Minamoto no Michichika
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was a Japanese noble and statesman of the late
Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. ...
and early
Kamakura period The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle bet ...
. Serving in the courts of seven different emperors, he brought the
Murakami Genji was one of the surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were excluded from the line of succession and demoted into the ranks of the nobility from 1192 to 1333. The practice was most prevalent during the ...
to the peak of their success. He is also commonly known as , and in
Sōtō Sōtō Zen or is the largest of the three traditional sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism (the others being Rinzai and Ōbaku). It is the Japanese line of the Chinese Cáodòng school, which was founded during the Tang dynasty by Dòngshān L ...
Zen buddhism as .


Life


Aide to Emperor Takakura

Born the heir of the
Murakami Genji was one of the surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were excluded from the line of succession and demoted into the ranks of the nobility from 1192 to 1333. The practice was most prevalent during the ...
branch of the
Minamoto clan was one of the surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were excluded from the line of succession and demoted into the ranks of the nobility from 1192 to 1333. The practice was most prevalent during the ...
in 1149, and in 1158 was granted the , via the Minamoto family head's prerogative to thus promote one individual each year. The Murakami Genji had previously enjoyed prosperity as the maternal relatives of
Emperor Horikawa was the 73rd emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 堀河天皇 (73)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Horikawa's reign spanned the years from 1087 through 1107. Biography Before his ascension to the ...
, but after this were pushed back by descendants of
Fujiwara no Kinsue Fujiwara no Kinsue (藤原 公季; 957–1029), also known as ''Kaikō'', was a Japanese statesman, courtier and politician during the Heian period.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Tokihira" in ; Brinkley, Frank ''et al.'' (1915) ...
's branch of the
Fujiwara clan was a powerful family of imperial regents in Japan, descending from the Nakatomi clan and, as legend held, through them their ancestral god Ame-no-Koyane. The Fujiwara prospered since the ancient times and dominated the imperial court until th ...
, the . Michichika's father Masamichi served Bitokumon-in during
Emperor Toba was the 74th Emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 鳥羽天皇 (74)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Toba's reign spanned the years from 1107 through 1123. Genealogy Before his ascension to the Chr ...
's cloistered rule, but changed his role under the cloistered rule of
Emperor Go-Shirakawa was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His de jure reign spanned the years from 1155 through 1158, though arguably he effectively maintained imperial power for almost thirty-seven years through the ''ins ...
. In 1168, when Go-Shirakawa's wife became '' kōtaigō'', Masamichi became . Michichika was permitted entry into the court along with
Emperor Takakura was the 80th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1168 through 1180. Genealogy Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (his ''imina'') was Norihito''-shi ...
's ascension in the same year, serving as a close aid to the young emperor. Michichika's first wife was a daughter of the ''
daijō-daijin The was the head of the ''Daijō-kan'' (Great Council of State) during and after the Nara period and briefly under the Meiji Constitution. Equivalent to the Chinese (Grand Preceptor). History Emperor Tenji's favorite son, Prince Ōtomo, wa ...
'' , but he soon took a daughter of
Taira The Taira was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura and Muromachi Periods of Japanese history – the others being the Fujiwara, the Tachibana, and the Minamoto. The clan is divided i ...
no Norimori or Michimori as his second wife, strengthening his ties with that powerful clan. In 1179, Michichika became head of the
Kurōdo-dokoro The , also read as Kurando-dokoro and often translated as the ''Chamberlain's office'', was an organ of the imperial Japanese government established in 810 by Emperor Saga. It was set up outside of the statutory government structure described in the ...
, and in 1180 he was promoted both to '' sangi'', thus joining the ranks of the ''
kugyō is the collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre- Meiji eras. The term generally referred to the and court officials and denoted a court rank between First Rank and Third Rank un ...
'', and to . After
Taira no Kiyomori was a military leader and ''kugyō'' of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in the history of Japan. Early life Kiyomori was born in Heian-kyō, Japan, in 1118 as the first so ...
's coup d'etat in late 1179, Emperor Takakura reluctantly abdicated the throne to begin his own cloistered rule, and Michichika supported his inexperienced efforts as head of his cloistered government. Michichika joined the imperial outing to
Itsukushima is an island in the western part of the Inland Sea of Japan, located in the northwest of Hiroshima Bay. It is popularly known as , which in Japanese means "Shrine Island". The island is one of Hayashi Gahō's Three Views of Japan specified in ...
and relocation of the capital to Fukuhara-kyō in the first half of the year, but as the country fell into upheaval after the first battle of Uji, he returned to
Heian-kyō Heian-kyō was one of several former names for the city now known as Kyoto. It was the official capital of Japan for over one thousand years, from 794 to 1868 with an interruption in 1180. Emperor Kanmu established it as the capital in 794, mov ...
in the autumn. The retired emperor Takakura's physical condition worsened and he fell ill. Michichika composed a poem praying for his recovery, but in 1181, Takakura died at 21 years old. As a close attendant of the dead sovereign, Michichika was bestowed an undyed white mourning dress. Lamenting the death of his longtime master, he recorded his plaintive feelings in the .


