the eldest son of Hōjō Tokimasa and his wife Hōjō no Maki...
and Ōe no Hiromoto followed him there. It seems likely that this was done not simply because the temple was close, but also because it was in an elevated position, was sufficiently large to house an army and therefore easily defensible, and was probably fortified.
The Hōji Kassen (a.k.a Miura no Ran) and the death of the Miura clan
In 1247, 500 hundred members of the Miura clanMiura clan
The ' was one of the branch families descended from the Taira clan. They held large fiefs, and great political influence. They were one of the primary opponents of the Hōjō family of regents, in the mid-13th century, and again at the beginning of the 16th...
, at the closing of the (also known as the ) barricaded inside the Hokke-dō under the orders of Miura Yasumura and committed seppuku
Seppuku
is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai. Part of the samurai bushido honor code, seppuku was either used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies , or as a form of capital punishment...
(mass suicide). It is said that the whole floor was red with their blood.
The episode was the culmination of events that saw the tension between the Hōjō and the Adachi clans, on one side, and the Miura on the other, grow to the point where Adachi Yasumori with his troops attacked Yasumura's mansion in Nishi Mikado
Nishi Mikado
is the name of a neighborhood in Kamakura, a city located in Kanagawa, Japan, about 50 km south-south-west of Tokyo. Nishi Mikado lies north-east of Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū.- Etymology of the name:...
. The mansion was burned down and the clan took refuge inside the Hokke-dō. There, realizing their position was hopeless, the decision was taken to proceed with the seppuku. Their deaths are commemorated in a yagura carved in the rock a few hundred meters to the east of this site. (See below)
The Edo period and Shirahata Shrine
We know that during the Edo periodEdo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
(1600–1878) the Hokke-dō had already moved to the spot where Shirahata Jinja is today. The area around the tomb of Yoritomo is clearly shown in an Edo period drawing (below), and in it the Hokke-dō has already moved from its original site on the side of the hill to the plain under the original location. Clearly visible in the upper left corner are also the tombs of Ōe no Hiromoto, Shimazu Tadahisa and Mōri Suemitsu.
The Buddhist temple was also used as a Shinto shrine (as was normal at the time), and in fact it enshrined the spirit of Yoritomo. When however during the Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
the separation of Buddhism
Buddhism in Japan
The history of Buddhism in Japan can be roughly divided into three periods, namely the Nara period , the Heian period and the post-Heian period . Each period saw the introduction of new doctrines and upheavals in existing schools...
and Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
was made mandatory with the (see the articles Shinbutsu Bunri
Shinbutsu Bunri
The term in Japanese indicates the forbidding by law of the amalgamation of kami and buddhas made during the Meiji Restoration. It also indicates the effort made by the Japanese government to create a clear division between native kami beliefs and Buddhism on one side, and Buddhist temples and...
and Haibutsu kishaku
Haibutsu kishaku
is a term that indicates a current of thought continuous in Japan's history which advocates the expulsion of Buddhism from Japan...
), Yoritomo's kami
Kami
is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
had by law to be enshrined with the name in today's Shirahata Shrine, a Shinto shrine under the administration of Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū. The name Shirahata, meaning "white flag", is a reference to the white Minamoto flag. The area where the demolished Hokke-dō used to stand was then declared a national Historic Site. According to the sign in front of Shirahata Shrine, the present building was built in 1970 with charity donations.
The tomb of Yoritomo
The gorintō that today constitutes the grave was brought there by 's chief priest from the ruins of a temple called at the time the Meiji periodMeiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
's forcible separation of Shinto and Buddhism. According to a 1795 document called , at the time just to the north of the Ōkura Bakufu there was . The author mentions that locals were pleased by the fact that repairs to it were planned.
The first mention of a gorintō is of 1814. Shimazu Shigehide in 1779 had his ancestor's tomb repaired, a temizubachi installed and the whole place refurbished.
Every year on April 13, as part of the Kamakura Matsuri week of celebrations, in front of the tomb is held the . From Kyūshū comes also a representative of the Shimazu clan
Shimazu clan
The were the daimyō of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan.The Shimazu were identified as one of the tozama or outsider daimyō clans in contrast with the fudai or insider clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan,The Shimazu were...
