Ancient History of Etchu (Keyhole Tombs and Manyo Village) ~AUG, 2025~

The ancient Echigo Province capital was located in Fushiki, Takaoka City, in the western part of Toyama Prefecture. Nearby is the Amaharashi Coast, and because it is located on the western side of Toyama Bay, the Noto Peninsula is visible nearby, and the area is famous for its views of Toyama Bay and the Tateyama mountain range.

During the process of establishing the Ritsuryo system, the Yamato Imperial Court divided the province of "Echizen" (Koshi) into three regions (Echizen, Etchu, and Echigo). However, there were many twists and turns regarding the borders, and during the first half of the Nara period, Noto Province, which had been separated from Echizen, was annexed to form Etchu Province. The Fushiki area of Takaoka City was likely a comfortable location for the provincial capital of the "large Etchu Province," which included Noto. Otomo no Yakamochi was posted to various regions throughout his life as a local official, but Etchu was his first posting. Speaking from an office worker's perspective, it was his first transfer location, and it is likely that he worked enthusiastically there, making it a place that holds many fond memories. He traveled the country as provincial governor, and during his five-year tenure, he left behind many poems celebrating the scenic beauty of each region. The Takaoka City Manyo History Museum compiles Yakamochi's footsteps.

Ten years ago, the Hokuriku Shinkansen was extended to Kanazawa Station, connecting the city with Tokyo in just two and a half hours, attracting many tourists. Kanazawa's fame stems from its role as the castle town of Kaga, a region with a million koku of rice, during the Edo period. However, its history is relatively new, dating back to the mid-16th century, when Oyama Gobo (Kanazawa Castle), the base of the Kaga Ikko Ikki, was built. Kaga Province is also a relatively new province, separated from Echizen Province in the Heian period (823). Unfortunately, Etchu (Toyama Prefecture) was divided and ruled throughout the Muromachi and Edo periods. During the Muromachi period, the Hatakeyama clan, based at Nanao Castle in Noto, had three deputy shugo clans, Yusa, Jinbo, and Shiina, govern Etchu. During the Sengoku period, Etchu became a battleground for the Ikko Ikki and the conflicts between the Uesugi, Takeda, and Oda clans.

During the Edo period, the Maeda clan of the Kaga domain ruled the three provinces of Noto, Kaga, and Etchu. Of the three sons born to Shogun Hidetada's daughter, Tamahime, Maeda Toshitsune appointed his eldest brother, Mitsutaka, as his successor to the Kaga domain. He also assigned his second brother, Toshitsugu, to rule the Toyama domain with 100,000 koku of rice, and his third son, Toshiharu, to rule the Daishoji domain with 70,000 koku of rice (later revised to 100,000 koku). The Toyama domain, located in the present-day Toyama City area and encompassing the fertile plains of the Jinzu and Joganji rivers, was sandwiched by the Kaga domains. Mount Kureha symbolized the boundary between the former Kaga and Toyama domains, and the two eastern and western regions are often referred to as Go-To and Go-Sei, respectively, and differences in temperament and culture are often noted. This difference in governance over the 500 years spanning the Middle Ages and the early modern period is likely a contributing factor. Personally (though I'm from Kanazawa), I find the ancient history of Etchu more romantic.

The Etchu government office was located on the site of Shokoji Temple, which is now a designated national treasure. Sassa Narimasa offered the land known as Kokokufu（old goverment office）to appease the followers of the Ikko sect, but he was later transferred by Hideyoshi to Higo, where local samurai resistance was fierce, and he committed suicide after failing to govern.

The Ichinomiya of Etchu is Keta Shrine. It was enshrined from Keta Taisha Shrine in Noto (Hakui City) and became Ichinomiya after the separation of Noto Province. The main deity of Keta Taisha Shrine is Onamuchi-no-Mikoto, the same deity as Okuninushi-no-Mikoto, who gave up the country. Nunakawa-hime, who proposed to Okuninushi-no-Mikoto in the province of Etchu (Takashi), is also enshrined here, and Takeminakata-no-Mikoto, who was born by Onamuchi-no-mikoto and Nunakawa-hime, later moved to Echigo and Shinano, and became the deity of Suwa Taisha Shrine.

It seems that Keta Shrine was also the main shrine of Etchu Province. When a provincial governor took up his post, he was obligated to visit all the shrines in the province, and the main shrine was established so that all of these could be visited in one place. In Musashi Province, Okunitama Shrine, located near the provincial capital (Fuchu City), is the main shrine.

From the temple grounds, you can see the mouth of the Oyabe River and the port of Fushiki. The scenery may not have changed much since ancient times. It was also a port of call for Kitamaebune ships sailing along the Sea of Japan, and was probably an ideal stopover point for those traveling across the Noto Peninsula.

Several large keyhole-shaped tombs have been discovered in the vicinity. These keyhole-shaped tombs are dated to the third to early fourth century, and in particular contain information about the mysterious fourth century, a period when Japan did not appear in Chinese history. Discovered in 1998, Yanagida Nunoyama Kofun in Himi is the largest keyhole-shaped tomb on the Sea of Japan coast, measuring over 100 meters in length. Mount Futagami stands at the end of the two connected square tombs. Yakamochi left behind a long poem praising Mount Futagami, calling it the mountain where the gods reside. During Yakamochi's time in office, more than 400 years had passed since the tombs were built, so it is unclear how much he knew about their existence and the legends behind their divine residence.

The Nihon Shoki records that during the reign of Emperor Sujin, four generals were dispatched, and shrine traditions state that Ohiko no Mikoto (the first son of Emperor Kōgen), who was sent to Hokuriku, founded Usaka Shrine along the way. If this conquest wiped out the main hostile forces and resulted in the end of the construction of keyhole-shaped tombs, it can be assumed that unification under the Yamato royal authority was achieved in the latter half of the 4th century.

Ohiko-no-Mikoto is identified with Ohohiko, the ancestor of Emperor Yuryaku's vassal Wowake, seven generations ago, as inscribed on an iron sword excavated from the Inariyama Kofun Tumulus in Saitama Prefecture. The year inscribed on the iron sword is 471, and assuming one generation lasts 20 years, it is estimated that Ohohiko lived 140 years ago. This seems to make sense if we consider that Ohohiko, who lived in the fourth century, was one of the Four Generals and destroyed the king of the Izumo-Sea of Japan government, who had built keyhole-shaped tombs.

During his tenure in the 8th century, Otomo Yakamochi enshrined Usa Hachimangu Shrine and built Hojozu Hachimangu Shrine. Hachiman-sama is a shrine dedicated to Emperor Ojin. He paid homage to Mount Futagami, which was revered by the royal authority that disappeared in the 4th century, and enshrined Hachiman-gu Shrine dedicated to Emperor Ojin in addition to Okuninushi-no-Mikoto (Keta Shrine), which was subservient to Yamato, and prayed for stability in the region and the country.

It's a wonderful journey, leisurely making your way along the connections between ancient Izumo, Echigo, and Shinano, and discovering here and there the vestiges of the ancient royal authority that clashed with the Yamato royal authority. Ozuka Tomb, located on the hillside of Mount Kureha, is a keyhole-shaped tomb just under 60 meters long and estimated to date to the early 4th century. Spotting the entrance to the prestigious Kureha Country Club nearby, I realized once again that it's a golf course built near the group of ancient tombs. I've played there a few times in the past, but when I was younger, my balls would fly well and scatter left and right, so I may have hit them into the tombs without realizing it. If I have the chance next time, I'll try my best to keep them on the fairway.