Biographies · Vol. 95

Imperial Princes X

Machine-assisted draft translation, checked for readability. For the classical Chinese text and the modern Japanese translation, see this volume in Japanese.

[Shirakawa] Seven Sons

¶Emperor Shirakawa had eight sons. The Chūgū, Empress, of the Fujiwara clan, bore the first son, Imperial Prince Atsufumi, and Emperor Horikawa (Note: following the Eiga Monogatari; also following the Kōin Shōunroku and the Hyakurenshō). The Naishi-no-suke, Assistant Handmaid, Fujiwara-no-Tsuneko bore the third son, the Imperial Prince-Priest Kakugyō (Note: if one reckons from the year of Kakugyō's birth, he was in fact the second son, but Emperor Horikawa counts as the third. The reason the various books call Emperor Horikawa the second son is probably that he was the son of the Empress. The accounts of the various books are followed here. The Ninna-ji Goden and the Chōshūki, which make him the fifth son, are probably in error). The court lady Minamoto-no-Moroko bore the fourth son, the Imperial Prince-Priest Kakuhō (Note: following the Shakke Kanpanki and the Shomonzeki-fu). A woman of the Fujiwara clan bore the fifth son, the Imperial Prince-Priest Shōe (Note: following the Shakke Kanpanki). A woman of the Minamoto clan bore the monk Gyōkei (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku; the Shomonzeki-fu makes him the twelfth son, but this is probably because the imperial daughters were also counted in assigning the order, and so it is not adopted). A woman of the Minamoto clan bore the monk Engyō (Note: following the Imakagami). The mother of the monk Jōshō is not known (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku and the Teiō Hennenki).

Imperial Prince Atsufumi

¶In the second year of Jōho (1075), Imperial Prince Atsufumi was moved from the Empress's quarters to the Higashi-Sanjō mansion of the Kampaku, Regent, Morozane. The emperor went there in person and installed him as Imperial Prince. There were song, dance, and banqueting, and all returned home well content (Note: following the Fusō Ryakki). In the autumn of the first year of Jōryaku (1077), while at the Kazan-in, he fell ill with smallpox. The emperor was anxious and fearful, had prayers offered by every means, and presented heihaku, paper offerings, to the eight shrines (Note: following the Suisaki). In the ninth month he died, at the age of four (Note: following the Suisaki and the entry for the fourth year of Daiji in the Chūyūki. The Fusō Ryakki, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Eiga Monogatari all give the eighth month. The Gukanshō gives his age as three, which is an error. The Genpei Jōsuiki says the following: the emperor, grieving that he had no heir, once commanded the monk Raigō of Onjō-ji to pray for one by means of esoteric rites. The emperor decreed, "If the rites are efficacious, I will grant whatever reward you wish." Before long Atsufumi was born, the emperor was greatly pleased, and he summoned Raigō and rewarded him. Raigō asked that an ordination platform be built at Onjō-ji. The emperor was astonished and said, "I had supposed that what you wished for was no more than rank or land. To do as you now ask would bring on a quarrel with Mount Hiei. Moreover, I sought an heir for the sake of the realm. If it should invite strife and bring calamity, that is not what I intended." Raigō returned to his temple in anger and resolved to fast until he died. The emperor was troubled by this and sent Ōe-no-Masafusa, who had long been Raigō's friend, to persuade him. Raigō said to Masafusa, "Have you come by imperial command? My life is now a matter of a single morning or evening, and I do not wish to see anyone. Out of our old friendship I will meet you and take my leave. An imperial word is like sweat: once it is out it cannot be taken back, and yet now it has been overturned. The Prince is one whom I obtained, and I will surely take him back." So saying he shut the door and never spoke again. Masafusa returned and reported this, and the emperor was greatly alarmed. Raigō in the end died. Before long Atsufumi died young, and people of the time whispered that it was the curse of Raigō's spirit. The Gukanshō and the Heike Monogatari convey the same account. But when one examines the Suisaki, under the twentieth day of the tenth month of this year it records that Raigō conferred the precepts on Shōkaku, a monk who was a son of Minamoto-no-Toshifusa. From this it is clear that the account of the three books is contrary to fact, and so it is not adopted).

Imperial Prince-Priest Kakugyō

¶The Imperial Prince-Priest Kakugyō was raised as her own child by Imperial Princess Kashi, formerly the Saiin of Kamo. In the third year of Eihō (1083) he became a disciple of Imperial Prince Seishin (Shōshin) of Ninna-ji. In the second year of Ōtoku (1085) he shaved his head (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden). His first name was Kakunen (Note: following the Chūyūki and the Shomonzeki-fu, and the Kanjōki of Ōe-no-Masafusa cited in the Ninna-ji Goden. The entry for the third year of Jishō in the Sankaiki gives his original name as Gyōshin). In the sixth year of Kanji (1092) he became an Isshin Ajari, Acharya (Note: following the Rekidai Kōki, the Ninna-ji Goden, and the Chūyūki). In the second year of Jōtoku (1098) he was appointed Kengyō, Superintendent, of both Enshū-ji and Hosshō-ji (Note: following the Rekidai Kōki and the Ninna-ji Goden). In the first year of Kōwa (1099) he became an Imperial Prince. The title Hōshinnō, Imperial Prince-Priest, begins here (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki, the Ninna-ji Goden, and the Sōgō Bunin). In the fourth year (1102) he was granted Third Rank (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden and the Chūyūki). He was appointed Chōri, Senior Prelate, of Sonshō-ji (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden) and advanced to Second Rank (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki and the Ninna-ji Goden). In the eleventh month of the second year of Chōji (1105) he died, at the age of thirty-one (Note: the Ichidai Yōki gives thirty-two). He was called the Naka-no-Omuro (Note: following the entry for the third year of Jishō in the Sankaiki, the Ninna-ji Goden, and the Shomonzeki-fu). Kakugyō had once had the tomb of Emperor Kōkō dug open. At that time Minamoto-no-Toshiaki, Minbukyō, Minister of Popular Affairs, dreamed that the emperor was making a progress in a shabby carriage. When he asked the reason, the answer was, "The tomb of the Komatsu emperor (Emperor Kōkō) has been dug open by someone." Toshiaki himself went to the Grand Shrine of Ise to lay the matter before the god and returned having received a ruling. The oracle was that "that man deserves death." Before long Kakugyō died (Note: following the Chōshūki).