, whose founder Shimazu Tadashisa is buried in the vicinity.
The tombs of Ōe no Hiromoto, Shimazu Tadahisa and Mōri Suemitsu
A steep stairway carved into the rock a few meters away from Yoritomo's grave leads to the graves of Shimazu Tadahisa, Mōri Suemitsu and Ōe no Hiromoto.Ōe no Hiromoto
Oe no Hiromoto
Ōe no Hiromoto was a kuge and vassal of Japan's Kamakura shogunate, and contributed to establishing the shogunate's governmental structure....
was a kuge
Kuge
The was a Japanese aristocratic class that dominated the Japanese imperial court in Kyoto until the rise of the Shogunate in the 12th century at which point it was eclipsed by the daimyo...
and the Kamakura shogunate
Kamakura shogunate
The Kamakura shogunate was a military dictatorship in Japan headed by the shoguns from 1185 to 1333. It was based in Kamakura. The Kamakura period draws its name from the capital of the shogunate...
's chief vassal, and he greatly contributed to the development and consolidation of its administrative structure.
Shimazu Tadahisa
Shimazu Tadahisa
was the founder of the Shimazu samurai clan.According to a record of his life, he was reportedly born in Sumiyoshi Taisha in Osaka. He was initially Koremune Tadayoshi but after being given the territory of Shimazu, Hyūga Province to rule from by Minamoto no Yoritomo, he took the name of...
(? - 1227) was the illegitimate son of shogun Yoritomo and a sister of Hiki Yoshikazu
Hiki Yoshikazu
was a Japanese warrior-noble of the Kamakura period related to the ruling Minamoto clan through his daughter's marriage. He, and much of the Hiki clan, were killed for allegedly conspiring to have one of the Minamoto heirs killed, in order to gain power himself....
, and the founder of the Shimazu clan
Shimazu clan
The were the daimyō of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan.The Shimazu were identified as one of the tozama or outsider daimyō clans in contrast with the fudai or insider clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan,The Shimazu were...
. He was nominated shugo
Shugo
was a title, commonly translated as "Governor," given to certain officials in feudal Japan. They were each appointed by the shogun to oversee one or more of the provinces of Japan...
, or governor, of Satsuma province in Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
. His family would then retain control of the province until the Meiji restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
in the 19th century. His tomb was built here by his descendant Shigehide in 1779.
(1211–1247) was Ōe no Hiromoto's fourth son and the founder of the Mōri clan
Mori clan
The Mōri clan was a family of daimyō, descended from Ōe no Hiromoto and established themselves in Aki Province. Their name was derived from a shōen in Mōri, Aikō District, Sagami Province. The generation of Hiromoto began to name themselves Mōri.After the Jōkyū War, Mōri was appointed to the jitō...
. He died together with the Miura at the Hokke-dō in 1247.
Their graves, carved from the side of the hill, stand side to side and are still regularly tended to.
The yagura of the Miura clan
During the Kamakura periodKamakura period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....
in and around Kamakura, for reasons that are unclear warriors
Bushi
Bushi and similar can refer to:*Bushi, a term for samurai seen in the term Bushidō*Bushi , a genre of Japanese folk music*Bushi , a region in the Democratic Republic of the Congo*Bushi language, a language of Madagascar and Mayotte...
, priests and sometimes even commoners were buried in caves called Yagura
Yagura
Yagura is the Japanese word for "tower" or "turret." The word is most often seen in reference to structures within Japanese castle compounds, but can be used in a variety of other situations as well. The bandstand tower erected for Bon Festival is often called a yagura, as are similar structures...
carved out of the soft limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
that makes up the hills around the city. Yagura containing a gorintō
Gorinto
is the name of a Japanese type of Buddhist pagoda believed to have been first adopted by the Shingon and Tendai sects during the mid Heian period. It is used for memorial or funerary purposes and is therefore common in Buddhist temples and cemeteries. It is also called or , where the term sotoba...
were sometimes used also as cenotaphs (memorial monuments). The souls of those of the Miura clan who perished during the siege of the neighboring Hokke-dō are enshrined in a small yagura whose opening is barely visible to the left of the base of the twin stairways leading to the tombs of Shimazu Tadahisa and Mōri Suemitsu (see map above). The cenotaph is still tended and visited.