Shimotsuke Sano ~ FEB,2025 ~

Most of the medieval Kanto warriors were descendants of three factions of militant aristocrats from Kyoto: the Kanmu Heishi clan, who settled in the 9th century, Fujiwara Hidesato (Tawara Tōta), who defeated Taira no Masakado in the 10th century, and Minamoto no Yoriyoshi and Yoshiie, who were active in the 11th century. The descendants of Fujiwara Hidesato were mainly active in Shimotsuke (Tochigi Prefecture), and the Sano clan in particular survived the Middle Ages for over 500 years from the 12th to the 17th century, surviving the Warring States period, but was demoted the year before the Siege of Osaka. Nevertheless, when Ieyasu entered Edo, the noble families of the Kanto Plain were all demoted and transferred from their domains, for whatever reason, and were driven out of Kanto. Typical examples would be the Utsunomiya clan (demoted by Hideyoshi), the Yuki clan (Ieyasu's second son Hideyasu was adopted), the Satake clan (reduced to Kubota Domain in Akita), and the Satomi clan (reduced to Hoki and then demoted).

Nobuyoshi, the last daimyo of the Sano clan, sided with the Eastern Army in the Battle of Sekigahara and was somehow able to secure his territory, but he left the famous castle "Karasawayama Castle" that Hidesato had built in the 10th century and built Sano Castle on a small hill in the plains. The castle was abandoned when the Sano clan was abolished, but it is now a park with a good view in front of Sano Station, and you can see that it was a small territory that suited the clan's stature of 39,000 koku at the time of the abolition.

While we are still basking in the afterglow of last year's taiga drama "Hikaru Kimi e," Ken Watanabe is playing Tanuma Okitsugu in the 2025 drama "Berabou," and the Tanuma clan will also be part of the Sano clan. Tanuma Okitsugu's father, Okiyuki, was promoted from a samurai of the Kishu domain to the Shogun's vassal when Yoshimune became shogun, and built the foundation for his son Okitsugu's succession.

In the last episode, Hiraga Gennai and the two talked about the opening of Japan, and in recent years, some interesting books have been published about the positive side of Okitsugu, who has received both praise and criticism. There have been many new books recently about Yoshiwara and Edo customs, which are handled by "Berabou". I think it's best to read them once to understand the story and lines.

The former Tanuma town was incorporated into Sano city during the Heisei era's great merger, but the Tanuma family temple, Sairinji Temple, stands quietly next to Ippeizuka Inari Shrine.

In Sano, there is a small Yakushido temple, which was the setting for the "Inubuse Farewell," a battle that determined the survival of the Sanada clan. Masayuki and his second brother Nobuyuki (Yukimura) were heading to join Ieyasu from Ueda Castle, while his eldest brother Nobuyuki was heading to the Aizu Conquest from Edo. On the way, they discussed whether they should join the East or West, and Masayuki and Nobuyuki returned to Ueda and joined the West, while Nobuyuki headed to the Ieyasu's location in Oyama to join the East. Oyama is about 10km away from Inubuse.

During the Edo period, part of Sano became the territory of the Hikone Domain's Ii clan, but the grave of Ii Naosuke, who died outside Sakuradamon, is located at Tennoji Temple along with a memorial monument. 70 years after Tanuma Okitsugu's downfall, the chief advisor Ii Naosuke concluded the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the United States and Japan without imperial sanction. At the cost of Naosuke's death, Japan returned to international politics as a nation, and the modern era began.

The only country with which the Edo Shogunate had traded, with restrictions, was the Netherlands, and Ryuko-in was given a wooden statue of Erasmus that was attached to the stern of the Liefde, the first ship from the Netherlands to be washed ashore in Japan. Ryuko-in was restored by Makino Narizato, a bannerman from Mikawa who was brought by Ieyasu, and it is said that he received the statue from William Adams (Miura Anjin), a crew member of the Liefde, in exchange for his instruction in gunnery (Important Cultural Property).

A parishioner guided me around the main hall, but as the original is on loan to the National Museum, we were shown a replica along with Makino's belongings. I happened to learn that the original is currently on display at the Yoshizawa Memorial Museum in Kuzu, Sano City, so I went to see it afterwards, and I think the replica is well made. The left hand has been removed, but it appears that it was holding a Bible, and was cut off during the ban on Christianity. Erasmus was a priest who wrote "Praise of Folly" and influenced Luther's Protestant Reformation, but he also developed a theory on early childhood education, such as the wrong to physically punish children, making him an advanced thinker who is hard to believe he was from the 16th century.

I stopped by the birthplace of Shozo Tanaka, who played an active role in the Ashio Copper Mine Incident, which is also a major theme in our country's modern history. Sano is also an interesting town, although it has a modest image next to Ashikaga City. I forgot to mention the most important thing: I didn't eat Sano ramen, so I'll make that my homework for next time.