Imperial Prince-Priest Kakuhō

¶The Imperial Prince-Priest Kakuhō was called Shishi-ō-no-Miya (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden and the Imakagami). In the first year of Chōji (1104) he became a disciple of Imperial Prince-Priest Kakugyō, entered Ninna-ji, and shaved his head, taking the name Shingyō (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden). Later he changed it to Gyōshin (Note: following the Chūyūki and the entry for the fourth year of Daiji in the Chōshūki; the Ninna-ji Goden gives it as Gyōshin, written with a different second character). Later still he changed it to his present name. In the second year of Tennin (1109) he became an Isshin Ajari (Note: following the Rekidai Kōki and the Ninna-ji Goden). In the third year of Ten'ei (1112) he became an Imperial Prince (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden and the Chūyūki). In the first year of Eikyū (1113) he was appointed Chōri of Enshū-ji (Note: following the Rekidai Kōki and the Ninna-ji Goden). The following year he was appointed Kengyō of both Hosshō-ji and Sonshō-ji. In the first year of Gen'ei (1118) he was appointed Chōri of Saishō-ji (Note: the Rekidai Kōki makes this the first year of Eikyū). In the second year of Tenji (1125) he was appointed Kengyō of Ninna-ji (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden). In the second year of Daiji (1127) he was at once granted Second Rank (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki, the Ninna-ji Goden, and the Sōgō Bunin). In the third year (1128) he was appointed Kengyō of Enshō-ji (Note: following the Rekidai Kōki and the Ninna-ji Goden). In the third year of Hoen (1137) he was permitted to enter and leave the palace while remaining in his ox-drawn carriage (Note: following the Rekidai Kōki, the Ninna-ji Goden, and the Sōgō Bunin). In the fifth year (1139) he was appointed Kengyō of Jōshō-ji. In the first year of Kyūan (1145) he was appointed Chōri of Kangikōin (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden). In the twelfth month of the third year of Ninpei (1153) he died, at the age of sixty-three (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki and the Ninna-ji Goden; the Hyōhanki gives sixty-two). He was called the Kōya-no-Omuro (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku and the Ninna-ji Goden). Kakuhō mastered the esoteric teachings and was also accomplished in calligraphy and waka (Note: following the Imakagami; for the waka, following the Shomonzeki-fu). He founded the Nan'in and the Muryōju-in (Note: following the Ninna-ji Shodō-ki).

Imperial Prince-Priest Shōe

¶The Imperial Prince-Priest Shōe lived at the Kezō-in of Ninna-ji (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden). In the third year of Ten'ei (1112) he became an Isshin Ajari. In the fourth year of Hōan (1123) he became an Imperial Prince (Note: following the Rekidai Kōki). In the second year of Daiji (1127) he was granted Third Rank (Note: following the Rekidai Kōki and the Chūyūki. The Rekidai Kōki says that in the first year of Chōshō he was advanced to Second Rank, and the Kōin Shōunroku says he held no rank, but both are in error). In the first year of Chōshō (1132) he was permitted to enter and leave the palace while remaining in his ox-drawn carriage (Note: following the Chūyūki). In the second month of the third year of Hoen (1137) he died, at the age of forty-four (Note: following the Chūyūki and the Rekidai Kōki; the Shakke Kanpanki gives forty-six). He was called the Nagao-no-Miya (Note: following the Chūyūki and the Imakagami).

Monk Gyōkei

¶The monk Gyōkei became a disciple of the monk Gyōson (Note: following the Senjūshō and the Sōgō Bunin) and lived at Enman-in (Note: following the Shomonzeki-fu). He once performed esoteric rites at the Shō-no-Iwaya, the Cave of the Sho (Note: following the Senjūshō). In the fourth year of Daiji (1129) he became an Isshin Ajari (Note: following the Chūyūki). In the first year of Hoen (1135) he became Betto, Administrator, of Shitennō-ji (Note: following the Sōkan Bunin). In the first year of Kyūan (1145) he was appointed Gon-no-Sōjō, Provisional Bishop (Note: following the Taiki and the Rekidai Kōki). In the second year of Ninpei (1152) he became Chōri of Onjō-ji. In the third year (1153) he became Sōjō, Bishop (Note: following the Rekidai Kōki), and later rose as far as Daisōjō, Senior Bishop (Note: following the Imakagami and the Shomonzeki-fu). He excelled at waka (Note: following the Sakusha Burui) and was called Koma-no-Sōjō, the Bishop of Koma (Note: following the Imakagami, the Shomonzeki-fu, and the Kōin Shōunroku). He was also called Sakurai-no-Sōjō, the Bishop of Sakurai (Note: following the Teiō Hennenki, the Senjūshō, and the Kōin Shōunroku).

Monk Engyō

¶The monk Engyō likewise became a disciple of Yūson and lived at Onjō-ji (Note: following the Chūyūki). He was granted the rank of Hōgen (Note: following the Chūyūki, the Imakagami, the Teiō Hennenki, and the Kōin Shōunroku).

Monk Jōshō

¶The monk Jōshō lived at the Rajaku-in of Onjō-ji (Note: following the Chūyūki and the Kōin Shōunroku) and became an Ajari (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku).