Genpei War

Shortly thereafter Taira no Kiyomori died and Go-Shirakawa reopened his cloistered rule, and the center of power continued to change at a dizzying pace. Meanwhile, Michichika avoided relying on the patronage of any particular power, but participated passionately in debates at Go-Shirakawa's palace and worked diligently at the business of government, increasing his presence in the court. When the Taira clan fled the capital in 1183, he went visited Go-Shirakawa in order to bid them farewell. When
Emperor Go-Toba was the 82nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1183 through 1198. This 12th-century sovereign was named after Emperor Toba, and ''go-'' (後), translates literally as "later"; an ...
took the throne in the next month, the Imperial Regalia were in the possession of the Taira. Michichika raised the examples of
Emperor Guangwu of Han Emperor Guangwu of Han (; 15 January 5 BC – 29 March AD 57), born Liu Xiu (), courtesy name Wenshu (), was a Chinese monarch. He served as an emperor of the Han dynasty by restoring the dynasty in AD 25, thus founding the Eastern Han (Later ...
and
Emperor Yuan of Jin Emperor Yuan of Jin (; 276 – 3 January 323), personal name Sima Rui (司馬睿), courtesy name Jingwen (景文), was an emperor of the Jin dynasty and the first emperor of the Eastern Jin. His reign saw the steady gradual loss of Jin territor ...
, who obtained their imperial seals only after assuming the throne, in order to help Go-Toba ascend smoothly. He was present at Hōjūjidono during the
Siege of Hōjūjidono The siege of Hōjūjidono (法住寺合戦, ''Hōjūji kassen'') was a siege that took place in Kyoto, Japan in 1184. It was part of the Genpei War and a key element of the conflict between Minamoto no Yoshinaka and his cousins Yoritomo and ...
that autumn. Michichika's loyalty was recognized, and in spring of 1185 he was promoted to provisional ''
chūnagon was a counselor of the second rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century. The role was eliminated from the Imperial hierarchy in 701, but it was re-established in 705. This advisory position remained a part of the I ...
'', and that winter was appointed as one of ten ministers appointed to oversee the court, called . He was granted
Inaba Province was an old province of Japan in the area that is today the eastern part of Tottori Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Inaba bordered on Harima, Hōki, Mimasaka, and Tajima Provinces. The ancient capital, and the castle town, were at Tott ...
as a fief and recommended his second son as its
governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
. He married Emperor Go-Toba's wetnurse, , and adopted her daughter . As Michichika headed the event teams for
Kujō Kanezane , also known as , is the founder of the Kujō family (at the encouragement of Minamoto no Yoritomo), although some sources cite Fujiwara no Morosuke (908-960) as its founder. Kanezane organised the compilation of the Kitano Tenjin Engi, the histo ...
's proclamations as ''
nairan In the ancient Japanese government, was the inspection of documents submitted to the '' tennō'' (emperor), or the position held by those who performed the inspection. The ''tennō'' usually gave a to the regent (either a '' sesshō or kampak ...
'' and head of the '' sekkan''
Fujiwara clan was a powerful family of imperial regents in Japan, descending from the Nakatomi clan and, as legend held, through them their ancestral god Ame-no-Koyane. The Fujiwara prospered since the ancient times and dominated the imperial court until th ...
, and Kanezane praised Michichika's hard work in turn, the relationship between the two appears to have been healthy at the time. Under Kanezane's conservative administration, though, Michichika's promotion stalled. In 1188, Michichika protested against the promotion of Kanezane's younger and less experienced son
Kujō Yoshitsune , also known as Fujiwara no Yoshitsune, son of regent Kujō Kanezane and a daughter of Fujiwara no Sueyuki, was a '' kugyō'' or Japanese court noble from the late Heian period to the early Kamakura period. He held a regent position Sesshō from ...
over him to the , requesting that he too be promoted. Kanezane criticized Michichika harshly, calling him ungrateful for his promotion to the previous year, and in this no different from a bird or animal. After this, their relationship soured, and Michichika began to look for an opportunity to take Kanezane down.


