Retsudo Gisen (列堂義仙)
Retsudo Gisen (1635-August 17, 1702) was a priest of the Rinzai sect in the Edo period. He was a son of Munenori YAGYU (Tajima no kami [the governor of Tajima Province]), the first lord of Yagyu Domain in Yamato Province, and he became the first chief priest of Hotoku-ji Temple, the temple of the Yagyu family.
Gisen was a child of Munenori YAGYU and his concubine, and his childhood name was Rokumaru. When he lost his father at the age of 12, he entered priesthood in Daitoku-ji Temple in Kyoto by his father's will around that time, then became a disciple of Tenyu Joka and a priest, changed his name to Gisen, and called himself "Retsudo Osho (High Priest Retsudo)." Then he moved to his family temple, Hotoku-ji Temple as the chief priest, which had been built by Munenori to hold a memorial service for his deceased father, Muneyoshi YAGYU (Sekishusai) by engaging Soho TAKUAN in Yagyu (present Yagyushimo-cho, Nara City). And by Iemitsu TOKUGAWA's intention based on Munenori's last wish, 200 koku from Munenori's property inheritance 12500 koku were distributed to Hotoku-ji Temple as jiryo (temple estate).
Soon after his father Munenori died in 1646, his oldest brother Mitsutoshi YAGYU (Jubei) who had inherited most of their father's property died young in 1650, and the second older brother Munefuyu YAGYU succeeded to the Yagyu family. But compared to Gisen, Munefuyu was also a 22 years older brother, and it has been said that violent tempered Gisen did not get along well with Munefuyu. Gisen seems to have had too fierce temper to fit into priesthood entirely that he had run away from Yagyu and been absent from Hotoku-ji Temple for a long time. There remains a will of his older brother Munefuyu who got enraged at Gisen's absence, directing to banish Gisen and have someone replace him as the chief priest. But it is not certain whether Gisen was actually banished or not, and Retsudo Osho (Gisen) has been listed as the first chief priest at Hotoku-ji Temple till now. Later, he also took the position as the chief priest of Daitoku-ji Temple.
Retsudo Gisen left his name in the history since he was the last son of Munenori YAGYU and the founder of his family temple, but few studies from academic points of view such as historical science and so on have been made, and there are many parts in his history and legends which are not fully known.
Retsudo Gisen in fictions
For Kazuo KOIKE set up a role of villain named 'Retsudo YAGYU' in his work of period drama, "Kozure Okami" (Lone Wolf and Cub), this image has become predominant and it seems that his real person and fictitious images have been mixed up.
In Keiichiro RYU's novels, "Yoshiwara Gomenjo" and its sequel "Kakuresato Kugaiko," he makes appearance as 'Gisen YAGYU'. At first, he appears as the strongest villain who controls the backstage of YAGYU, then after going through the fights with the hero, Seiichiro MATSUNAGA, in the latter half of "Kakuresato Kugaiko," the character of his role changes greatly; however, regretfully, the author's sudden death left the series as a whole incomplete.
But in Masashi HISAKA's novel, he is depicted as a hero and a daring man.