[Horikawa] Two Sons

¶Emperor Horikawa had three sons. The posthumous Empress, of the Fujiwara clan, bore Emperor Toba (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki, the Rekidai Kōki, the Hyakurenshō, and the Kōin Shōunroku). A court lady of the Fujiwara clan bore the second son, the Imperial Prince-Priest Saiun (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki, the Kōin Shōunroku, and the Imakagami; that he was the second son follows the Shakke Kanpanki). A woman of the Fujiwara clan bore the monk Kangyō (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku and the Imakagami).

Imperial Prince-Priest Saiun

¶The Imperial Prince-Priest Saiun became a disciple of the monk Ningō (Note: following the Teiō Hennenki and the Tendai Zasu-ki). He lived at Iimuro (Note: following the Teiō Hennenki) and later at Enyū-bō (Note: following the Tendai Zasu-ki and the Sōkan Bunin). During the Daiji era (1126-1131) he became Zasu, Abbot, of Hosshō-ji (Note: following the Chūyūki). In the first year of Hōgen (1156) he became Tendai Zasu, Abbot of the Tendai school, and was appointed Gon-no-Sōjō (Note: following the Rekidai Kōki, the Sōkan Bunin, and the Gukanshō). This was the first time an imperial son became Tendai Zasu (Note: following the Teiō Hennenki, the Sōkan Bunin, and the Shomonzeki-fu). In the third year (1158) he became an Imperial Prince (Note: following the Rekidai Kōki, the Teiō Hennenki, and the Shakke Kanpanki). In the second month of the second year of Ōho (1162) he died, at the age of fifty-eight. He was called the Enyū-bō Zasu. He was also called the Shichijō-no-Miya (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki; the Tendai Zasu-ki gives his age as fifty-nine, but the Rekidai Kōki and the Teiō Hennenki are followed).

Monk Kangyō

¶The monk Kangyō lived at the Kezō-in of Ninna-ji (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki, the Sōgō Bunin, and the Ninna-ji Shoin) and was appointed Betto of Tōdai-ji (Note: following the Rekidai Kōki and the Sōgō Bunin). In the third year of Ninpei (1153) he became Gon-no-Sōjō (Note: following the Taiki and the Rekidai Kōki) and later rose as far as Daisōjō (Note: following the Rekidai Kōki and the Sōgō Bunin). In the first month of the first year of Heiji (1159) he died (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki, the Rekidai Kōki, and the Sōgō Bunin), at the age of fifty-seven (Note: following the Rekidai Kōki).

[Toba] Eight Sons

¶Emperor Toba had eleven sons. The Chūgū, Empress, of the Fujiwara clan bore Emperor Sutoku, the second son, Imperial Prince Michihito, Emperor Go-Shirakawa (Note: following the Hyakurenshō and the Imakagami), and the fifth son, Imperial Prince Motohito (Note: following the Hyakurenshō, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Imakagami). The Kōgō, Empress, of the Fujiwara clan bore Emperor Konoe (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki and the Rekidai Kōki). The Kōi, Imperial Wardrobe Consort, of the Ki clan bore the sixth son, the Imperial Prince-Priest Dōe, and the seventh son, the Imperial Prince-Priest Kakukai (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Imakagami). A woman of the Tachibana clan bore the monk Shin'yo (Note: following the Senjūshō. This book makes him the eighth son, but the various books make Emperor Konoe the eighth son, so this "eighth son" is probably an error for "ninth son." But as there is no other material by which to verify it, it is not pursued further). The Imperial Prince-Priest Saichū (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku) and the Imperial Prince-Priest Dōka (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki) are both of unknown mothers.

Imperial Prince Michihito

¶Imperial Prince Michihito (Note: following the Hyakurenshō, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Rekidai Kōki) was blind from birth (Note: following the Chūyūki and the Teiō Hennenki). In the first year of Tenji (1124) he became an Imperial Prince (Note: following the Rekidai Kōki). In the intercalary seventh month of the fourth year of Daiji (1129) he died, at the age of six (Note: following the Chūyūki and the Hyakurenshō). He was called the Me-no-Miya, the Prince of the Eyes (Note: following the Kōdaiki and the Gukanshō).

Imperial Prince Kimihito

¶While still in swaddling clothes, Imperial Prince Kimihito once stopped breathing. Emperor Shirakawa said, "This child is surely destined to ascend the throne, so he cannot die," and had the monk Gyōson pray over him, whereupon he at once revived. From this people placed hopes in his future (Note: following the Imakagami and the Genpei Jōsuiki). But his body was limp, as though without bones, and he could not speak or utter words (Note: following the Taiki, the Rekidai Kōki, and the Imakagami). In the second year of Tenji (1125) he became an Imperial Prince (Note: following the Rekidai Kōki). In the sixth year of Hoen (1140) he shaved his head at the Rokujō-in (Note: following the Rekidai Kōki). In the tenth month of the second year of Kōji (1143) he died (Note: following the Taiki and the Rekidai Kōki), at the age of nineteen (Note: following the Rekidai Kōki). He was called the Nae-no-Miya, the Prince of the Withered (Note: following the Kōdaiki and the Gukanshō).

