[82] お羽織の由来 ORIGIN OF THE BATTLE SURCOAT

　１１月２０日、私は大学時代の友人と静岡県の宇津の谷に行き、お羽織屋で豊臣秀吉の陣羽織を見ました。以下は、パンフレットに書いてある「お羽織の由来」を翻訳したものです。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　お羽織の由来

　　東海道　宇津の谷
　　お羽織屋　石川家 (静岡市駿河区宇津ノ谷１７１　石川晴道)

　天正１８年（１５９０年）３月、小田原の北条氏征伐のため、東海道を下った豊臣秀吉は、この地にさしかかり、石川家の軒下につるしてあった馬の沓に目をとめて、使い古した自分の沓と取り換えようとしました。
　ところが、主人は三脚分しか差し出さなかったので、「馬の脚は、四本なのにどういうわけか」と尋ねました。「申し上げます。差し上げた三脚分の馬の沓は、道中安全をお祈り申し上げたものでございます。残る一脚分でお戦のご勝利を祈るつもりでございます」
　「さようか、お前の名は何と申す」
　「忠左ェ衛門と申します」
　「ほほう、忠義の忠左ェ衛門か、シテあれなる山は」
　「アレは勝山、その大木は、勝の木と申します」
　「ナニ、勝山に勝の木か、めでたい、めでたい。戦には必ず勝って帰るぞ」ときげんよく出発しました。
　その年の夏、小田原征伐が終わって帰途、再び、石川家に小憩しましたが、あれから半年間、忠左ェ衛門は、地蔵菩薩に、毎日一つづつ馬の沓を捧げて、秀吉公の戦の勝利を祈りました。
　その話を聞いた秀吉は、忠左ェ衛門を見て、「そちの祈願の甲斐あって戦に勝ったぞ、約束の馬の沓は持ち帰るぞ、褒美の品をなんなりと申してみよ」
　光栄に感激した忠左ェ衛門は、ことばもなく頭を下げていると、秀吉は、つかつかと縁先に来て、着用の陣羽織を脱いで忠左ェ衛門に与えました。
　そしてなおも、「なんなりと望みを申せ」と重ねての言葉に、「恐れながら、このあたりは人家が少なく、里人の数も少なうございますので、道中ご用をいたしますのに手廻りかねます。太閤様のご慈悲によって、この儀をご免じ頂きとうございます」
　「そうか、そち一人のためを思わず、村人の難儀を救おうというのは、よい心掛けだ。以後、諸役を勤めることを免じてやろう」と上機嫌で、茶湯にのどをうるおして出発しました。
　のちに徳川家康が、この陣羽織を見て、記念に茶碗を贈ったほか、諸大名やその家来たちも拝観に訪れるものが多く、当家にその芳名録が残されています。

（余談：石川屋の主人は｢四｣が｢死｣を意味するので縁起が悪いので機転を利かし、豊臣秀吉も鋭敏にそれを察知したからだそうです。）

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　　I went to Utsunoya, Shizuoka Prefecture, with my friends from my university days on November 20, and saw Hideyoshi Toyotomi's battle surcoat at Ohaori-ya House. The following is my translation of a pamphlet explaining the origin of the surcoat.

　
　　　　　　　ORIGIN OF THE BATTLE SURCOAT

　　Utsunoya, Tokaido, Ohaori-ya, the Ishikawas
　　Harumichi Ishikawa
　　171 Utsunoya, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka City, Japan
　　Phone: 054-258-1488

　　Hideyoshi Toyotomi, the most powerful daimyo in 16th-century Japan, was advancing to Odawara in Kanagawa Prefecture in March 1590. He was leading his army to eliminate the Hōjō clan as a threat to his power. When he was passing Utsuno-tani in Shizuoka Prefecture, he happened to see straw horse-shoes hung under the eaves of the house of the Ishikawas. He found that his horse’s shoes had worn out, and so he stopped and asked Ishikawa for new ones.
　　Ishikawa offered him only three shoes.*
　　Hideyoshi said, “Why do you offer me only three shoes. You know a horse has four legs?”
　　“Let me explain,” Ishikawa answered. “I pray for your safe journey with the three shoes, and your victory with the fourth one.”
　　“I see. What’s your name?” Hideyoshi said.
　　“My name is Chu-zaemon (Faith-zaemon).”
　　“So, you are a faithful man like your name. By the way, what’s the name of that mountain?”
　　“It’s Kachi-Yama (Victory Mountain), and that big tree is Kachi-ki (Victory Tree).”
　　“Kachi-Yama and Kachi-ki? What auspicious names! I’m sure I’ll return victoriously,” Hideyoshi said, and went on his journey with triumphant feelings.
　　After conquering the Hojo clan that summer, Hideyoshi took a rest at Ishikawa’s house on his way back. Chuzaemon had prayed for Hideyoshi’s victory by offering a Jizo guardian diety a horse shoe each day.
　　When Hideyoshi learned of his faithful deeds, he said, “Thanks to your dedicated prayer, I am victorious. Let me have the promised fourth shoe, and I’ll give you anything you want as a reward.”
　　Chuzaemon kept bowing his head down without words feeling great honor. Hideyoshi approached the porch, took off his battle surcoat, and gave it to him saying, “Feel free to tell me anything you want.”
　　Encouraged by Hideyoshi’s repeated words, Chuzaemon said, “Let me humbly say this: because our village is small and straggling, it’s difficult for us to comply with the duty to provide horses and porters for official travelers. So, great Lord, I ask of you to be merciful and exempt us from it.”
　　“You say you want to spare the villagers the duty?” Hideyoshi said. “What an admirable man you are to think about the villagers first, and not about yourself! All right, I’ll grant your request. This village shall be exempt from the duty hereafter.”
　　He drank a cup of tea, and departed in the best of spirits.
　　Later, Ieyasu Tokugawa, the first shogun who ruled Japan, visited Ishikawa to appreciate the surcoat and presented him with a tea ceremony bowl as a memorial. A number of notable daimyos and their subjects also visited Ishikawa to view it.
　　The list of the visitors’ names is kept here in our house of the Ishikawas.

(* Chuzaemon avoided using the word “four,” because the Japanese word for “four” is “shi,” which means “death.” Some say that Hideyoshi, a wise man, understood his intention.)