The birthplace of Naozane from the 13th century war novel Heike Monogatari
The bronze statue of Kumagai Jiro Naozane first comes into view as one exits Kumagaya station. Born in Kumagaya in 1141, Naozane was an active warrior in two major battles during his time. Attacked by the Genji clan, the Taira family attempted resurgence at Ichinotani. The attempt failed as Taira-no-Atsumori was killed by Naozane. Atsumori's head, weapons, and his favorite flute was sent to his father Tsunemori with a letter attached. The famous Kumagaya Letter later became the pride of Kanto samurai warriors. Having killed the young Atsumori, Naozane became remorseful and went into priesthood. Zeami wrote a noh theater play based on Naozane's conversion. Naozane eventually adopted a religious name Rensho and devoted his life to Buddhism in Kumagaya.
Yukoku-ji Temple features stone steps decorated with hydrangea
This temple is said to have been founded by Naozane and later was favored by the great Tokugawa Ieyasu (the founder of the Yedo administration which ruled Japan from the 17th through mid 19th century). The temple premises is comprised of roughly 10,000 square meters of land and is covered with trees. The temple has a main hall, gate, bell tower, and jewel storeroom which houses items related to Naozane. The sight is especially attractive when the hydrangeas are in full bloom.
[
Kumagaya ||
Look Back a Bit |
Transportation |
Main Street |
Places to Visit |
Outdoor Activities |
Local Food |
Arts, Crafts and Specialities |
Festivals and Events |
A Local Celebrity |
Accommodations
]
[
Hometown Homepage
]
