Saionji Kintsune - Saionji Kintsune

A politician in the early Kamakura period. His Buddhist name was Kakusho. His father was Fujiwara Sanemune, and his mother was the daughter of Fujiwara Motoie. He held a government position during the Heike administration, and after the establishment of the Kamakura Shogunate, he became a pro-military faction within the Imperial Court. During the Jokyu War (1221), he was one of the first to report the situation at the Imperial Court to the Shogunate, leading to victory, and after the war he gained the support of the Shogunate and built up a force that dominated the political world in Kyoto. He manipulated the Sekkan family, became the Grand Minister of State, and had his granddaughter enter the Imperial court as a consort, becoming a maternal relative of the Imperial family. In addition, he lived a life of luxury with the enormous income from many manors and trade with Song China. In particular, he built Saionji Temple in Kitayama, Kyoto, as his family temple, and created a magnificent garden and pond as a villa, which was considered one of the most spectacular sights in the country. Later, based on this, the family was called Saionji. The temple is the predecessor of Rokuon-in (Kinkaku-ji). In addition to his family trade of playing the biwa, Kintsune was also skilled in waka poetry, and many of his poems have been included in imperial anthologies such as the Shin Kokinshu. He was also given a riding chariot by his great-grandfather Michisue, and was called Tomoe-taisho (General) after the design of the chariot. He died on August 29, 1282.

[Muneharu Taga]

"Ryusu's Kamakura Period Volume 2" (1957, Shunjusha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

鎌倉前期の政治家。法名覚勝。父は藤原実宗(さねむね)、母は藤原基家(もといえ)の女(むすめ)。平氏政権時代に官途につき、鎌倉幕府成立以来、朝廷内の親武家派となった。承久(じょうきゅう)の乱（1221）のとき、いち早く朝廷の情勢を幕府に通報してその勝利を導いたので、乱後幕府の後援を得て京の政界を圧する勢いを築いた。摂関(せっかん)家を操縦し、太政大臣(だいじょうだいじん)となり、孫女を入内(じゅだい)させて皇室の外戚(がいせき)となった。加えて、多くの荘園(しょうえん)や宋(そう)との貿易による莫大(ばくだい)な収入で豪華奢侈(しゃし)を極めた。なかでも京都北山(きたやま)に菩提寺(ぼだいじ)として西園寺を建立し豪華な園池をつくって別荘とし、天下の壮観とされた。のち、これに基づいて西園寺家と称した。同寺は鹿苑院(ろくおんいん)（金閣寺）の前身である。公経は家業たる琵琶(びわ)のほか、和歌をよくし、『新古今集』以下の勅撰(ちょくせん)集にその歌が多く採られている。なお曽祖父(そうそふ)通季(みちすえ)から乗用の車を伝え、その模様にちなんで鞆絵(ともえ)大将とよばれた。寛元(かんげん)2年8月29日没。

［多賀宗隼］

『龍粛著『鎌倉時代　下』（1957・春秋社）』

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