Guardian to Senyōmon-in

In late 1189, Michichika invited Go-Shirakawa to the Koga estate and presented him with various gifts. A month and a half later, Go-Shirakawa's youngest daughter was proclaimed an imperial princess, and Michichika was appointed as her guardian, strengthening his relationship with her birth mother . In 1191, Princess Kinshi was bestowed the Buddhist name of , and Michichika became the steward of her household, appointing his sons Michitomo and Michimune to positions within it. When Go-Shirakawa died in 1192, it was Senyōmon-in who inherited his largest territory , and as Michichika was its effective manager, he brought the courtiers in control of it into his jurisdiction, forming a strong political foothold for himself. When
Minamoto no Yoritomo was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan, ruling from 1192 until 1199.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Minamoto no Yoriie" in . He was the husband of Hōjō Masako who acted as regent (''shikken'') after his ...
entered the capital in 1190, Michichika remembered to curry favor with him by acting as event manager for his appointment to , but also planned to strengthen his relationship with Yoritomo's confidant
Ōe no Hiromoto Ōe no Hiromoto (, 1148–1225) was a Japanese '' kuge'' (court noble) and vassal of the Kamakura shogunate, and contributed to establishing the shogunate's governmental structure. Life A great-grandson of the famous scholar Ōe no Masaf ...
. In 1191, he broke with tradition by appointing Hiromoto as a in the ''
Daigaku-ryō was the former Imperial university of Japan, founded at the end of the 7th century.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Daigaku-ryō''" in . The Daigaku-ryō predates the Heian period, continuing in various forms through the early Meiji period. ...
'' and . After Go-Shirakawa's death, Kujō Kanezane controlled the court through the young Emperor Go-Toba, but his strict adherence to tradition and stress on lineage in personnel affairs fostered opposition amongst the middle and lower ranking nobles, and he gradually lost popularity in the court. Michichika won over the noble families of
Fujiwara no Akisue was a noted Japanese poet and nobleman. He was active at the end of the Heian period, and the son of Fujiwara no Takatsune (藤原 隆経). He was also a member of the famous poetic and aristocratic clan, the Fujiwara. Akisue was close to Empe ...
and the branch of the Fujiwara, who Kanezane had treated coldly, as allies. Meanwhile, he used Takashina no Eishi as an intermediary to alienate Yoritomo, who wanted to marry his daughter Ō-hime to the Emperor, from Kanezane, who had already married his own daughter
Kujō Ninshi , also known as was Empress consort of Japan. She was the consort of Emperor Go-Toba. She was the daughter of regent Kujō Kanezane. Upon the death of her mother in 1201, she undertook the Buddhist precepts under the monk Hōnen was the ...
to said emperor. In 1195, Michichika was promoted to ''
dainagon was a counselor of the first rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century. This advisory position remained a part of the Imperial court from the 8th century until the Meiji period in the 19th century.Nussbaum, "Dainag ...
'', and when his adopted daughter Zaishi bore the Emperor a prince, the future
Emperor Tsuchimikado was the 83rd emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 土御門天皇 (83)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan,'' pp. 86–87. Tsuchimikado's reig ...
, his position in the court suddenly solidified. In 1196, he made Kujō Ninshi leave the palace and overthrew Kanezane, replacing him with
Konoe Motomichi was a ''Kugyō'' (high-ranking Japanese official) from the late Heian period to the early Kamakura period. His father was Motozane, the founder of Konoe family, and his mother was a daughter of Tadataka. Among his sons is Iezane. His wife is t ...
in a coup d'etat.


