[Yoshino (② Nyoirinji Temple and the Rise and Fall of the Southern Court)] (Yoshino Town, Nara Prefecture, Former Province Name: Yamato)

＜The ruins of the Southern Court, which marked a firm era in Japanese history; the mountain ridges are adorned with myriad thoughts＞ Yoshino was born as a place of Shugendo faith, with Kinpusenji Temple, founded by En no Ozuno (around the 7th century). Its influence grew as practitioners from all over the country gathered along the ridge in search of the spiritual power of nature symbolized by Zao Gongen, and it became a major base with 36 monasteries and many warrior monks. Originally, Yoshino was considered a strategic point, as it was easy to connect with powerful religious forces such as Kumano and Mount Koya, and could be launched into the plains of Yamato Province (present-day Nara Prefecture) in one go. At the end of the Kamakura period, when Emperor Go-Daigo (1288-1339) raised an army to overthrow the shogunate, his son, Prince Moriyoshi (1308-1335), took up refuge in Yoshino. The prince entered various Tendai temples, including Mount Hiei, from a young age, and at the age of 20, he became the head priest of the Tendai sect, strengthening his ties with religious forces. At the same time, the prince, who was well versed in all aspects of martial arts, practiced military tactics day and night and wielded his sword and spear, showing his vigorous determination to carve out a new era, even as he fought in battles all over Yamato, including at Hannya-ji Temple and Totsukawa, and continued to issue rousing calls to overthrow the shogunate even after his father, the emperor, was temporarily exiled. Thanks to this, even after Yoshino was defeated by the Shogunate forces, the shogunate was finally overthrown with the help of the warrior monks and samurai who had gathered in the various forts in the mountains. As a result of this, the prince was later charged with treason and overthrown, and Ashikaga Takauji (1305-1358) supported Emperor Kogon (1313-1364), leading to the conflict between the Northern and Southern Courts. Emperor Go-Daigo then went to Yoshino and established the so-called "Southern Court." He built a temporary palace in the back of Kinpusen-ji Temple, held court councils with the nobles who had fled the capital with him, and issued imperial edicts frequently in an attempt to regain power. However, the emperor died without achieving his wish, and in 1348 Yoshino was burned down by the army of Takano Moronao (?-1351), a brave general of the Northern Court, and Emperor Go-Murakami (1328-1368) and his allies fled westward. After moving the Imperial Court to Kanao (present-day Nishiyoshino-cho, Gojo City, Nara Prefecture), they continued to tenaciously maintain their power by exploiting the gaps in the internal strife within the Northern Court. The Southern Court's emperors were in Yoshino for only about 20 years throughout the Northern and Southern Court period, but their presence was noteworthy in the long history of Japan, and many vestiges of their existence remain in Yoshino today. In particular, the middle of the mountain where Kinpusen-ji Temple is located is dotted with former Southern Court sites. Nyoirin-ji Temple, adjacent to the tomb of Emperor Go-Daigo, is a famous temple designated as an imperial-prayer temple of the Southern Court, and is also famous for its connection to Kusunoki Masatsura (?-1348). Masatsura was the eldest son of the famous general Kusunoki Masashige (1294?-1336), and led the Kusunoki clan after his father's death in battle. Despite his young age, he showed his father's talent for military strategy, defeating veteran warlords of the Northern Court in succession and standing alone in the Southern Court, which was in decline. However, after a fierce battle against a large army led by Moronao at Shijonawate in Kawachi Province (present-day central Osaka Prefecture) in 1348, he met a heroic end. Considering the fact that Yoshino fell immediately after this defeat, it is not surprising that Masayuki's existence and military fame are seen as symbolizing the rise and fall of the Southern Court. For this reason, Masayuki's life is portrayed as a tragic hero in literature such as the Taiheiki and in popular legends. At Nyoirin-ji Temple, there remains a gate on which Masayuki, who was prepared to die before marching into Kawachi Province, carved the names of his family and retainers and his death poem with an arrowhead. There is also an episode about Ben no Naishi, who was Masayuki's lover. Masayuki rescued the Naishi when she was kidnapped and taken to Kyoto by Moronao, who had his eye on her beauty, and the two became romantically involved, but Masayuki, determined to die, broke off the marriage to the Naishi himself. However, after Masayuki's death, the grief-stricken Naishi shaved her head at Nyoirin-ji Temple, left Yoshino in secret, and is said to have devoted her life to praying for Masayuki's soul. Of course, it is likely that these legends have been embellished to a great extent by later generations. However, it is also true that people like the nameless Masayuki and the court lady actually existed in Yoshino, and even after the Southern Court was gone, there were countless lives in which their tragedies and significance were considered and remembered in the long history of Japan. Their sobs echoed through the mountains and valleys, and eventually those sounds would create one of Japan's leading "soils for literature" in Yoshino. Recommended for solo travelers: ★★★★ (There are people, but not many. You can sightsee quietly!) Visit date: 5th week of April, public holiday, around 3pm Access: About 35 minutes on foot from Kintetsu Yoshino Station (to Nyoirinji Temple) #Yoshino #Nyoirinji Temple #Mount Yoshino #Nara #Nara Prefecture #Nara Trip #Nara Sightseeing #I'm a Nara School #Delicious and Beautiful Nara #Back to Nara now #Nara is beautiful #Yoshino Town #Domestic Travel #Domestic Travel Lover #Temple Tour #Temple Lover #Temples and Shrines #Temple and Shrine Tour #En no Gyozuno #Shugendo #Buddha Statue Lover #Buddha Statue Tour #Ancient Temple Pilgrimage #Nanboku-cho Period #Southern Court #Kusunoki Masashige