Sensyou Temple~Memoroial monument for the seven people of Daijingu reghteous people~

Sensyou Temple

Memorial monument for the seven people of Daijingu righteous people

About Memorial monument for the seven people of Daijingu righteous people

The hatamoto Sanzaemon Kono, who became the lord of Daijingu Village in the 12th year of Kanbun, imposed a mountain tax and conducted strict collection. The poor harvest continued for three years starting in 1679, and the people suffered because they had no rice to eat.

For this reason, the villagers petitioned the Kono family in Edo in 1681 and 1682, but they were not heard and finally appealed to the magistrate’s office. However, because the leader of the farmers’ group gave false testimony, seven representatives were found guilty and executed. The local community is saddened by this incident and has erected a memorial monument to enshrine its spirit.

Explanatory text about the “Memorial monument of the seven people of Daijingu regiteous people ” installed at the entrance of Awa Shrine

Daijingu Village seven righteous people, the story of the seven people

This was in the 12th year of Kanbun (1672) in the early Tokugawa period. Daijingu Village was demanded by the hatamoto Kono Sanzaemon to pay a high annual tax. Even if he paid mountain tax, he was prohibited from entering the mountain’s membership area, and Kono Sanzaemon kept all the proceeds from the sale of wood for himself. The villagers were forced to live a difficult life, but especially for three years starting in 1679, a storm that hit the Boso Peninsula caused severe crop failure. The villagers, who were running out of rice to eat as well as the annual rice tax, appealed to Sanzaemon Kono twice, but his appeal went unheeded, and the village head and his son who appealed instead were imprisoned in a prison cell. In March 1682, seven people, including the head lord Saburozaemon Koshiba, Heibei, Kyusuke, Ichirobei, Denzaburo, Rokuzaemon, and Shichizaemon, filed a complaint with the Edo Magistrate’s Office. However, at this time, complaining to the Edo Magistrate’s Office was considered a grave sin, and on November 11 of that year, seven people were sentenced to beheading, their property was confiscated, and their families were expelled. The villagers mourned Shichigimin, who sacrificed himself for the sake of the village and died a cruel death, and secretly erected a tombstone to commemorate his soul.

Senjoji Temple Entrance

If you go up the hill in front of you, you will find “Senshoji”. Please be careful as this slope can become very slippery when the road is wet from rain.

The Role of Senjoji

This Senshoji has two major roles.

One is the memorial service for the “Daijingu righteous people Seven Lords” (local people call them Seven Lords) that we saw earlier.

At that time, it was not possible to publicly mourn the Seven Lords, so the villagers built graves in secret. As the years passed, the existence of the grave was forgotten, and the story of the Seven Lords was passed down only by word of mouth. In 1922, while cleaning the tomb, the Dan family discovered the tomb’s base stone and pole stone, which were discovered to be those of Shichigimin, and were restored.

In the 12th year of Kanbun (1672) in the first half of the Tokugawa period, when the world began to get accustomed to peace, Daijingu Village became the chigyo-sho of Jito Kono Sanzaemon, and not only was the annual tax for the tabata mountains and forests increased, but also access to the forests was increased. The villagers’ hardships only increased day by day due to the prohibition of government orders and other brutal punishments. In particular, due to the severe crop failure that lasted for three years starting in 1679, there was a shortage of annual tax rice as well as rice, so the villagers filed two complaints, but the main reason was In March 1682, seven people, including the head lord Saburozaemon Koshiba, Heibei, Kyusuke, Ichirobei, Denzaburo, Rokuzaemon, and Shichizaemon, were sent to the Edo Magistrate’s Office. Although he appealed to the authorities, he was found guilty and sentenced to beheading on November 11 of the same year, his property confiscated, and his family exiled.It was truly the height of misery, even in a feudal world. The villagers mourned the death of the seven righteous people who had committed suicide without any kind of justice, and secretly erected a tombstone to commemorate their souls, but before they knew it, they were completely destroyed. Later, in 1814, the 133rd anniversary of his death, the memorial monument was rebuilt, but it was buried underground and only remains as a monument. However, in September 1922, while cleaning the precincts of Senjo-ji Temple, the monks discovered a base stone and a pole stone, confirmed that they were the tombstones of the Seven Lords, restored them, and buried them on November 11 of the same year. The entire village held a grand memorial service to mark the 240th anniversary. This Memorial Monument for the Seven Yamato Gimin was designated as a historic site as a valuable cultural property of Tateyama City on July 19, 1974.

The other is the memorial service for this Senjshoji temple family (currently about 50 families). This is also held by inviting the head priest of Kozuka Daishi. The grave is located on a hill on the way to Kannon-do and Kozuka Daishi.

Please put your hands together at the memorial tower for seven people.