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| Benkei-zuka |
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| First torii of Tsurumine Hachimangu |
There is a stone monument called Benkei-zuka (弁慶塚) standing behind an apartment building near the first torii of Tsurumine Hachimangu. Benkei was a warrior monk serving under Minamoto no Yoshitsune and is one of the most famous historical figures in Japanese history, mainly due to the Noh play "Benkei on the Bridge."
Chigasaki City's website explains about a legend of Minamoto no Yoritomo's death. In December 1198, Minamoto no Yoritomo was heading home after attending the opening ceremony of a bridge constructed over Sagami River by Inage Shigenari, a samurai lord serving under Minamoto no Yoritomo. When he was passing by Tsurumine Hachimangu, ghosts of Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Benkei appeared* surprising his horse causing him to fall. He eventually died from this injury in January 1199. An old record states there used to be a memorial tower in the area. Benkei-zuka was built by the locals as a restoration of this memorial tower. There is a Shinto shrine called Goryo Jinja (御霊神社), standing south of the site, enshrining the soul of Minamoto no Yoshitsune.
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Goryo Jinja
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| Sando of Goryo Jinja (taken on Dec. 18, 2023) |
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| Benkei-zuka |
There is another stone monument using a
kasagi of an old stone torii, engraved "弁慶塚" (Benkei-zuka), standing on the sidewalk of the
sando of Tsurumine Hachimangu close by.
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| Bato Kannon |
Heading toward Tsurumine Hachimangu along the sando, there is a statue of
Bato Kannon (馬頭観音) in the front of a small park called
Tsurumine Sando Rekishi Hiroba (鶴嶺参道歴史ひろば). Statues of Bato Kannon are usually placed to repose the souls of horses and to pray for the horses' good health. The date engraved shows 1795. While most statues of Bato Kannon look angry, this one has a relatively calm expression. It is believed there used to be a head of a horse engraved on top of this Bato Kannon's head which chipped off.
* The sign placed behind Beikei-zuka explains the ghosts were of Minamoto no Yoshitsune,
Minamoto no Yukiie, and their family members.
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