“Eight princes in one.” That’s what the kami god Myōkō heard atop Mt. Fukazawa. Today, we stand before Hachioji Shrine. It is a place rich with history and legend.
Hachioji Shrine’s story begins in 913. A Buddhist priest named Myōkō journeyed from Kyoto. He sought solitude atop Mt. Fukazawa. After days of meditation, a vision appeared.
Winds howled. Thunder cracked. Strange apparitions materialized. Undeterred, Myōkō continued his practice. Then a giant snake appeared. He tapped it with his staff. It vanished. Dawn broke. A god appeared flanked by eight boys. The god declared himself Myōkō’s guardian deity. He was Hachioji, the Eight Princes, attendant to Gozu Tennō.
Moved, Myōkō founded eight shrines on eight mountain peaks. He also established Gozu-san Shingo-ji temple. Hachioji Shrine marks the spot of Myōkō’s vision. Locals renamed Mt. Fukazawa to Mt. Hachioji. The shrine’s connection to Kyoto’s Gion Shrine added prestige.
The name Hachioji appeared in records by 1569. Hōjō Ujiyasu documented it in a letter. He was a warlord constantly expanding his territory. Ujiyasu also conducted land surveys.
In the 1580s, Hōjō Ujiteru built Hachioji Castle. The castle took its name from the village. Ujiteru made Shingo-ji his family temple. The Hōjō clan refused to submit to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi was the imperial regent in Kyoto. This refusal led to tragedy.
In 1590, Maeda Toshiie and Uesugi Kagekatsu attacked Hachioji Castle. They acted under Hideyoshi’s orders. Ujiteru was away at Odawara Castle. The defense fell to women, children, and retainers. The castle was lost quickly. A brutal slaughter ensued.
Ujiteru’s wife led a final act of defiance. At a waterfall, women killed their children. They then committed suicide. Samurai assisted with mercy killings. They followed with seppuku. The creek ran red for days. Rice paddies downstream were stained.
Weeks later, Odawara Castle fell. Hōjō Ujiteru and his brother Ujimasa committed seppuku. Tokugawa Ieyasu gained control of the Kantō region. Hachioji Castle was abandoned. The forests reclaimed it.
Shingo-ji temple reinvented itself as Sōkan-ji. It became the Hōjō family gravesite. Locals began calling Mt. Fukazawa, Shiroyama, or Old Castle Mountain.
Legends say Shiroyama is haunted. People claim to hear samurai battles in the mist. They hear the cries of noblewomen and the neighing of warhorses. Some families serve akameshi. The red beans stain the rice. This symbolized the bloodshed.
Deforestation during World War II exposed the mountain. Post-war reforestation brought Japanese Cypress trees. Excavation and restoration began in 1951. Stone walls and pottery shards were unearthed. These finds hinted at Ujiteru’s sophistication. Some scholars believe Oda Nobunaga influenced the castle’s design.
In 1973, locals started a memorial service. It honored those who died in the castle’s fall. The service took place at the Mutsu-ji no Myōdō-tō. This marked a rebirth of interest in Hachioji Castle. In 2006, it was named one of Japan’s 100 Famous Castles.
Today, Hachioji Castle is a hiking spot. It features a small museum. The reconstructed stone walls show Ujiteru’s residence.
Hachioji Shrine and its surrounding area offer a glimpse into Japan’s complex past. It’s a story of faith, war, and remembrance. A story whispered on the wind. A story embedded in the stones beneath our feet. Remember the eight princes as you reflect on this sacred ground.