Jinson (尋尊)

Jinson (August 25, 1430-May 31, 1508) was a Japanese priest of Nara Kofuku-ji Temple lived over the middle of the Muromachi period and the Sengoku period (period of warring states). His father was Kaneyoshi (also called Kanera) ICHIJO. His mother was the daughter of Nobutoshi NAKANOMIKADO. He was the 180th Kofuku-ji betto (the head priest of Kofuku-ji Temple). He was the 20th monzeki (the priest in charge of a temple where the doctrines of the founder of the sect have been handed down) of Daijo-in Temple.

Entering Daijo-in Temple in 1438 to replace a priest Kyogaku who left the temple after being punished by the Muromachi bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun), Jinson served following 70 years in the temple. He entered the priesthood in 1440. After passing the Kengaku Ryugi (oral examination for learned priests) at Yuimae (a Buddhist service for the Yuima Sutra held at Kofuku-ji Temple), he was appointed to Shosozu (junior secondary prelate), Daisozu (upper Buddhist priest in the second highest position) and Sojo (priest ranked in the highest managerial position) in that order, and then assumed the post of Kofuku-ji betto in 1456. Later, he was appointed as homu (director of temple affairs) and concurrently served as betto of Hase-dera Temple, Tachibana-dera Temple and Yakushi-ji Temple in Nara. When the Onin War (1467-1477) broke out, he protected diaries of his father, Kaneyoshi, from fires caused by the war. Jinson wrote his experiences down in many documents. Among them, the diary 'Jinson Daisojo Ki' (Diary of Daisojo Jinson) is an indispensable material to understand not only Kofuku-ji Temple but also the period he lived. The diary was published in 1931 by being titled 'Daijoin jisha zojiki' (Miscellaneous Records of the Daijo-in Temple and Shrine).

[Original Japanese]