Benkei-zuka (弁慶塚), Goryō Jinja (御霊神社) & Batō Kannon (馬頭観音)

Benkei-zuka (弁慶塚)

First torii of Tsurumine Hachimangu

Behind an apartment building near the first torii of Tsurumine Hachimangu is a stone monument called Benkei-zuka (弁慶塚).  Benkei was a warrior monk who served under Minamoto no Yoshitsune and is well-known through the Noh play "Benkei on the Bridge (橋弁慶)."

According to Chigasaki City's website, the monument is linked to a legend involving Minamoto no Yoritomo.  In December 1198, after attending the opening ceremony of a bridge over the Sagami River built by his retainer Inage Shigenari, Minamoto no Yoritomo was returning home.  As he passed Tsurumine Hachimangu, the ghosts of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, Benkei, and other family members appeared*, startling his horse and causing him to fall.  He later died from this injury in January 1199.  An old record mentions a memorial tower once stood in this area, and Benkei-zuka was constructed by locals as a restoration of this memorial.

Goryo Jinja (御霊神社)

Nearby, in the Nango District, is a Shinto shrine called Goryo Jinja (御霊神社), which enshrines the soul of Minamoto no Yoshitsune.

Torii and sando of Goryo Jinja (taken on December 18, 2023)

Benkei-zuka

There is another Benkei-zuka, using the kasagi of an old stone torii, located behind the first torii of Tsurumine Hachimangu on the sidewalk.

Bato Kannon

Continuing along the sando toward Tsurumine Hachimangu, a statue of Bato Kannon (馬頭観音) can be found in a small park called Tsurumine Sando Rekishi Hiroba (鶴嶺参道歴史ひろば).  Bato Kannon statues are typically placed to honor and pray for the health of horses.  This particular statue, dated 1795, features a relatively calm expression, in contrast to the usually fierce depiction.  It is believed that it once had a horse’s head engraved on top, which has since chipped off.

* The sign placed behind Benkei-zuka explains that the ghosts were those of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, Minamoto no Yukiie, and their family members.