Imperial Prince Motohito

¶Imperial Prince Motohito became an Imperial Prince in the fourth year of Daiji (1129) (Note: following the Chūyūki and the Ninna-ji Goden). In the first year of Hoen (1135) he became a disciple of Imperial Prince-Priest Kakuhō and entered the Kita-in of Ninna-ji (Note: following the Chūyūki and the Ninna-ji Goden). In the sixth year (1140) he shaved his head and took the name Shinpō, later changing it to Kakushō (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden and the Kōin Shōunroku). In the third year of Kyūan (1147) he became an Isshin Ajari (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden; the Rekidai Kōki makes this the first year). In the third year of Hōgen (1158) he was at once granted Second Rank (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden and the Shakke Kanpanki). One after another he took charge of the Endō, round halls, of Ninna-ji, Enshū-ji, Hosshō-ji, Sonshō-ji, Enshō-ji, Jōshō-ji, Shitennō-ji, and other temples, and of such subsidiary cloisters as the Kannon-in, Kongō-in, Shō-in, Kangi-in, Kōshō-in, Kōmyō-in, and Tenrin-in (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden). In the second year of Nin'an (1167) he became Sōhōmu, Supreme Dharma Administrator, and was granted the Gōsho, the Office of Monastic Affairs. The institution of the Sōhōmu begins here (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden and the Shakke Shorei-shō; for the Gōsho, the Goden is followed). Kakushō was gifted by nature, skilled in calligraphy and in poetry and song; he himself copied out the Buddhist canon in gold characters and had Chōken of Enryaku-ji carry it to Mount Kōya for the memorial service (Note: following the Imakagami). In the twelfth month of the first year of Kaō (1169) he died, at the age of forty-one (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden and the Tōji Chōja Bunin). He founded the Shikondai-ji and lived there, and so was called the Shikondai-ji-no-Omuro (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden and the Ninna-ji Shodō-ki); he was also called the Izumidono-no-Omuro (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden).

Imperial Prince-Priest Dōe

¶In the fourth year of Hoen (1138) the Imperial Prince-Priest Dōe shaved his head at the Shōkongō-in (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki) and lived at Enman-in (Note: following the Sōkan Bunin and the Shomonzeki-fu). In the second year of Kyūan (1146) he became an Isshin Ajari (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki). In the third year of Hōgen (1158) he was appointed Betto of Shitennō-ji (Note: following the Sōkan Bunin). In the first year of Eiryaku (1160) he became an Imperial Prince and was appointed Chōri of Onjō-ji (Note: following the Rekidai Kōki). In the first year of Nin'an (1166) he again held the post of Betto of Shitennō-ji concurrently (Note: following the Sōkan Bunin). In the fourth month of the third year (1168) he died, at the age of thirty-seven (Note: following the Rekidai Kōki). He was called the Hōrin-ji (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku).

Imperial Prince-Priest Kakukai

¶In the first year of Ten'yō (1144) the Imperial Prince-Priest Kakukai became a disciple of the monk Gyōgen and entered Shōren-in (Note: following the Taiki and the Sōkan Bunin). In the second year of Kyūan (1146) he shaved his head and became an Isshin Ajari (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki). His first name was Enshō (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki, the Sōkan Bunin, and the Shomonzeki-fu). In the sixth year (1150) he was appointed Gon-no-Daisōzu, Provisional Senior Master of the Discipline (Note: following the Taiki). In the second year of Kaō (1170) he became an Imperial Prince (Note: following the Shakke Kanpanki). In the first year of Jishō (1177) he became Tendai Zasu. In the third year (1179) he was dismissed from the abbacy (Note: following the Teiō Hennenki, the Gyokukai, and the Tendai Zasu-ki). Later he was appointed Kengyō of Mudō-ji (Note: following the Gyokukai and the Sōkan Bunin) and took charge of two cloisters in addition, the Zanmai-in and the Jōju-in (Note: following the Gyokukai). Kakukai was versed in the practices of Shugen, and at the time of the Hōgen disturbance he received an imperial command and performed the Butsugen rite (Note: following the Gukanshō). In the eleventh month of the first year of Yōwa (1181) he died (Note: following the Gyokukai, the Tendai Zasu-ki, the Gukanshō, and the Shomonzeki-fu), at the age of forty-eight (Note: following the Tendai Zasu-ki and the Nagato-bon Heike Monogatari; the Rekidai Kōki gives forty-nine, and the Genpei Jōsuiki forty-four). He was called the Hōshōji Zasu (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku and the Shomonzeki-fu).

Imperial Prince-Priest Saichū

¶The Imperial Prince-Priest Saichū lived at Enryaku-ji (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku).

Imperial Prince-Priest Dōka

¶The Imperial Prince-Priest Dōka became an Imperial Prince in the first year of Eiryaku (1160) (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki).

Monk Shin'yo

¶When the monk Shin'yo was only seven years old, his mother, of the Tachibana clan, died. By imperial command he entered Shōren-in and became a monk, to pray for her repose in the next world. Before long he was granted the rank of Hōgen, but one day he suddenly left the cloister and his whereabouts were unknown. He was then eighteen. By imperial command the provinces were searched, but he was not found. Later, when someone went to Chikuzen province, the local people told him: "Long ago there was a monk in the mountains of Ono in Mikasa district. No one knew where he came from. He constantly recited the nenbutsu, and when he saw fishermen and hunters he wept and urged them to take it up. He stayed there about a year, and then one day he vanished without a trace." This monk had left words written on the wall of his hermitage: "Once, as a monk of the Tendai school, I reached the station of Kanju, Chief Prelate, over the three thousand worlds. But now I dwell in these mountains of Ono and wish only to receive the welcome of Amida Buddha." He also wrote a waka, in which he said that the world is full of sorrowful joints like those of the bamboo, and wondered why the bamboo keeps its green unchanged. At the end it was signed, "Third month, ninth day, second year of Kyūju (1155), Hōgen Shin'yo of Shōren-in." Further, he scraped the bark from a tree and wrote on it another waka, in which he said that he had passed through the world from the depths of his heart, as at Kurahashi mountain, and had no wish now to inquire after the way of the Dharma in the manner of the world. People cherished his handwriting and cut it out to treasure. Only then was it known that this man had been an imperial prince (Note: following the Senjūshō).

[Sutoku] Two Sons

¶Emperor Sutoku had two sons. The Naishi-no-jō, Handmaid, of the Minamoto clan bore the monk Genshō. A court lady of the Fujiwara clan bore Imperial Prince Shigehito (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku and the Imakagami).

