THE HISTORIOGRAPHICAL INSTITUTE THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO

#25
25. PETITION OF THE KOKU-BUN ZHI, 1321
(A copy in SK, IX, of a Koku-bun zhi doc. now lost.)
THIS petition is inserted here, because, although it is dated 1321, its reference to Iriki concerns an
imperial decree of 1275. The reference is slight but important. In other respects, also, the document
is of high value.
During the greater part of its history in Japan, Buddhism exercised over the native Shinto cult
a deep, pervasive influence: Buddhist rites were introduced into Shinto worship, and kami and
mikoto were even claimed to be re-incarnations of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Not infrequently
Buddhist churches were founded near Shinto temples as their saving principle, and the priests of the
former controlled the business affairs of the latter. One of the most remarkable examples of the
blending of the parallel faiths is afforded by An-raku zhi and Ten-man gu, at Da-zai Fu, (see note
15). A branch of this composite church-temple was established at the Koku-bun zhi of Satsuma,
the official provincial church of the kuni, (see No. 9, n. 3), according to the tradition cited in the
present document, in the latter half of the tenth century.
More than two hundred years later, a scion of the Koremune family, Tomohisa, was appointed
the manager of this Shinto-Buddhist institution. The office was transmitted to his children, who
(cf. n. 22, and No.50), under the assumed family-name Kokubun, exerted no small local influence.
It is not difficult to understand their power when it is recalled that their abode was the seat of the
kuni government, in which they sometimes held important posts; that the church-temple with which
they were identified was an object of wide popular devotion; and they were kin to the puissant
shu-in of the neighboring Niita temple, to the Ichiku lords a little further south, and also, whether
these last were inclined to admit their Koremune descent or not, to the Shimadzu shu-go. It would
seem that, in 1275, the position of the Kokubun as one of the chief warrior-families of northwest
Satsuma had been well established.
Unfortunately, the SK copy of this petition is extremely poor, which has made the more awkward
the halting Chinese in which the original was written.
"THE [Buddhist] officials and [Shinto] priests of Ten-man gu and Koku-bun zhi,
Satsuma kumi, respectfully petition
"That immediately, by soliciting Imperial sanction, and in accordance with
precedents ^{* * *1} virtuous rule, the present temple and the halls and tower of
the Koku-bun church be rebuilt 、^{* * *},¹ and thereby [the petitioners be enabled

"\ズハショウリャク\"

THE SHO-GUN'S CONFIRMATION OF IRIKI-IN ARISHIGE'S FIEFS.
No. 24B. 1267.

"\ズハショウリャク\"

SHIMADZU MOTOHISA'S OATH TO IRIKI-IN SHIGEYORI.
No. 127D. 1404.
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to] pray for a long reign and long lives [of the Emperor and the Empress]; [this
being] a statement of the circumstances of the petition ^{* * *} .¹"Presented herewith:-
one document: the sen-zhi,² Ken-chi 1 y. 12 m. 3 d. [21 December 1275], that the
present church and temple be rebuilt;
three documents: the in-zen,³ Ken-chi ^{* * *},¹ ken-chi^{* * *};¹ two documents: the koku-sen,⁴ ^{* * *};¹ one document: the dai-fu sen:⁵ Ken-chi 2 y. 1 m. - d. [February 1276], that the
present church and temple be rebuilt;
three documents: the decrees(ge-chi)⁶ of the Kwan-to, Bun-ji 2 y. 12 m. 7 d. [18
January 1187], Zho-kyu 3 y. 8 m. 28 d. [13 September 1221], and Bun-o
1 y. 10 m. 5 d. [9 November 1260];
one document: the order(mi kyo-sho)⁷ of the Kwan-to, Ko-an 7 y. 5 m. 3 d. [17
June 1283], that the ancient history, the present condition, the controlling
personages, and the exempted ta, of the Koku-bun church be reported in
detail;
one document: the executive order (shi-ko) of the Chin-zei,⁸ Ei-nin 7 y. 2 m. 14 d.
