Looking at the forces before the Battle of Okehazama, Yoshimoto Imagawa Is Suruga / Totomi / Mikawa Hojo in the Kanto region, holding down the key point of the Tokaido , Kai's Takeda , Mino / Owari's Oda It was a daimyo who had crossed over more than that.
Hojo / Takeda and Triple Alliance [ Non-aggression Treaty ] Was realized by Yoshimoto Imagawa.
It is no exaggeration to say that Yoshimoto Imagawa, who had lost his patronage, was the closest to the world at this time.
In his territory, it can be said that he has made great achievements such as conducting land inspections and adding the Kokubu Law enacted by his father and parents. He was Yoshimoto who achieved the heyday of the Imagawa clan, but he couldn't do it alone.
There was almost always one person in the Imagawa family's policy.
This time, Sessai Ohara who supported the Imagawa family while being such a monk. I will write about.
The role of a monk during the Warring States period
The roles of monks at that time were diverse.
Not just Buddhism, Confucianism As an educator of the daimyo, the monk, who was also a well-versed intellectual, moral training and moral politics Was teaching. As its textbook, the Chinese classic known as the military art book [ Rokumon ] [ Three Strategies ] Is said to have been used.
He was also in charge of magical roles such as the date of departure and praying for victory. His role is believed to have contributed to the war in a religious role, rather than showing tactics and tricks.
The monks played a major role in each negotiation between the daimyo.
The negotiations are not limited to Japan, but by making use of language skills, China and the Korean Peninsula It is said that it reached to.
Shingen Takeda as a monk of a famous daimyo family Kaisen Joki * And Ieyasu Tokugawa and Nankobo Tenkai , Mori Terumoto and Ankokuji Ekei Etc. are very famous.
* Kaisen Joki seems to be a person who said that the fire would be cool if the mind was destroyed.
In this way, the priest became the brain of the Sengoku daimyo and supported the daimyo behind the scenes, and Sessai Ohara also supported the Imagawa family as the brain of Yoshimoto Imagawa.
Chronology of Sessai Ohara
Chronology of Sessai Ohara
Born in Suruga in 1496 br /> 1525 Imagawa Yoshimoto was sent to the Buddhist gate, and Sessai Ohara continued to be a nursery teacher.
1526 Imagawa Ujichika died. ..
1537 Efforts to improve relations with Nobutora Takeda, Kai Province
1545 Opened Rinzaiji Temple in Sunpu
1546 On condition that Takechiyo (Ieyasu Tokugawa) be taken hostage Supporting the Matsudaira family.
1549 Sessai Ohara regains Takechiyo Matsudaira (Ieyasu Tokugawa), the hostage of the Oda family. Contributed to the addition of 33 articles of the Imagawa Kana Mokuroku, the Imagawa Kana Mokuroku.
While Sessai was instrumental in the development of the Imagawa family, he was also active as a priest.
The life of Sessai Ohara
Sessai Ohara is in Suruga, Ihara Castle He was born as a child of Masamori Anhara.
His mother is said to be the daughter of Mr. Okitsu, who leads the Navy.
Both of them were senior vassals of Fudai who served Imagawa for generations.
Born into such a family, Sessai was intelligent and trained at multiple temples from an early age.
Encounter with Yoshimoto Imagawa
The encounter with Yoshimoto Imagawa dates back to his childhood.
1522 Sessai Ohara Is Yoshimoto , the 5th son of Imagawa Ujichika. I was entrusted to the education staff of.
Yoshimoto, who was the fifth son, had no choice but to go to another house or leave the house because it was said that he had nothing to do with the inheritance of the family. Was hit by a white feather arrow.
Thus, Sessai Ohara and Yoshimoto Imagawa A similar relationship was born with the parents and children, and they acted together.
He went up to Kyoto, studied at a temple, and deepened his friendship with public houses, so he may have adopted that culture even though he was a Sengoku warrior. In addition, Sessai also taught Yoshimoto the military arts.
At this time, he seems to have been invited not only by Yoshimoto's educator but also to officially work as a vassal of the Imagawa clan, but he seems to have refused twice. However, in the end, the head of the family, Imagawa Ujichika There is a record that he received the request.
It seems that Sessai Ohara was so talented.
The Imagawa clan's reign of the family [Hanakura no Ran]
Imagawa Ujichika Died, and Ujiteru inherited the family reign, but died at the young age of 24.
At the same time, my second son, Hikogoro, has disappeared.
Since Ujiteru had no children, the heirs of the family became Yoshimoto and Yoshimoto, and a house turmoil broke out. However, Yoshimoto and Sessai [ Hanakura Ran ] Will be suppressed in just two weeks.
The martial arts of Sessai at this time are not officially left, but in the historical materials left by the Takeda family, [ Yoshimoto Imagawa without Sessai Ohara cannot carry things well . ], It seems that there is no doubt that he was involved in some way.
Yoshimoto Imagawa in this turbulence of Hanakura Is repatriation However, he returned to the Imagawa family and welcomed Sessai Ohara as a senior vassal.
Active as a brain of Yoshimoto Imagawa
Sessai Ohara, who demonstrated his abilities as the right arm of Yoshimoto Imagawa, who became the head of the family, married Mr. Imagawa and Mr. Takeda, and Mr. Takeda and Mr. Hojo. To succeed.
Furthermore, Mikawa's flattening Then, there is also a letter to the local samurai that Sessai Ohara relieved his territory, indicating that he was involved in politics. Takechiyo Matsudaira (later Ieyasu Tokugawa) was robbed by Nobuhide Oda in this settlement. It is said that he succeeded in regaining his education and also served as an educator.
On the domestic affairs side, he was involved in the addition of the [Imagawa Kana Mokuroku], which stipulated the law concerning the Imagawa family's territory, and also contributed to the development of temples and shrines, and was active as a dual wield monk and warrior.
Achievement as a priest of Sessai Ohara
Sessai Ohara, who supported the heyday of the Imagawa clan, was also a priest.
1545 Invited a high priest to open Rinzaiji Temple in Sunpu and became the second chief priest. Also 1550 In addition, he became the 35th chief priest of Myoshinji Temple in Kyoto and has been successful as a priest. It is said that during this period, many temples were built and the Myoshinji school was popular.
Sessai Ohara who supported the heyday of the Imagawa family Died in 1555, five years before the Battle of Okehazama.
The famous warrior, Kansuke Yamamoto, also described the Imagawa family as an indispensable person for Sessai, and Ieyasu Tokugawa . [ Yoshimoto consults with Sessai and manages both countries, so the authority of the elders is small and if Sessai dies, the national affairs will not remain ] Is evaluated.
According to these evaluations, the Imagawa clan, who could not get rid of Sessai, followed the path of destruction with the battle between Okehazama as a kick.