Imperial Prince Shigehito

¶As soon as he was born, Imperial Prince Shigehito was raised as her own child by Bifukumon-in (Note: following the Taiki; the marginal note in the Imakagami saying that Daikenmon-in raised him is an error). In the first year of Eiji (1141) he became an Imperial Prince (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki). In the sixth year of Kyūan (1150) he came of age, and as a son of Bifukumon-in was granted Third Rank (Note: following the Taiki). When Emperor Konoe died, people in the world said, "Shigehito will surely succeed to the imperial line." But Emperor Go-Shirakawa took the throne, and court and country alike were disappointed, and Shigehito himself was greatly enraged. The Hōgen disturbance indeed began from this. When the rebellion was defeated, Shigehito fled, intending to become a monk, and went toward Ninna-ji in a carriage used by women. After he had passed the Suzaku Gate, the Kebiishi, Police Commissioner, Taira-no-Sanetoshi called out to him and reported the matter to the throne, and Shigehito was confined at Nakamikado-Higashi-no-Tōin and placed under the strict guard of Sanetoshi. Before long he was pardoned. He became a disciple of the monk Kangyō and entered the Kezō-in of Ninna-ji, where he shaved his head (Note: compiled with reference to the Gukanshō, the Imakagami, and the Hōgen Monogatari). His Dharma name was Kūshō (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku). In the first month of the second year of Ōho (1162) he died, at the age of twenty-three (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki; the age is based on this book's entry for his birth in the sixth year of Hoen).

Monk Genshō

¶The monk Genshō was raised as her own child by Jōsaimon-in. He received the Shingon teachings (Note: following the Imakagami), lived at the Kezō-in of Ninna-ji, and was granted the rank of Hōin (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku). He was very accomplished in waka. When Emperor Sutoku died in Sanuki, Imperial Prince Kakushō sent a messenger to offer condolences. Genshō answered with a waka, in which, grieving, he said that the pine mountain remained as a keepsake, and that tonight he would wear mourning dress in place of the robe of Fuji. All who heard it were moved to pity (Note: following the Imakagami).

[Go-Shirakawa] Nine Sons

¶Emperor Go-Shirakawa had eleven sons. The posthumous Empress Dowager, of the Fujiwara clan, bore Emperor Nijō. The Empress Dowager, of the Taira clan, bore Emperor Takakura (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Rekidai Kōki). The court lady Fujiwara-no-Nariko bore the second son, the Imperial Prince-Priest Shukaku (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden), and the third son, Prince Mochihito (Note: following the Hyakurenshō. The various books such as the Shomonzeki-fu and the Shakke Kanpanki make Shukaku the fourth son, and books such as the Gyokukai make Mochihito the second son. This is probably because Shukaku, being a monk who had shaved his head, was ranked after the other princes, and Mochihito was therefore made the second son. Now, reckoning from their years of birth, it is clear that Shukaku was the second son and Mochihito the third). A woman of an unnamed clan bore the fifth son, the Imperial Prince-Priest Enne, the sixth son, the Imperial Prince-Priest Jōe (Note: following the Shomonzeki-fu), the seventh son, the Imperial Prince-Priest Seie (Note: following the Shakke Kanpanki), and the monk Kōe (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku). A woman of the Minamoto clan bore the eighth son, the Imperial Prince-Priest Dōhō (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden. The various books such as the Shomonzeki-fu and the Shakke Kanpanki make him the ninth son, and the Kōin Keizu makes him the tenth. Now, reckoning from the year of his birth, this has been corrected), and the monk Shintei. A woman of the Ki clan bore the Imperial Prince-Priest Shōnin (Note: following the Tendai Zasu-ki).

Imperial Prince-Priest Shukaku

¶The Imperial Prince-Priest Shukaku was first named Shushō. In the first year of Hōgen (1156) he became a disciple of Imperial Prince Kakushō and entered Ninna-ji. In the first year of Eiryaku (1160) he shaved his head. In the third year of Nin'an (1168) he became an Isshin Ajari. In the second year of Kaō (1170) he took charge, one after another, of the temples of Ninna-ji, Enshū-ji, Enyū-ji, and Enkyō-ji, and of such cloisters as the Shō-in, Kōmyō-in, and Hōkongō-in, and became an Imperial Prince. In the second year of Jōan (1172) he became Chōri of the Six Shō Temples (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden). In the second year of Angen (1176) he was at once granted Second Rank (Note: following the Rekidai Kōki, the Ninna-ji Goden, the Gyokukai, the Akihiro-ō-ki, and the Shakke Kanpanki; the Teiō Hennenki gives Third Rank, which is an error). In the second year of Bunji (1186) he was permitted to enter and leave the palace while remaining in his ox-drawn carriage (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden). In the eighth month of the second year of Kennin (1202) he died, at the age of fifty-three (Note: following the Teiō Hennenki and the Ninna-ji Goden). He was called the Kita-in-no-Omuro (Note: following the Teiō Hennenki, the Ninna-ji Goden, and the Shakke Kanpanki). Shukaku excelled in esoteric rites and was thoroughly versed in Shittan, the study of Siddham script and Sanskrit (Note: following the Imakagami), and was skilled in waka (Note: following the Sakusha Burui and the Shomonzeki-fu). He once composed the Shuhō Yōshō in six volumes (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden).

