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Jakushido Hall and the Hiki Clan Revolt: Wakasa no Tsubone's Vengeful Spirit and the Memory of Hojo Violence
Jakushido Hall, the guardian shrine of Myohonji Temple in Kamakura, enshrines the spirit of Wakasa no Tsubone, who drowned herself during the Hiki Clan Revolt of 1203. This article examines the revolt led by Hojo Yoshitoki, the legend of the vengeful serpent spirit, and Nichiren's role in its pacification.
武
Author
Taketoki
| Samurai History
Contents
MOKUJI
1
The Political Structure of the Hiki Clan Revolt (1203)
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2
The Legend of the Serpent Spirit
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3
Jakushido Hall Today
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4
Related Spots to Visit
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5
Frequently Asked Questions
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The main gate of Myohonji Temple at the entrance to Hikigayatsu valley
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
Deep in the valley of Hikigayatsu within Kamakura’s Myohonji Temple grounds stands the small shrine of Jakushido Hall. Its deity is Jakushi Myojin — the pacified spirit of Wakasa no Tsubone, a consort of the second shogun Yoriie who drowned herself in a well when Hojo forces stormed the Hiki compound in Kenin 3 (1203). Nearly half a century later, her spirit reportedly took serpent form and possessed the daughter of Hojo Muramasa, before being pacified by Nichiren’s Lotus Sutra recitations.
The Political Structure of the Hiki Clan Revolt (1203)
After Yoritomo’s death, the second shogun Yoriie took a daughter of Hiki Yoshikazu as consort, producing a son, Ichiman. This made the Hiki clan maternal relatives of the heir apparent, placing them in direct competition with the Hojo. When Yoriie fell gravely ill in the summer of 1203, Hojo Tokimasa sought to install Yoriie’s brother (later Sanetomo) as shogun; Hiki Yoshikazu pressed for Ichiman’s succession.
Hojo Yoshitoki, who commanded the forces that stormed the Hiki compound in 1203
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
According to the Azuma Kagami, on the second day of the ninth month of 1203, Tokimasa lured Hiki Yoshikazu to his residence and had him killed. Immediately after, forces under Hojo Yoshitoki surrounded and attacked the Hiki compound at Hikigayatsu. Buildings were set alight; most Hiki members died by suicide or in combat. Wakasa no Tsubone threw herself into the “Jakagata Well.” Yoshitoki commanded the assault and this event marks a milestone in his political ascent among the Thirteen Lords.
Hojo Masako, one of the central figures in the Hojo power consolidation that lay behind the Hiki Clan Revolt
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
The Legend of the Serpent Spirit
Some fifty years later, during the Kencho era (1249–1256), the daughter of Hojo Muramasa (fifth son of Hojo Yoshitoki) reportedly fell ill with symptoms attributed to the serpent-form spirit of Wakasa no Tsubone. This tradition is recorded in Hiki genealogies and Myohonji temple records. Nichiren, then in Kamakura, performed sutra recitations; the spirit was pacified and enshrined as Jakushi Myojin. Myohonji was founded by a Hiki descendant, which deepens the religious context.
The literal possession claim cannot be confirmed by primary sources. What matters historically is the cultural function: this tradition kept alive the memory of the violence Yoshitoki inflicted at Hikigayatsu — a memory the Azuma Kagami would have preferred to minimize. That the curse struck a descendant of Yoshitoki reflects how medieval people read causation and moral consequence into political violence.
Minamoto no Yoriie, the second shogun whose illness directly triggered the Hiki Clan Revolt
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
Jakushido Hall Today
The current hall was rebuilt in 1925 and stands beside the small Jakushi Pond — remnant of the well — amid dense foliage at the rear of the Myohonji compound. Unlike Kamakura’s more commercialized sites, Jakushido preserves a quiet atmosphere appropriate to its subject.
Nichiren, who reportedly pacified the vengeful spirit of Wakasa no Tsubone through Lotus Sutra recitation and enshrined her as Jakushi Myojin
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
Related Spots to Visit
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Jakushido Hall (Myohonji Temple) (Kamakura) — Shrine enshrining Wakasa no Tsubone’s spirit
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Tsurugaoka Hachimangu (Kamakura) — Spiritual center of the shogunate in Yoriie’s era
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Raigeiji Temple (Nishimikado) (Kamakura) — Temple preserving Kamakura warrior culture
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Anyoin Temple (Kamakura) — Nunnery associated with Hojo Masako
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Ganjojuin Temple (Izu no Kuni) — Prayer temple built by Hojo Tokimasa
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly did Hojo Yoshitoki do in the Hiki Clan Revolt?
After his father Tokimasa had Hiki Yoshikazu killed, Yoshitoki commanded the forces that surrounded and attacked the Hiki compound at Hikigayatsu. He was the field commander responsible for the destruction of the Hiki clan.
Who was Wakasa no Tsubone?
A consort of the second shogun Yoriie, identified as a daughter of Hiki Yoshikazu. Her son Ichiman was one reason the Hiki clan competed with the Hojo for shogunal succession. She drowned herself in the well at Hikigayatsu during the 1203 attack.
Why was Nichiren involved in the pacification?
Myohonji was founded by a Hiki descendant closely connected to Nichiren. His belief in the pacifying power of the Lotus Sutra made him the natural choice for the ritual.
When was the current hall built?
The current hall dates from a 1925 rebuilding. It stands beside the Jakushi Pond within the Myohonji compound.
Last updated: May 22, 2026
── END ──
武
Author
Taketoki（たけとき）
Samurai History
Toku editorial team — samurai history. Insists on primary sources and castle-layout diagrams, walking battlefields from Yoritomo's Izu exile sites to the late-Edo battlegrounds.
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