Namiuchigiwa Gaiden Episode 16: The Legend of the Enoshima Dragon God

Upon arriving at the Enoshima caves, Tokimasa had his attendants wait at the entrance
and went inside alone.

With only a torch for light, it was truly dark.
At first, he could walk upright, but it gradually became narrower and the ceiling lower.

He moved forward slowly, hunched over.
The path split in two ahead. He hesitated, but went into the left one.

It became even narrower.
He stopped where it connected to a side hole,
placed his torch on the ground, and sat cross-legged.

It seemed like a slight breeze was coming from deep within.
It must connect to somewhere.

Rumor had it that it connected all the way to Mount Fuji.
But it was far too narrow to ever confirm that.

Perhaps his eyes had grown accustomed to the darkness, as he could vaguely see into the depths.

It looked as though a white snake had moved.
They say white snakes are messengers of the gods... but perhaps it was just his imagination...

It seems Kukai had visited this place long ago.

If one were to practice zazen in a place like this, they might even achieve enlightenment.

For a while, Tokimasa also tried meditating.

He didn't reach enlightenment, but he felt as though he heard a voice.

When he looked in that direction, there was a dragon.

As he pressed his hands together in prayer,

"You there, when did you arrive?"

"I don't recognize your face."

"Long ago, monks would often come and meditate before me."

That person, it seems, later became known as Kobo Daishi.

Ah, yes, someone came by just the other day, too.

They claimed to be the leader of the Minamoto clan.

They prayed for the overthrow of the Taira clan, saying they needed to avenge their ancestors.

"Overthrowing the Heike is not within my purview... so I declined that request."

"That man, the leader of the Genji, wore a troubled expression."

"As if he had changed his mind, he said this."

"I wish to make Kamakura the capital and help it flourish. So..."

"When you put it that way... I cannot refuse..."

"You. You aren't going to say something like overthrowing the Taira clan, are you?"

"Uh, ah, well..."

"I, I would like to ask for the prosperity of the Hojo family."

"Well... you are quite the individual."

"...And that... is a request I cannot refuse..."

"Very well. Your descendants shall become rulers of the realm."

"I shall grant that wish."

The dragon's form vanished.

Left behind were three dragon scales.

These are the mitsu-uroko, the family crest of the Hojo clan.

Thereafter, Minamoto no Yoritomo became the Seii Taishogun.

The Kamakura Shogunate was established, and the Taira clan was destroyed.

The first regent of the Hojo clan, which would later monopolize the regency of the Kamakura Shogunate,

is this Hojo Tokimasa.

Kamakura became the capital of the samurai,

It certainly... has developed.

Thank you for featuring this in the magazine.

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