Prince Mochihito

¶From his youth Prince Mochihito was intelligent, skilled in calligraphy, fond of music, and excelled at the flute. His talent and reputation were known early, and people had great hopes for his future. But because his mother's rank was not high he did not receive favor and could not become an Imperial Prince (Note: following the Heike Monogatari and the Genpei Jōsuiki). In the first year of Eiman (1165) he came of age in secret at the Ōmiya mansion (Note: following the Akihiro-ō-ki, the Heike Monogatari, and the Genpei Jōsuiki). He was constantly gloomy and joyless, and sought distraction in the koto and in song. The Shōnagon, Minor Counsellor, Munetsuna was skilled at reading faces (Note: this book identifies Munetsuna as Fujiwara-no-Korenaga, but it is corrected here on the basis of the entry for the first year of Yōwa in the Gyokukai. However, his clan name is not known, and there is no other material by which to verify it). He once told Mochihito, "In the end you will rise to the throne. You must not abandon your hopes for the realm." Mochihito secretly took heart from this. In the fourth month of the fourth year of Jishō (1180), Minamoto-no-Yorimasa, former Hyōgo-no-kami, Director of the Bureau of Arms, plotted to destroy the Taira and one night visited Mochihito and urged him to raise the great undertaking. Mochihito consented and at last styled himself Imperial Prince Saishō. His call to arms was known as a ryōji, a prince's decree, and he sent the Kurōdo, Chamberlain, Minamoto-no-Yukiie to carry and proclaim it in the provinces. The details are recorded in the biography of Yorimasa (Note: following the Heike Monogatari and the Genpei Jōsuiki; the title Imperial Prince Saishō follows the Genpei Jōsuiki). Before long the affair came to light, and in a court council Mochihito was made to change his name to Minamoto-no-Mochimitsu and was to be exiled to Tosa, and the Kebiishi Minamoto-no-Kanetsuna, Minamoto-no-Mitsunaga, and others were sent leading troops to surround his residence (Note: following the Gyokukai, the Hyakurenshō, and the Sankaiki). Following the plan of Hasebe-no-Nobutsura, Sahyōe-no-jō, Lieutenant of the Left Gate Guards, Mochihito put on women's clothing, slipped out of the residence in secret, entered Onjō-ji, and took refuge at the Hōrin-in. The warrior monks joined forces to protect him. Yorimasa also soon arrived, and together with the warrior monks he sent letters of appeal to the two temples of Enryaku-ji and Kōfuku-ji asking for reinforcements. Both temples agreed. But before long Enryaku-ji went back on its word, and the position could not long be held (Note: following the Heike Monogatari and the Genpei Jōsuiki). Yorimasa escorted Mochihito toward Nara (Note: following the Gyokukai, the Meigetsuki, the Sankaiki, and the Hyakurenshō). Mochihito entered the Golden Hall, played the flute Semiore, performed "Manshūraku," offered the flute to the Buddha, and set out on horseback. He was by no means used to riding, and, being tired and drowsy besides, he fell from his horse six times. He entered the Byōdō-in and rested. Taira-no-Tomomori, Taira-no-Shigehira, and others attacked, and Yorimasa fought hard together with the warrior monks to hold them off. But the forces on his side broke, and Mochihito fled as far as the Ide crossing; as he passed in front of the torii of Kōmyō-san he was struck by a stray arrow, fell from his horse, and died. His attendants had all fallen behind; only the monk Kakuson and the palace attendant Kuromaru supported each other and tried to carry him on a horse. But soldiers of Taira-no-Kagetaka closed in on them and cut off his head. He was thirty years old (Note: compiled with reference to the Nagato-bon Heike Monogatari and the Genpei Jōsuiki. The entry for the first year of Eiman in the Akihiro-ō-ki says "aged sixteen"; on that basis he should have been thirty-one this year, but which is correct is not known). He was called the Sanjō-no-Miya (Note: following the Gyokukai) and also the Takakura-no-Miya (Note: following the Sankaiki, the Kōin Shōunroku, the Heike Monogatari, and the Genpei Jōsuiki). Kagetaka displayed the head to the Taira commanders. Because Mochihito had long lived out of public sight, few knew his face, and the commanders greatly doubted whether the head was genuine. So a woman whom Mochihito had once favored was summoned to look at it; she saw it at a glance and wept, and only then was it known to be Mochihito (Note: following the Heike Monogatari and the Genpei Jōsuiki. The Gukanshō says that Munenari, Mochihito's teacher in learning, was summoned to look at it). Mochihito had a certain son, whose name is not given (Note: following the Gyokukai and the Meigetsuki), and the others all became monks. They were Shinshō, Dōson, Hōen (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku, with reference to the Tendai Zasu-ki, the Shomonzeki-fu, and the Genpei Jōsuiki), and Dōshō (Note: following the Gyokukai. The Kōin Shōunroku says that Prince Mochihito had a son Nin'yo, but as he is not found in variant texts of the Shōunroku or in other books, he is added only for reference). After Mochihito's defeat that son shaved his head and fled to the eastern provinces (Note: following the Meigetsuki). Soon he followed the former Sanuki-no-kami Shigehide (clan name unknown) and hid in the northern provinces. Minamoto-no-Yoshinaka took him under his protection, had him grow his hair and come of age, and built a residence for him at Miyazaki in Ecchū province (Note: following the variant texts of the Heike Monogatari and the Genpei Jōsuiki). In the world he was called the Hokuroku-no-Miya (Note: following the Gyokukai), and also the Kiso-no-Miya (Note: following the Heike Monogatari and the Genpei Jōsuiki) and the Genzoku-no-Miya, the Prince Returned to Lay Life (Note: following the Meigetsuki, the Heike Monogatari, and the Genpei Jōsuiki). In the second year of Juei (1183), Taira-no-Munemori carried Emperor Antoku off to the western seas, and the capital was left without a master. The Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa discussed setting up a new sovereign, and some argued, "Prince Hokuroku is already of mature age, so he should be set up" (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki). The Retired Emperor intended to choose from among Emperor Takakura's sons, and had divination made on the two princes Morisada and Takahira. Yoshinaka, citing Mochihito's merit, tried to set up Prince Hokuroku. The Retired Emperor sent a messenger to reason with him, but Yoshinaka insisted strongly and would not yield. The Retired Emperor consulted his courtiers, who all held it improper. Yet it was hard to disregard Yoshinaka's words, and so it was decided to divine again. Divination was therefore made once more on the two princes and Prince Hokuroku; Prince Hokuroku came out as greatly inauspicious, and in the end he was not set up. In the first year of Bunji (1185), Minamoto-no-Yoritomo had this man brought into the capital (Note: following the Gyokukai). Afterwards he lived at Saga and was called a Sonnō, a prince of royal descent. He asked to be granted the surname Minamoto but was not permitted. In the second year of Kangi (1230) he died (Note: following the Meigetsuki). He was called Imayadono (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki; the Heike Monogatari gives Noyori-no-Miya, but this book treats Noyori-no-Miya as a daughter of Mochihito). Shinshō lived at Sen'yō-bō and became Daisōjō, Tendai Zasu, Kengyō of Mudō-ji, and Betto of Tennō-ji (Note: following the Sōkan Bunin). He was called the Shosha-no-Miya, the Prince Copyist, and also Jōkō-ji (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku; the Genpei Jōsuiki writes the "jō" of Jōkō-ji with the character 盛 in place of 城). Dōson was raised at the household of Hachijō-in, but when Mochihito was defeated, Taira-no-Yorimori demanded that he be handed over. The Imperial Lady hid him and would not give him up. But as soldiers pressed at her gate, Dōson, though only seven, asked of his own will to go out and be seized, and was held at Rokuhara (Note: compiled with reference to the Genpei Jōsuiki, the Gyokukai, the Sankaiki, and the Azuma Kagami. The age of seven is inferred from the Shomonzeki-fu and follows the various texts of the Heike Monogatari; the Genpei Jōsuiki gives eight, which is an error). Taira-no-Munemori petitioned that he be spared the death penalty (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki), and Dōson at last entered Ninna-ji and received the Dharma from the Imperial Prince-Priest Shukaku. At first he lived at the Renge-kōin (Note: following the Shomonzeki-fu) and became Daisōjō, Tōji Chōja, Senior Prelate of Tōji, and Betto of Tōdai-ji. He died in the second year of Antei (1228). He was called the Sai-in (Note: following the Tōji Chōja Bunin) and also the Yasui-no-Miya (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku and the Heike Monogatari). Hōen lived at Enman-in, became Gon-no-Sōjō and Chōri of Onjō-ji, and was called the Saga-no-Sōjō (Note: following the Shomonzeki-fu). Dōshō was called a man of the Dharma vessel from his youth. In the third year of Bunji (1187) he died, at the age of eighteen (Note: following the Gyokukai. The Genpei Jōsuiki also says that Dōson, a disciple of Imperial Prince-Priest Shukaku, died at eighteen, but this is probably the Genpei Jōsuiki confusing Dōshō with Dōson).

