Shitodo-no-iwaya Hidden Cave (in Yugawara)
The government of Kanagawa Prefecture has designated Shitodo-no-iwaya Hidden Cave a historical landmark and cultural property, given the name Doisugiyama Gankutsu.
The Shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo hid in this cave following his defeat at the hands of the Heike clan at the Battle of Ishibas hiyama in 1180.
After fleeing to the head priest of Hakone Gongen shrine, it is said that Yoritomo fled from Shitodo no iwaya, in the town of Manazuru, to Awa Province.
The name Shitodo-no-iwaya Hidden Cave is thought to have originated from a bird called a shitoto. Apparently, this bird suddenly flew from the cave when Yoritomo’s pursuers approached the entrance. Thinking that the bird indica ted the cave was empty, they decided against searching the cave and thus the Shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo survived.
The area around Shitodo-no-iwaya Hidden Cave consists of lava from volcanic Mt. Hakone’s outer rim and pyroclastic deposits (rocks, sand, and other material ejected in an eruption). The cave occurs within solidified pyroclastic materia.
Minamoto no Yoritomo and Doi Sanehira
After a big defeat at Ishibashiyama battle, Minamoto no Yoritomo has escaped to mountain with only 7 servants. They fended off from enemy by hiding in cave or grotto of big tree, with guidance by Doi Sanehira and his son Doi Tohira, whose territory was around Yugawara.
Doi Sanehira, came from Nakamura Family which was local ruling family of Sagami-no-kuni (the current Kanagawa prefecture), is a famous samurai active from the late Heian-era to early Kamakura-era.
With home ground in Doi-sato (the current Yugawara-machi), it is said that Sanehira’s house was around JR Yugawara station and Jogan-ji Temple. Then, Yoritomo went to Awa-no-kuni (the current Chiba prefecture) with small ship arranged by Sanehira for attempting comeback. Then October 7th, 45 days after the defeat, Yoritomo went to Kamakura controlling a large force.
Now statues of Doi Sanehira and his wife are placed at rotary in front of Yugawara Station.
Yoritomo shichiki of a master and servant
“Yoritomo shichiki of a master and servant” is 7 people, as a master Minamoto no Yoritomo, servants Doi-jiro-Sanehira, Okazaki-shiro-Yoshizane, Adachi-tokuro-Morinaga, Tashiro-kanja-Nobutsuna, Tsuchiya-saburou-Muneto and Shinkai-jiro-Tadauji.
Statues of these 7 were placed in Jogan-ji Temple, family temple of Doi Sanehira.
Tohira, an elder son of Doi Sanehira, is not included in this 7 people (shichiki) because he went to see Hojo Masako, a wife of Minamoto-no-Yoritomo, to inform his safety and did not go to Awa-no-kuni (the current Chiba prefecture).