Minamoto Hakuriku

In 1198, Michichika forced the enthronement of Emperor Tsuchimikado against both precedent and the opposition of the shogunate. Though Michichika tried to use the case of
Emperor Kōnin was the 49th emperor of Japan, Emperor Kōnin, Tahara no Higashi Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency according to the traditional order of succession. Kōnin's reign lasted from 770 to 781. Traditional narrative The personal name of ...
as a precedent for the sudden enthronement,
Fujiwara no Teika , better-known as Fujiwara no Teika"Sadaie" and "Teika" are both possible readings of ; "...there is the further problem, the rendition of the name in romanized form. Teika probably referred to himself as Sadaie, and his father probably called ...
scathingly commented "If Tsuchimikado is Kōnin, then who is
Dōkyō was a Japanese monk of the Hossō sect of Buddhism and a prominent political figure in the Nara period. Early life Dōkyō was born in Kawachi Province. His family, the Yuge no Muraji, were part of the provincial gentry. He was taught both by ...
?" After this, Michichika reached the height of his power as the Emperor's maternal grandfather, and was called . The term "Hakuriku" here refers to the position of kampaku, although Michichika himself never officially held the title. In 1199, Michichika became a . He tried to lessen the shogunate's opposition by appointing the heir Minamoto Yoriie as , but shortly thereafter received news that Yoritomo had fallen seriously ill. Once Yoritomo's death was publicly announced, it would become necessary to delay Yoriie's promotion, and so Michichika hurriedly conducted both appointments in a simplified fashion. Teika once again criticized Michichika for enforcing the appointment while knowing of Yoritomo's demise and then expressing his condolences and making a show of mourning the next day, calling this an "egregious plot". Yoritomo's death upset the political situation, and in the capital plotted an attack on Michichika, forcing him to hide in the retired emperor's palace. Executives of the shogunate, with Ōe no Hiromoto at the center, supported Michichika, suppressing the movement to remove him and restoring peace to the capital. Michichika made various preparations, rebuilding Tsuchimikado's palace and adding a gate, and that summer was promoted to ''
naidaijin The , literally meaning "Inner Minister", was an ancient office in the Japanese imperial court, Japanese Imperial Court. Its role, rank and authority varied throughout the pre-Meiji period, Meiji period of Japanese history, but in general remain ...
''. While respecting the viewpoint of the now-mature retired emperor Go-Toba, Michichika placed Kujō Yoshitsune as ''
sadaijin The ''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', Kenkyusha Limited, was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the ini ...
'' and
Konoe Iezane , son of Motomichi, was a court noble (''Kugyō'') of the early Kamakura period. His sons include: Takatsukasa Kanehira, and Konoe Kanetsune. In 1206 when Kujō Yoshitune died, he became the head of the Fujiwara family and Sesshō. The sam ...
as ''
udaijin was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the ''udaijin'' in the context of a central administr ...
'' to preserve peace between and with both families. Since both were still young, Michichika was effectively in control of the
Daijō-kan The , also known as the Great Council of State, was (i) (''Daijō-kan'') the highest organ of Japan's premodern Imperial government under the Ritsuryō legal system during and after the Nara period or (ii) (''Dajō-kan'') the highest organ of Jap ...
. Around this time, he also married
Fujiwara no Motofusa was an imperial regent in the late 12th century, serving both Emperor Rokujō and Emperor Takakura. He was also called , as he came from the village of Matsudono, near Kyoto. Fujiwara no Tadataka and Matsudono Moroie were his first and third ...
's daughter Ishi. In 1200 Go-Toba's third son Prince Morinari, the future
Emperor Juntoku (October 22, 1197 – October 7, 1242) was the 84th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1210 through 1221. Genealogy Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal ...
, became crown prince. Michichika became his , while his brother-in-law became , and his heir provisionally assumed the same title, filling the Crown Prince's Quarters with the Murakami Genji and his Fujiwara relatives. Even 1202 he appeared vigorous, acting as event manager when his adopted daughter Zaishi received the Buddhist name , and welcoming Go-Toba to a palace built by his sworn friend , but he suddenly died that autumn at age 54. When Konoe Iezane heard of his death, he recorded in his diary that Michichika had handled all the business of government, and the court granted him the posthumous . Go-Toba was also said to have expressed his sorrow by stopping holding poetry contests. After Michichika's death, there was nobody left who could dissuade Go-Toba, and he began his cloistered rule in earnest. Michichika was also a skilled poet and also served in the , where he led the planning for a new poetry collection that would later become the ''
Shin Kokin Wakashū The , also known in abbreviated form as the or even conversationally as the Shin Kokin, is the eighth imperial anthology of waka poetry compiled by the Japanese court, beginning with the ''Kokin Wakashū'' circa 905 and ending with the ''Shinshok ...
''. However, he died without seeing its completion. That collection, along with many others, includes some of Michichika's ''
waka Waka may refer to: Culture and language * Waka (canoe), a Polynesian word for canoe; especially, canoes of the Māori of New Zealand ** Waka ama, a Polynesian outrigger canoe ** Waka hourua, a Polynesian ocean-going canoe ** Waka taua, a Māori w ...
''.