[17 March 1299], that, according to the instructions(koto-gaki) of the
Kwan-to, temples in Kyu-shu be repaired and the customary Buddhist and
Shinto services be performed;
one document: the circular letter of the shu-go, the same y. same m. 1 d. [4 March
1299];
one document: the order(mi kyo-sho)⁷ of the Kwan-to, Sho-an 2 y. 7 m. 13 d. [29
July 1300], that the subjugation of the foreign enemy⁹ be prayed for;
one document: the letter of urgent command(sai-soku zho)¹⁰ of the shu-go, the
same 3 y. 1 m. 10 d. [19 February 1301];
one document: the executive order of the Chin-zei,⁸ Sho-an 3 y. 8 m. 23 d. [25
September 1301], that, according to the instructions(koto-gaki) from the
Kwan-to,^{* * *1} [prayers concerning] the appearance of the comet¹¹ be
offered;
one document: the letter of urgent command¹⁰ by the shu-go, the same y. 8 m. 25 d.
[27 September 1301];
one document: the order(mi kyo-sho)⁷ of the Kwan-to, Ka-gen 1 y. 12 m. 10 d.
[17 January 1304], that prayers of defense against the foreign enemy⁹ be offered;
one document: the executive order of the Chin-zei,⁸ the same 2 y. 1 m. 4 d. [10
February 1304];
one document: the letter of urgent command¹⁰ by deputy shu-go, the same 2 y.
1 m. 23 d. [1 March 1304];
one document: the order(mi kyo-sho)⁷ of the Kwan-to, En-kyo 3 y. 2 m. 29 d. [21
March 1308], that^{* * *};¹ one roll: the catalogue of Shinto service performed during the year;
one roll: the list of damages, made by order in Ken-po 2 y. [1214] by Imperial
commissioners;
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one document: the picture¹ "Though there are many other documents, the aforementioned few documents are
herewith forwarded for the present.
"Regarding the ancient history and the present condition of the Ten-man
temple and the Koku-bun church.
"Respectfully examining the ancient records, [it is seen that] the present temple is
the place where Ten-man Dai-zhi-zai Ten-zhin¹² revealed himself. In the Imperial
reign of Ten-ryaku [947-957],¹³ an ordinance of the Kwan¹⁴ was promulgated, and
[to Koku-bun zhi] was attached a branch of An-raku zhi.¹⁵ In the period O-wa [961-
964], (for the first time a temple was erected . . . at which),¹⁶ as a beneficent temple
guarding the State, the long reign and the long lives [of the successive Imperial majes-
ties] would exclusively be prayed for. Henceforward, the temple eradiated its divine
lustre for a space of several hundred years, during which increasing reverence was
paid, and seven subsidiary temples and a tower were added, so that more than twenty
edifices stood one beside another, and daily rites and monthly services, to the number
of several hundred [in the year], ever increasing but never decreasing, were performed.
Accordingly, wise princes of successive generations contributed lands, and kuni offi-
cials of successive terms added to the church domains, making them also domains of
the temple, which were exempt from dues to other places and immune from all charges
by emperors' and ex-emperors' orders.¹⁷ As for the Koku-bun church, it was reverently
erected in Yo-ro 1st year [717], more than six hundred years ago, and [a sculptured
image of] Dai Sho Kwan-ze-on Bosatsu (Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara) was respect-
fully reposed therein, so that the church was made a sacred place for the offering of
the Imperial prayer. In the church for the nuns,¹⁸ also, was reposed respectfully [the
images of] Yakushi Nyorai (Buddha Beshaja-guru) and his twelve armed attendants,
and the Imperial prayer was likewise offered. Now, the wars of Bun-ji [1185] and
Zho-kyu [1221]¹⁹ were unprecedentedly grave events; but [the present temple] was
not considered as in the same status with other temples, but was exempted from the
exaction of military taxes and freed from warrior's outrages; this is evident in the
orders(ge-chi)⁶ from the Kwan-to issued in successive generations [of sho-gun]. To
show in this wise special reverence to the sacred temple at each warlike occurrence, is
the precedent of the Imperial government and the felicitous custom of the military
rulers. According to the order (ge-chi⁶ of the Kwan-to [issued] during the Bun-ji
years [18 January 1187], it was said: The Lord of Kmakura decreed that the present
church was the abode of Ten-man Dai-zhi-zai Ten-zhin,¹² and should not be regarded
as in the same status as other temples, but should devote itself to Buddhist and Shinto
services; and, therefore, the warriors interference should be stopped, [the domains]
should be secured, and the [Buddhist] officials and [Shinto] priests should repair the
church and perform the Buddhist services; etc. Also, according to the order (mi kyo-
sho)⁷ of the Kwan-to issued during the period Zho-kyu [1221], it was said: The
domains of the aforesaid Ten-man temple and church should not be disturbed by
warriors; if, in the remote region,²⁰ such events should take place, and if ant person
should, under this or that pretext, contrive new disturbances and resist the payment of
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the customary dues and commit outrageous acts, the affair should be reported, and
[the offender] would be punished for his guilt; the manager,²¹ ukon no sho-gen
Tomohisa,²² and other officials and servitors, should not in the least degree be mo-
lested; etc. For these reasons, although the services of constructing the stone ramparts
and keeping the guard at the harbor of Hakata²³ were imposed upon all domains, alike
of Shinto temples and Buddhist churches, and of noble families and powerful per-
sonages, the domains of the present temple and church were equally exempted from
them. That was because they were a temple without a peer and a shine unexcelled in the
realm. Especially, since frequent in-zen³ were granted that prayers relative to the
foreign Power⁹ be offered with sincerity, and since the present temple and An-raku
zhi¹⁵ were, though different in name, distinct revelations of the identical deity, the
priests of the present temple offered prayers with undivided zeal; and, consequently,
when the wicked Mongol invaders attacked the Chin-zei in the period Bun-ei [1274],
they were unable to withstand the divine[-ly protected] army, and either discarded
their vessels or sank to the bottom of the sea; though there were some invaders who
survived, they could not carry out their intention to make war, but vainly fled back.
