Prayer beads - Nezugaseki

An ancient checkpoint. It is located in Nezugaseki, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture. Along with Shirakawa and Nakoso, it is one of the three checkpoints in the Oshu region that were established as part of measures against the Emishi. There is a theory that Tsukisara-no-ki, which is mentioned in the entry for July, 658, in the 4th year of the reign of Emperor Saimei in the Nihon Shoki, is similar to Nenju-no-Seki, but there is no basis for this. It was originally established on the border between Uetsu and Etsu, but it is said to have been moved several times. During the Edo period, the official residence of the time remains at Terasakashita, the northern end of the Nezugaseki area where the monument now stands. In 1189 (Bun'ei 5), when Minamoto no Yoritomo invaded Oshu, the Azuma Kagami records that the generals of Hiki and Usami entered Nenshu-no-Seki from Echigo. It is also known that during the Boshin War (1868), soldiers from the Shonai domain (Sakai clan) held this barrier and supported the Imperial forces for several months.

[Hiromichi Mayuzumi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

古代の関所。現在の山形県鶴岡(つるおか)市鼠ヶ関(ねずがせき)にある。白河・勿来(なこそ)の両関とともに蝦夷(えぞ)対策の一環として設けられた奥羽三関の一つ。『日本書紀』斉明(さいめい)天皇4年（658）7月条の都岐沙羅柵(つきさらのき)を念珠関に擬する説があるが根拠はない。元来羽越(うえつ)国境に設けられた関門であるが、これまでに数回移転したともいわれる。江戸時代には、現在記念碑の建っている鼠ヶ関地区の北端の寺坂下にあって、当時の役宅が残っている。1189年（文治5）源頼朝(よりとも)の奥州征伐のとき、比企(ひき)、宇佐美(うさみ)の諸将が越後(えちご)から念種関に入ったことが『吾妻鏡(あづまかがみ)』にみえる。戊辰(ぼしん)戦争（1868）に際して庄内(しょうない)藩（酒井氏）兵がこの関を扼(やく)して官軍を支えること数月に及んだことも知られている。

［黛　弘道］

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