Wakamiya Hachimangu & Chosokabe Motochika

 

The southern approach to Wakamiya Hachimangu Shrine in Nagahama, Kochi is through a long narrow ark, Chinjunomri.

Some way along the path you pass a huge statue of the samurai warlord Motochika Chosokabe, a hero to many in Shikoku.

For any of you who have walked the Shikoku pilgrimage, you will be well aware of Chosokabe as he destroyed a large number of the pilgrimage temples in his "unification" of Shikoku.

In 1560, as a young man under his warlord father, he took part in his first battle to attack nearby Nagahama Castle. On the eve of battle he camped in the grounds of Wakamiya Shrine and spent the night praying for victory.

Just north of here at the base of the mountain where Nagahama Castle stood is Sekkeiji Temple, the family temple of Motochika, and next door is Hata Shrine enshrining Motochika. His grave is also here.

After succeeding his father, Motochika spent ten years winning control over all of Tosa province.

He then spent 15 years taking over almost the whole of Shikoku but was finally undone by Hideyoshi.

The shrine was established in 1185 to protect the area which was land belonging to the Rokujo Wakamiya Hachimangu established in Kyoto by Monamoto Yoritomo, the first Kamakura Shogun.

It was established as a branch of Iwashimizu Hachimangu, the shrine south of Kyoto that two-thirds of all Hachiman shrines trace their origin to.

Hachiman had been adopted by the Minamoto as their tutelary deity and so was very popular among samurai.

After Chosokabe's military success following prayers here, this shrine became particularly renowned for prayers for victory.

The architecture here is unique, and said to have been designed by Chosokabe himself.

When seen in plan view is is said to resemble a dragonfly, considered a victorious and auspicious insect for samurai.

There are numerous secondary shrines within the grounds including a Tenjin Shrine which they list as enshrining Amenomikumari, a female kami connected to estuaries and irrigation. They mention also Sugawara Michizane.

There is also a Kojin Shrine, a Misa Shrine, a Sanja Shrine, and a Hayatosha.

The previous post in this series exploring things seen and encountered between the temples on the Shikoku Ohenro pilgrimage was the nearby museum to Ryoma Sakamoto.

Hata Shrine Nagahama

 

Hata Shrine in Nagahama, Kochi, is located right next door to Sekkeiji Temple, number 33 on the famed Shikoku Pilgrimage, and in fact is built on the site where the temple stood until it was destroyed in the anti-Buddhism campaigns of early Meiji.

Sekkeiji was the family temple of the Chosokabe Clan, and Motochika Chosokabe is buried there. He was the warlord who "unified" Shikoku under his control in the late 16th Century, and his name is familiar to most pilgrims because so many of the temples on the pilgrimage were burned down in his wars of conquest.

Hata Shrine was established in 1888 on the site of the destroyed temple to enshrine Motochika himself, and so in a sense is very much a political site, and as such seems sterile...... though maybe I am projecting. The name Hata was used as the Chosokabe claim descent from the famous Hata Clan of ancient Japan.

A small torii and path lead from the main shrine up on to the hilltop above where there is a small Nishinomiya Shrine dedicated to Ebisu. It is built on the site of what was Nagahama Castle, a very small castle that was the site of Motochika's first battle .

The previous post in this series documenting my walk along the Shikoku Pilgrimage was on the ferry that crosses Urado Bay on the route between Zenjibuji Temple, and Sekkeiji Temple.

Shikoku Pilgrimage Temple 33 Sekkeiji

Sekkeiji, the 33rd temple on the Shikoku pilgrimage was fairly unimpressive. That may be due to it being the end of a long day when I finally reached it.

Though reputedly founded by Kukai, it became a Zen temple and not long after was sponsored by Chosokabe, the warlord who burned down so many of the temples on Shikoku. It became his family temple and was where he was buried.

Perhaps fittingly, it was burned down in the early Meiji period in the anti-Buddhist wave that swept many parts of the country. It was eventually rebuilt at its current site, next door to its original site which is now a shrine.