Famous works

, written in 1180, is Michichika's travel diary from retired Emperor Takakura's Imperial visit to
Itsukushima is an island in the western part of the Inland Sea of Japan, located in the northwest of Hiroshima Bay. It is popularly known as , which in Japanese means "Shrine Island". The island is one of Hayashi Gahō's Three Views of Japan specified in ...
in
Aki Province or Geishū () was a province in the Chūgoku Region of western Honshū, comprising the western part of what is today Hiroshima Prefecture. History When Emperor Shōmu ordered two official temples for each province (one for male Buddhist prie ...
. , written in 1181, records the state of affairs at the time of Emperor Takakura's death and mourns him. Both are written in a mix of
kana The term may refer to a number of syllabaries used to write Japanese phonological units, morae. Such syllabaries include (1) the original kana, or , which were Chinese characters (kanji) used phonetically to transcribe Japanese, the most pr ...
and
kanji are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...
, as is modern Japanese. The two together are known as .


Genealogy

*Father: *Mother: daughter of , court lady of Bifukumon-in *Wife: daughter of **Eldest son: *Wife: daughter of or , court lady of
Emperor Takakura was the 80th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1168 through 1180. Genealogy Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (his ''imina'') was Norihito''-shi ...
**Second son: , descendants became Horikawa clan (died out in
Muromachi period The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate (''Muromachi bakufu'' or ''Ashikaga bakufu''), which was officially established in 1338 by t ...
) *Wife: , , daughter of **Third son: , descendants carried on Koga clan **Fourth son: , descendants became Tsuchimikado clan (died out in Muromachi period) **Fifth son: , descendants became Nakanoin clan **Adopted daughter: , aka , biological daughter of , wife of
Emperor Go-Toba was the 82nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1183 through 1198. This 12th-century sovereign was named after Emperor Toba, and ''go-'' (後), translates literally as "later"; an ...
and birth mother of
Emperor Tsuchimikado was the 83rd emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 土御門天皇 (83)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan,'' pp. 86–87. Tsuchimikado's reig ...
*Wife: , daughter of
Fujiwara no Motofusa was an imperial regent in the late 12th century, serving both Emperor Rokujō and Emperor Takakura. He was also called , as he came from the village of Matsudono, near Kyoto. Fujiwara no Tadataka and Matsudono Moroie were his first and third ...
**Son?: , possibly instead a grandchild via Michitomo *Wife: , lady-in-waiting of Shōmeimon-in **Sixth son: *Other children: **Son: **Son: **Son: **Daughter: , wetnurse of
Emperor Go-Saga was the 88th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. This reign spanned the years 1242 through 1246. This 13th-century sovereign was named after the 8th-century Emperor Saga and ''go-'' (後), translates literally as ...
**Adopted son: **Adopted son: , heir of
Ōe no Hiromoto Ōe no Hiromoto (, 1148–1225) was a Japanese '' kuge'' (court noble) and vassal of the Kamakura shogunate, and contributed to establishing the shogunate's governmental structure. Life A great-grandson of the famous scholar Ōe no Masaf ...
Michichika's eldest son Michimune rose to the and position of '' sangi'', as well as , but in 1198 he died at the age of 31. However, Michimune's daughter and
Emperor Tsuchimikado was the 83rd emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 土御門天皇 (83)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan,'' pp. 86–87. Tsuchimikado's reig ...
