
was a
Buddhist monk and
sōhei
were Buddhist warrior monks of both classical and feudal Japan. At certain points in history, they held considerable power, obliging the imperial and military governments to collaborate.
The prominence of the ''sōhei'' rose in parallel w ...
, abbot of Hōzōin temple, and guardian of all the temples of
Nara
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...
. In the 1560's he founded
Hōzōin-ryū
is a traditional school ('' koryū'') of Japanese martial arts that specializes in the art of spearmanship (''sōjutsu''). Hōzōin-ryū was founded by Hōzōin Kakuzenbō In'ei (宝蔵院 覚禅房 胤栄, 1521–1607) in c. 1560. In'ei was ...
, a school which taught the art of the spear, also known as
Sōjutsu
, meaning "art of the spear", is the Japanese martial art of fighting with a .
Origins
Although the spear had a profound role in early Japanese mythology, where the islands of Japan themselves were said to be created by salt water dripping fr ...
.
In'ei was born in the first year of Daiei (1521) as the second son of Nakamikado Tajima Inei who was a warrior monk of the
Kōfuku-ji
is a Buddhist temple that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples in the city of Nara, Japan. The temple is the national headquarters of the Hossō school. It is part of Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara, a World Heritage Site.
H ...
.
In'ei was a monk of
Kōfuku-ji
is a Buddhist temple that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples in the city of Nara, Japan. The temple is the national headquarters of the Hossō school. It is part of Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara, a World Heritage Site.
H ...
Temple in
Nara
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...
,
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
.
He adored martial arts and trained in the sword martial arts of
Nen-ryū
is a traditional ('' koryū'') school of Japanese martial arts founded in 1368 CE by the samurai Sōma Shiro Yoshimoto (c.14th century) in modern-day Nagano Prefecture
is a Landlocked country, landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Ja ...
under Toda Yosaemon and
Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū
Written as 天眞正傳香取神道流 before adoption (1946) of Tōyō kanji. is one of the oldest extant Japanese martial arts and an exemplar of ''bujutsu''. It was founded by Iizasa Ienao, who lived near Katori Shrine (Sawara, Chiba, Sawara ...
under
Izasa Ienao. At the same time, he was coached and mentored by , a master of the
spear
A spear is a polearm consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with Fire hardening, fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable materia ...
. Under this master's guidance, In'ei honed his spearmanship.
According to legends, at dawn of the 12th day of the first month of 22nd year of Tenbun (1553) the 33 year old In'ei was initiated to two secret techniques by Moritada, thought to be the incarnation of
Marishi-Ten.
In'ei was noted for having arranged the meeting between
Kamiizumi Nobutsuna
Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, (上泉 信綱), born Kamiizumi Ise-no-Kami Fujiwara-no-Hidetsuna, (c.1508 – 1572/1577) was a samurai in Japan's Sengoku period famous for creating the Shinkage-ryū school of combat. He is also well known as Kamiizumi Ise ...
and
Yagyū Munetoshi
Yagyū Sekishūsai Taira-no-Munetoshi (柳生石舟斎平宗厳 1527 – May 25, 1606) was a samurai in Japan's Sengoku period famous for mastering the Shinkage-ryū school of combat, and introducing it to the Tokugawa clan. He was also ...
, being the catalyst for the creation of
Yagyū Shinkage-ryū
is one of the oldest Japanese schools of swordsmanship (''kenjutsu''). Its primary founder was Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, who called the school Shinkage-ryū. In 1565, Nobutsuna bequeathed the school to his greatest student, Yagyū Munetoshi, who ...
.
It is said that one evening, on seeing the reflection of the crescent moon shining on
Sarusawa pond in Kōfuku-ji, he was inspired to create a spear with a cross-shaped spearhead.
He imagined this style of spear would be more effective in fighting. With this new type of spear (known as ), he founded the Hōzōin-ryū, based on the teachings of the Shintōryū and the Shinkageryū.
The development of the Sōjutsu of Hōzōin-ryū was very successful, until in 1585
Hashiba Hidenaga became lord of Kōriyama castle and ordered the temples and Shintō shrines as well as the ordinary people of the province of Yamato to surrender all weapons.
The pressure led to an abandonment of martial arts training in temples and shrines.
In 1586 the highest Buddhist title of Hōin was bestowed on the 75 year old In'ei. At this time he was requested by Konparu Dayū Yasuteru to instruct his son Shichirō Ujikatsu.
Because of Konparu's reputation and influence (even on Tokugawa Ieyasu), at the age of 75 revived the Sōjutsu training. From then on the number of his disciples increased in a way that people said "the number of those training in this art not only fills a platoon but fills a whole army".
In 1604, young
Miyamoto Musashi
, was a Japanese swordsman, strategist, artist, and writer who became renowned through stories of his unique double-bladed swordsmanship and undefeated record in his 62 duels. Miyamoto is considered a ''Kensei (honorary title), kensei'' (swo ...
immediately went to Nara and visited the 84 years old In'ei.
Due to the old age of the first headmaster of the Hōzōin-ryū and due to the youth of his successor (Inshun was only 16) the man who met Musashi's challenge was Okuzōin Dōei.
The legend of Musashi and his visit increased the fame of the school, often mentioned in the stories about Musashi, from
Eiji Yoshikawa
was a Japanese historical novelist. Among his best-known novels are revisions of older classics. He was mainly influenced by classics such as ''The Tale of the Heike'', ''Tale of Genji'', ''Water Margin'' and ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', m ...
's novel ''
Musashi'' to the manga ''
Vagabond
Vagrancy is the condition of wandering homelessness without regular employment or income. Vagrants usually live in poverty and support themselves by travelling while engaging in begging, waste picker, scavenging, or petty theft. In Western ...
''.
One year prior to his death (in 1607) In'ei forbade sōjutsu training.
This should have led to the extinction of at least the monastery line of the school. However, after In'ei's death, his nephew,
Hōzōin Inshun restarted his trainings and lifted the order.
Inshun continued the monastery line and further trained his disciples who became masters of the secular line, still alive today.
In'ei and his successors (including Inshun) are buried in the graveyard of the temple Byakugōji in Nara, where modern Hozoinryu members still venerate them and care for the graves.
The school also cares for other memorials, Marishiten boulder (embodiment of the deity Marishiten from the Hōzōin temple to which In'ei prayed), and the memorial stone on the grounds of the Hōzōin.
Bibliography
*Frederic, Louis (2002). ''Japan Encyclopedia.'' Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
*De Lange, William. ''Famous Swordsmen of the Sengoku Period.''
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hozoin, Inei
Martial artists of the Edo period
Japanese Buddhist clergy
Martial arts school founders
1521 births
1607 deaths
Buddhist clergy of the Edo period
16th-century martial artists