Thereafter, since orders(mi kyo-sho)⁷ of the Kwan-to were again issued to this temple
that it should diligently pray, earnest prayers were offered; when the wicked invaders
again arrived in Ko-an 4th year [1281], and all persons, believing that the expulsion
of the enemy could be effected only by divine will and never by human power,^{* * *}, ¹reverently looked up to heaven, on the 1st day of the 7th month of the same year
[17 July 1281] a divine storm rose in mighty force and scattered the enemy ships,
and the enemy perished all at once. This was the victory achieved by Ten-man Dai-
zhi-zai Ten-zhin.¹² Those who saw or heard these events all revered the great power
of the deity. Now, the present temple and the Koku-bun church had from ancient
times been repaired by the kuni government as its bounden duty, and the precedents
were clear that, when small damages had been enlarged into great damages, [the
edifices] should be rebuilt. Notwithstanding, either by the negligence of governors or
by the change of successive deputies, years had passed without seeing repairs made,
and the edifices of the church and temple, from the main hall to the cloister, were all
damaged, and Buddhist images were exposed to the weather and were injured. Then
the church, with utmost exertion, sought to restore, according to form merely, both
the chief hall, ceremonial hall, and corridors of the temple, and the main halls of the
Koku-bun church and the Tai-hei church¹⁸ for the nuns, building temporary thatched
halls, and thus reestablishing the present church and temple; in this manner, the
annual customary rites and monthly Shinto services, to the number of several hundred
times, have been performed without neglect, and the eternal reign of the Throne has
been prayed for. However, as the Shinto officials carefully examine the old records,
[they find], to their great regrer, that ancient performances were different from the
present. Accordingly, as these circumstances were reported during the period of Ken-po
[1213], a catalogue of the damages was made by order by the commissioners of the
Kwan. No official step was, however, taken with promptitude, and the matter was
allowed to rest. When, in the 1st year of Ken-chi [1275], a renewed petition was pre-
sented to the Throne, as in-zen³ was graciously issued that the Ten-man temple and
Koku-bun church be rebuilt. Accordingly, the six places-Keto, Togo, Iriki, Yamato,²⁴
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Nan-go,²⁵ and Kaseda²⁶-were given²⁷ to the church as places of support;²⁸ and the
priests opened their eyes of gladness,²⁹ and proceeded to undertake the work of con-
struction. But since the ji-to and the myo-shu of the said places of support,²⁸ relying
upon their armed force, would not yield the regular taxes, [the priests] barely pro-
cured the timber for the halls and other edifices with what little tax they had extracted.
Presently the places of support²⁸ were interfered with by the kuni governor, and the
construction was not completed, and the scant timber that had been procured uselessly
decayed. As a public loss and as a divine misfortune, this was exceedingly grievous.
As the priests have thus been bewailing, they now hear the rumor that the Koku-bun
churches of all kuni will be restored and a virtuous rule be established. This is truly
because the prayers for the peace of the reign are realized by the virtue of Ten-man
Dai-zhi-zai Ten-zhin¹² and Dai Sho Kwan-ze-on Bosatsu. It is petitioned that imme-
diately, appealing to the Throne, in accordance with the precedents and in pursuance
of the measure for restoration, the construction of the halls and tower of the present
temple and Koku-bun zhi be, according to the damages, brought to com-
pletion. Then the daily rites and monthly services would be performed without neglect
on the appointed days; the divine power would be ever more exerted; the security of
the rule of our Sovereign would be enduring; alien nations would come under the
Imperial influence; and the tributes of the three Korean states would be unceasingly
rendered. Therefore, the circumstances are recorded, and the petition is presented.