's son became
Emperor Go-Saga was the 88th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. This reign spanned the years 1242 through 1246. This 13th-century sovereign was named after the 8th-century Emperor Saga and ''go-'' (後), translates literally as ...
, and so Michichika's family gained the position of maternal relatives to both Tsuchimikado and Go-Saga. Later, the
Saionji family {{Infobox Japanese clan , surname nihongo = 西園寺家 , home province = Kyoto, Yamashiro Province , parent house =Northern Fujiwara , titles = Rokuhara Tandai Genrō Kantō Mōshitsugi Udaijin Sadaijin , founder =Saionji Michis ...
rose to power, and Michichika's clan never regained the stature it had during his life. Even so, his children Michitomo, Michiteru, Sadamichi, and Michikata split the family into the Horikawa clan, Koga clan, Tsuchimikado clan, and Nakanoin clan. The Horikawa and Tsuchimikado clans died out in the
Muromachi period The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate (''Muromachi bakufu'' or ''Ashikaga bakufu''), which was officially established in 1338 by t ...
, but the Koga and Nakanoin families persisted until the
Meiji restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...
, joining the ''
Kazoku The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan, which existed between 1869 and 1947. They succeeded the feudal lords () and court nobles (), but were abolished with the 1947 constitution. Kazoku ( 華族) should not be confused with ' ...
'' peerage upon its creation. Meanwhile, the Nakanoin clan produced its own branch family in the , while the Koga went on to spawn the . Michichika's most famous descendant was the Zen monk
Dōgen Dōgen Zenji (道元禅師; 26 January 1200 – 22 September 1253), also known as Dōgen Kigen (道元希玄), Eihei Dōgen (永平道元), Kōso Jōyō Daishi (高祖承陽大師), or Busshō Dentō Kokushi (仏性伝東国師), was a Ja ...
, who returned from
Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...
and created the
Sōtō school Sōtō Zen or is the largest of the three traditional sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism (the others being Rinzai and Ōbaku). It is the Japanese line of the Chinese Cáodòng school, which was founded during the Tang dynasty by Dòngshān ...
24 years after Michichika's death. Michichika's adopted son
Shōkū , sometimes called , was a disciple of Hōnen, founder of the Jōdo-shū Buddhist sect. Shōkū later succeeded Jōhen, another disciple of Hōnen, as the head of a former Shingon Buddhist temple, Eikan-dō Zenrin-ji, Eikandō, established a separ ...
became a disciple of
Hōnen was the religious reformer and founder of the first independent branch of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism called . He is also considered the Seventh Jōdo Shinshū Patriarch. Hōnen became a Tendai initiate at an early age, but grew disaffected and ...
, and became the founder of the
Seizan is a branch of Jōdo-shū Buddhism that was founded by Hōnen's disciple, Shōkū. Shōkū often went by the name ''Seizan'' as well, however the name derives from the western mountains of Kyoto where Shōkū often dwelt. The main temple of this b ...
sub-sect of
Jōdo-shū , also known as Jōdo Buddhism, is a branch of Pure Land Buddhism derived from the teachings of the Japanese ex-Tendai monk Hōnen. It was established in 1175 and is the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan, along with Jōdo Shi ...
buddhism.


Notes


References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Minamoto no, Michichika Fujiwara clan 1149 births 1202 deaths People of Heian-period Japan People of Kamakura-period Japan Japanese diarists Heian period Buddhists Kamakura period Buddhists