Masamoto Kujo

He was a nobleman in the late Muromachi period. His father was former Kanpaku (chief adviser to the Emperor), Kujo Mitsunori, and his mother was the daughter of Gon Dainagon (provisional chief counselor), Karahashi Aritoyo. In 1459 (Choroku 3), at the age of 15, he came of age and served as a Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Right Shosho. The following year (Kansho 1), he was promoted from a Junior Third Rank, non-councillor to Chunagon. In 1461, he was promoted to Gon Dainagon, and the following year to Junior Second Rank. In 1465, he succeeded to the headship of the Kujo family. In 1468 (Onin 2), at the age of 24, he became Shonii (senior second rank), Udaijin (minister of the right), in 1475 (Bunmei 7), Sadaijin (minister of the left), and the following year, Juichii (junior first rank), head of the Kanpaku clan. In 1479, at the age of 35, he resigned as head of the Kanpaku clan, and in 1482, he handed the family headship over to his son, Hisatsune. In 91 (Entoku 3), she was proclaimed the third empress. Masamoto held key positions in the court politics during the Onin War, and experienced the devastation of Kyoto and the decline of the court class. The family's finances also went bankrupt, and they were forced to give up their family estate, Iriyamada Village, Hinenosho, Izumi Province (Izumisano City, Osaka Prefecture), as collateral for money borrowed from their cousin, Karahashi Arikazu. Perhaps due to this economic friction, in January 96 (Meio 5), Masamoto and his son, Naotsune, murdered Arikazu, who was also their butler, in their own pavilion, sending shock waves through the court politics. Both father and son were punished by imperial pardon and suspended from serving at the Imperial Court. Two years later, when Naotsune's ban was lifted, Masamoto shaved his head and in March 1501 (Bunki 1), he went to Hine-sho, which was suffering under the seizure of its land by the shugo Hosokawa clan, and stayed there until December 1504 (Eisho 1), where he was involved in the direct management of the estate. Looking at his diary from this time, "Tabihikitsuke," he does not seem to have been particularly culturally well-educated, but the diary itself is a valuable historical source for learning about village life at the time. In October of the following year after returning to Kyoto, he also went to Oshio-sho in Yamashiro Province (Nishikyo Ward, Kyoto City) to collect the annual tax. He passed away on April 4, 1502, ending his eventful life. He was known by the Buddhist name Jigen-in, and his grave is at Fumon-ji Temple.

[Mutsumi Tanuma]

"The Library Bureau Series: Masamoto's Travel Notes" (1961, Yotokusha) "The Library Bureau Series: Kujo Family Documents 1" (1970, Meiji Shoin)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

室町後期の公家(くげ)。父は前関白(かんぱく)九条満教(みつのり)、母は権大納言(ごんだいなごん)唐橋在豊(からはしありとよ)の娘。1459年（長禄3）15歳で元服、従(じゅ)四位下右少将として出仕、翌60年（寛正1）従三位(じゅさんみ)非参議から中納言となる。61年権大納言、翌年従二位。65年九条家の家督を継いだ。68年（応仁2）24歳で正二位右大臣、75年（文明7）左大臣、翌年には従一位関白氏長者(うじのちょうじゃ)となった。79年、35歳で関白氏長者を辞し、82年に家督を子息尚経(ひさつね)に譲った。91年（延徳3）准三后(じゅさんごう)宣下。政基は応仁文明(おうにんぶんめい)の乱の最中に公家政界の枢位を歴任し、京都の荒廃、公家階級の没落を体験していった。家経済も破綻(はたん)し、家領和泉(いずみ)国日根荘(ひねのしょう)入山田(いりやまだ)村（大阪府泉佐野市）を従兄弟(いとこ)唐橋在数(ありかず)からの借銭の質に手放す状態であった。こうした経済的摩擦からか、96年（明応5）正月、政基・尚経父子は、執事でもあった在数を自亭で殺害し、公家政界に大きな衝撃を与え、父子ともに勅勘を受け、朝廷への出仕を停止された。2年後に尚経が勅勘を解かれたのを契機に薙髪(ちはつ)した政基は、1501年（文亀1）3月、守護細川氏の押領に苦しむ日根荘に下向し、04年（永正1）12月まで滞留し荘園の直接支配に従事した。この間の日記『旅引付(たびひきつけ)』をみると、かならずしも文化的素養に恵まれたとは思えないが、日記自体は当時の村落生活を知る好史料である。帰京した翌年10月にも、山城(やましろ)国小塩(おしお)荘（京都市西京区）の年貢収納のために下向している。永正(えいしょう)13年4月4日波瀾(はらん)多い生涯を閉じた。法号慈眼院、墓所は普門寺にある。

［田沼　睦］

『『図書寮叢刊　政基公旅引付』（1961・養徳社）』▽『『図書寮叢刊　九条家文書1』（1970・明治書院）』

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