"Gen-ko 1 y. 7 m. - d. [August 1321]. Shikko,³⁰ Kwan-su,³⁰ Okura.³¹ Tsuina,³⁰ dai hosshi, ³⁰ Cho-Han.³⁰ Zhi-su, Dai hosshi, Gon-shu.
Dai ken-gyo, dai hosshi.
Sho betto/ dai hosshi.
Gon doku-shi, dai hosshi.
Zho-za, dai hosshi. Myo-Gon.
Dai betto, dai hosshi. Gyo-Ji.
Doku-shi, dai hosshi, Yu-Han.
Gon ko-shi, ho-gen wo-sho i, Yu-Gon.
Ru-su, san-i, Koremune Ason Tomosada."³² ¹Worm-eaten parts.
²The sen-zhi (shi, import, of sen, decree or order) was a simplified form of imperial decree con-
veyed either through a Minister(Dai-zhin) or through a Councillor(Na-gon).
³The in-zen was an order or a decree (sen) of the office of the ex-emperor(in) who, through
nominally retired, still held in his hands a large part of the real sovereign powers. In fact, the origin
of the in-government about 1085 is attributable to the desire of the emperor Shirakawa to free
himself from the restraint of the cumbrous form and customs of the court, and from the over-
shadowing influence of the Fujiwara nobles, to which the Throne was then subject, and to wield
more substantial powers in a less formal but really more independent position in retirement. For
these reasons, the in-zen came to assume even a greater authority than regular imperial commands.
The in-government under successive ex-emperors continued to exist intermittently till the second
quarter of the fourteenth century, and was revived in 1612, persisting thereafter with interruptions
till 1840.
⁴The koku-sen (sen, decree or order, of the governor of the koku, or, kuni) was a command by
a kuni governor of noble rank who resided in Kyoto, which was signed by an agent of his household
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office, and addressed to the deputy governor in the kuni. The koku-sen was, therefore, a variation of
the cho-sen (cf No. 22).
⁵The Dai-fu senwas an order or a decree issued by the chief official of the Da-zai Fu to his
subordinates.
⁶ The ge-chi("instruction to inferiors") was a decree or command of the sho-gun's government
at Kamakura or of his deputies at Rokuhara, Kyoto, addressed to a ji-to or other go ke-nin. The
addressee was not directly addressed. The order was signed by some Hojo. Judicial judgments of the
sho-gun's court were usually given in this form, (cf Nos. 16 and 41. Nos. 23, 35, and 43 are also
ge-chi).
The ge-chi had been derived from the more formal style of the sho-gun's command known as the
kudashi-bumi("letter to inferiors"), which either bore a personal monogram of the sho-gun (e.g.,
No. 6 A, C, and D) or was issued under the names of the officials of his man-dokoro (cf. Nos. 21
and 34). Letters of investiture were usually kudashi-bumi.
The mi kyo-sho, often pronounced mi kyo-so("letter of instruction"), was a general term which
might be applied to all commands from either civil or feudal powers which were informal in style;
in this sense, some in-zen were mi kyo-sho. The sho-gun's mi kyo-sho in the Kamakura period was
even more informal than his ge-chi, bearing the signature of the regent or of a deputy at Rokuhara,
as the case may be, and directly addressed to a person. Cf. Nos. 12 D and 84.
In the present document, however, it may be noted that the terms ge-chi and mi kyo-sho are
used in confusion.
⁸The Chin-zei("pacifying the west") meant Kyu-shu in general, but here refers to the sho-gun's
commissioner(bu-gyo), who represented him in the island. For an example of the order of the
bu-gyo, see No. 66.
⁹For the security of the country against Monogol conquest, the aid of unseen powers was earnestly
prayed for in Buddhist and Shinto institutions throughout Japan. Since the menace continued for
more than thirty years (see No. 45), the resources of the imperial and feudal government which were
expended in these religious services must have been enormous. Nor was it practicable, afterwards,
adequately to recompense all the churches and temples for their zealous acts of piety done during
the long period of national peril. Their consequent dissatisfaction was an important factor in causing
the weakening of the feudal government of Kamakura.