Imperial Prince-Priest Enne

¶The Imperial Prince-Priest Enne lived at Enman-in, passed through the post of Gon-no-Daisōzu (Note: following the Imakagami), became an Imperial Prince (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku and the Shomonzeki-fu), and was appointed Chōri of Onjō-ji (Note: following the Gukanshō, the Heike Monogatari, the Genpei Jōsuiki, and the Shomonzeki-fu). In the third year of Nin'an (1168) he was appointed Betto of Shitennō-ji (Note: following the Sōkan Bunin). In the fourth year of Jishō (1180) he was implicated in the affair of Prince Mochihito and was stripped of the post of Betto (Note: following the Gyokukai and the Hyakurenshō), and was called the Hachijō-no-Miya (Note: following the Gyokukai, the Kōin Shōunroku, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Gukanshō). In the second year of Juei (1183), when Minamoto-no-Yoshinaka made trouble in the capital, Enne, together with the Tendai Zasu Meiun, led warrior monks to meet the danger. When the Hōjūji-dono caught fire, he secretly fled (Note: following the Heike Monogatari and the Genpei Jōsuiki), accompanied by Shōshō-bō. When he had come as far as beside Kazan-ji, rebel soldiers closed in at once and tried to cut Enne down. Shōshō-bō tried to ward them off with his hands, but the rebels cut off his arm and in the end killed Enne (Note: compiled with reference to the Gyokukai and the Gukanshō. The Genpei Jōsuiki says that Imperial Prince-Priest Enne was shot dead by Nei-no-Yukichika, and the Heike Monogatari also says he died struck by an arrow). Yoshinaka exposed the heads of Enne and Meiun on the Rokujō riverbank, but the monk Gyōsei secretly took the heads away, cremated them both, and placed the remains on Mount Kōya (Note: following the Genpei Jōsuiki; the Gukanshō makes Gyōsei Kenshin).

Imperial Prince-Priest Jōe

¶The Imperial Prince-Priest Jōe lived at Enman-in (Note: following the Sōkan Bunin and the Shomonzeki-fu) and passed through the posts of Daisōzu and Gon-no-Sōjō. In the third year of Juei (1184) he was appointed Betto of Shitennō-ji (Note: following the Gyokukai, the Kōin Shōunroku, the Sōkan Bunin, and the Shomonzeki-fu). In the first year of Kenkyū (1190) he became an Imperial Prince (Note: following the Rekidai Kōki and the Kippu Hikunshō) and became Chōri of Onjō-ji. In the fourth month of the seventh year (1196) he died. Because an In-zen, a retired emperor's decree, had once said, "Entrust the headship of the Byōdō-in to Jōe, and let his disciples inherit it from generation to generation," he was called the Byōdō-in-no-Miya (Note: following the Sōkan Bunin, with reference to the Shomonzeki-fu). He was also called the Toba-no-Miya (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Shomonzeki-fu) and the Hōrin-in-no-Miya (Note: following the Shomonzeki-fu).

