The Tomb of Ryuzoji Takanibu and the Battle of Okita Nawate
Ryuzoji Takanobu Five Ring Pagoda
views:61views
There is a park with a route for visiting the 88 temples on the grounds of Manmyoji Temple, where the "five-storied pagoda of Ryuzoji Takanobu" and the "Yakushi Nyorai statue" can be found. It is said to be the tomb of Ryuzoji Takanobu, a powerful daimyo (feudal lord) in the Sengoku period who was feared as the "Bear of Hizen" (present-day Saga Prefecture).
During the Sengoku period, the Ryuzoji clan in Saga, which was competing for power in northern Kyushu, engaged in battle at "Okita Nawate" in Shimabara with the allied forces of the Shimazu and Arima clans, who were vying for control of Kyushu. At that time, the Shimabara area was covered with vast wetlands and deep forests from the coast to the foot of the mountain.
The road leading to the present-day Shimabara Castle was also narrow at that time, and the "Okita Nawate" was a ridge that ran through the wetlands, serving as a vital transportation hub. The Shimazu and Arima armies blocked this ridge, strengthened their defenses, and laid an ambush, luring the outnumbered Ryuzoji army into the wetlands, and launched a surprise attack.
As a result, the Shimazu and Arima armies, who had the strategic advantage, won the battle, and Ryuzoji Takanobu was killed in action.