¹⁰The sai-soku zho("letter of urgent command") was a peremptory order to obey and carry out
a command; the command may be conveyed in the order itself, or may have been issued before.Cf.
Nos. 80 A and B, 82, 84, 85, 92 B, 96 A and B, etc.
¹¹The appearance of a comet was considered as presaging an armed disorder.
¹²Literally, Heavenly-complete, greatly free, heavenly deity,-the full title for the deified spirit
of Sugawara Michizane, the statesman and man of letters who, being falsely accused by his political
enemy of treason against the Throne, died in exile in Kyushu, in 903. Traditions were current about
Koku-bun zhi that he lived and died here; there are a few other places in western Japan which
claim the honor of his temporary sojourn.
¹³Probably the reign as a whole of the emperor Murakami, 946-967, is meant, rather than the
year-period Ten-ryaku, that formed a part of the reign.
¹⁴The kwan-pu or, more fully, Da-zho kwan pu, was a formal ordinance, fu, of the Dai-zho
kwan, the highest executive office of the imperial government, conveying an imperial order, and
addressed to a lower office. When addressed directly to a Shinto or Buddhist institution, the docu-
ment was designated a kwan-cho.
¹⁵An-raku zhi, the Buddhist church at Da-zai Fu though its history is singularly obscure, seems
to have existed for some time when, in 905, a temple dedicated to the ghost of Sugawara Michizane
(n. 12) was established at the same site. The church and the temple were thenceforth more closely
identified with each other than was usual with Shinto temples and the Buddhist churches with
which they were associated. Whenever An-raku zhi was mentioned, invariably the Ten-man temple
was meant; even after the former had physically disappeared, for which event no definite date is
assignable, its priests and officials continued to be appointed, who performed as before the Buddhist
rites of the temple and transacted its worldly affairs. This state of things seems to have persisted till
the end of the Tokugawa period.
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¹⁶Some characters in this passage of the SK copy are obscure; the general meaning is here given
in the parentheses.
¹⁷Dai-sho choku-in zhi. These were ireegular charges ordered on such unusual occasions as the
rebuilding of the great temples at Ise, the building or repair of the palace, and the accession of a
new emperor to the throne. These charges were considered as obligatory upon all lands regardless of
their differences in fiscal status, and were therefore levied impartially upon all public districts and
private domains, in parts or in the whole of Japan, as the case may be. Yet exemptions from these
impositions were sometimes granted to specially favored institutions and domanial lords.
¹⁸The building of the Koku-bun zhi in each kuni was accompanied with that of a Koku-bun
ni-shi, provincial church for nuns. In Satsuma, the nunnery was later called Tai-hei zhi; and about
1339 was made the An-koku zhi of the kuni, when the Ashikaga sought to found provincial churches
in all Japan.
¹⁹The war of Bun-ji refers to the defeat of the Taira at Yashima and Dan-no-ura, on the north-
east coast of Shikoku, in 1185. Since Taira had established their influence in Kyushu also, their
downfall was followed there by considerable disturbance, and the general dislocation extended to
Satsuma, (cf. Nos. 4 and 12 A).
The war of Zho-kyu 3rd year (1221) was occasioned by the premature attempt made by the im-
perial house and count nobles at Kyoto to overthrow the feudal government at Kamakura. The
latter quickly defeated the enemy, but the event caused, as may be gathered from this document,
among other evidence, some commotion even in the distant Satsuma.
²⁰Remote from Kyoto.
²¹Sa-da nin.
²²The first head of the Kokubun branch of the Koremune family.
²³Extensive stone ramparts were built and the coast was guarded, during the period of defense
against the Mongols, at and near Hakata, in north Kyushu. This was the first time that feudal
warriors from all her parts participated in the common defense of the country. (See No. 45.)
²⁴Yamato is further north than Togo.
²⁵Nan-go, of Hioki, westward of Kagoshima.
²⁶Kaseda, further south than Nan-go.
²⁷The original word is ki-fu. It should not be thought that the entire places were granted.
²⁸Ryo-sho, place of support; cf. No. 113, n. 2.
²⁹A peculiar expression, often used, is almost literally translated.
³⁰These and the following Buddhist offices, ranks, and priestly names, may contain errors.
³¹Note the family name Okura.
³²Zhiro Tomosada, Buddhist name Do-Nen, was of the Kokubun family. He took the imperial
side in the civil war in the early age of the rival courts, and died in battle in 1359. Here he is seen
to be a deputy governor of Satsuma, (cf. No. 22).