Imperial Prince-Priest Seie

¶The Imperial Prince-Priest Seie became a disciple of Imperial Prince-Priest Enne (Note: following the Gyokukai) and lived at Shōgo-in (Note: following the Shomonzeki-fu). In the first year of Yōwa (1181) he became an Isshin Ajari (Note: following the Gyokukai). In the second year of Kenkyū (1191) he became an Imperial Prince (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki). In the third year (1192) he was appointed Betto of Jōmyō-ji (Note: following the Gyokukai). In the seventh year (1196) he was appointed Chōri of Onjō-ji (Note: following the Sōkan Bunin). In the third month of the third year of Kennin (1203) he died, at the age of forty (Note: following the Narisuke-ō-ki). He was called the Shōgo-in-no-Miya (Note: following the Gyokukai, the Narisuke-ō-ki, the Hyakurenshō, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Kōin Shōunroku), and also the Seiryū-in-no-Miya and the Senkō-in-no-Miya (Note: following the Shomonzeki-fu).

Imperial Prince-Priest Dōhō

¶In the second year of Angen (1176), Emperor Takakura raised the Imperial Prince-Priest Dōhō as his own child (Note: following the Gyokukai). In the third year of Jishō (1179) he became a disciple of Imperial Prince-Priest Shukaku, entered Ninna-ji, and shaved his head (Note: compiled with reference to the Ninna-ji Goden and the Kōtei Kishō). His first name was Sonshō. In the third year of Juei (1184) he became an Isshin Ajari (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden). In the first year of Bunji (1185) he became an Imperial Prince (Note: following the Gyokukai, the Ninna-ji Goden, and the Kōtei Kishō) and was appointed Kengyō of the Six Shō Temples (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden). In the sixth year of Kenkyū (1195) he was at once granted Second Rank (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki, the Teiō Hennenki, the Ninna-ji Goden, the Tōji Chōja Bunin, and the Shakke Kanpanki). In the first year of Kennin (1201) he was permitted to enter and leave the palace while remaining in his ox-drawn carriage (Note: following the Hyakurenshō and the Ninna-ji Goden). In the third year (1203) he was granted the Gōsho and became Sōhōmu, and in succession was appointed Kengyō of the two cloisters of Saishō-kōin and Saishō Shitennō-in (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden). In the eleventh month of the second year of Kenpō (1214) he died, at the age of forty-nine (Note: following the Teiō Hennenki, the Kōtei Kishō, the Ninna-ji Goden, the Ninna-ji Hinamiki, and the Shakke Kanpanki). Emperor Go-Toba attended the funeral in person (Note: following the Ninna-ji Goden). He was called the Go-Kōya-no-Omuro (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku, the Teiō Hennenki, the Ninna-ji Goden, and the Ninna-ji Hinamiki) and also the Sai-in (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku). In his later years he founded the Kōmyōjuin and lived there, and so he was also called the Kōmyōjuin-no-Omuro (Note: following the Ninna-ji Shodō-ki).

Imperial Prince-Priest Shōnin

¶The Imperial Prince-Priest Shōnin was first named Saie (Note: following the Rekidai Kōki and the Tendai Zasu-ki). Kenshunmon-in raised him as her own child (Note: following the Sankaiki). In the first year of Angen (1175), when Shōnin was seven, Taira-no-Chikamune, Ushōben, Minor Controller of the Right, was ordered to look after his upbringing (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku and the Sankaiki), and he became a disciple of the Tendai Zasu Meiun (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku, the Sankaiki, and the Tendai Zasu-ki). In the first year of Yōwa (1181) he entered Enryaku-ji and shaved his head (Note: following the Gyokukai and the Tendai Zasu-ki. The Genpei Jōsuiki says that a monk, adopted by Kenshunmon-in, became in the first year of Angen a disciple of Kaishū of Enryaku-ji, and that when Mochihito was defeated, fearing that calamity would reach him, he hurriedly shaved his head, being then twelve years old. Judging from the age, one might suppose this to be the same person as Shōnin, but the circumstances of the tonsure are wholly at odds. Moreover the Zasu at the time was Meiun, not Kaishū, so this account is doubtful and cannot now be examined). He lived at Kajii (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku and the Shomonzeki-fu) and became an Isshin Ajari and Gon-no-Daisōzu. In the first year of Kenkyū (1190) he became an Imperial Prince. In the fourth year (1193) he was appointed Zasu of Hōshōji and Kengyō of Jōkō-ji (Note: following the Tendai Zasu-ki). In the seventh year (1196) he became Tendai Zasu (Note: following the Teiō Hennenki, the Tendai Zasu-ki, the Sōkan Bunin, and the Gukanshō). In the fourth month of the eighth year (1197) he died, at the age of twenty-nine (Note: following the Teiō Hennenki and the Tendai Zasu-ki). Once, when Emperor Takakura had died and the Son of Heaven, Emperor Antoku, was in the period of deep mourning, all of Shōnin's attendants wore bright, cheerful dress, with robes and sashes of great splendor, and critics of the day condemned this (Note: following the Gyokukai). At the time of the incident at the Hōjūji-dono he was in attendance on the Retired Emperor together with Meiun. When people scattered, rebel soldiers pressed on Shōnin. Shōnin said, "I am this prince," whereupon his companions carried Shōnin into a commoner's house, seated him on top of a chest, and so in the end spared him the calamity (Note: following the Gukanshō).

Monk Shintei

¶The monk Shintei lived at Ninna-ji and became Daisōzu and Betto of Kōryū-ji (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki and the Kōin Shōunroku; for Daisōzu, the Shōunroku is followed). He was called the Uzumasa-no-Miya (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku) and also the Jihō-in-no-Miya (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki).

Monk Kōe

¶The monk Kōe lived at the Hōrin-in (Note: following the Kōin Shōunroku) and became Gon-no-Sōjō. When Emperor Go-Shirakawa died, for certain reasons he did not attend the mourning and did not wear mourning dress. He was called the Okasaki-no-Miya (Note: following the Ichidai Yōki).