Saito Myouchin - Saito Myouchin

Japanese: 斎藤妙椿 - さいとう・みょうちん

Year of death: Bunmei 12.2.21 (1480.4.1)
Year of birth: 1411
A military commander in the Muromachi period. He was the deputy governor of Toki Shigeyori, the governor of Mino Province (Gifu Prefecture). He is said to be either the son or younger brother of Toshinaga, but the more likely theory is that he was the younger brother. Myojun was a Buddhist name and his real name is unknown. Upon Toshinaga's death, at the age of 54, he succeeded him as head of the family and as deputy governor of Mino. During the Onin War (1467-77), he was left in charge of the domain of Shigeyori, who was on the Western side (supporting Yamana Sozen), and defeated the forces of the Eastern side (supporting Hosokawa Katsumoto), including the Tomishima and Nagae clans, and took control of Mino, while also seizing many manors and building a power that surpassed that of the governor Shigeyori. In 1472, he sent troops to Omi to aid the Rokkaku clan, in 1473 he sent troops to Ise and captured Umezu Castle in support of the Nagano clan, in 1474 he sent troops to Echizen to mediate the battle between the Kai clan and the Asakura clan, in 1475 he sent troops to Omi again, and in 1476 he supported Oda Ise-no-kami by sending troops to Owari, thus exerting his military power in the surrounding countries as well. He also mediated by letter the battle between the Anenokoji clan of Hida and the Miki clan, and held the 33rd anniversary of the death of Ashikaga Yoshinori in Mino. It was at Myojun's will that Shigeyori accompanied Ashikaga Yoshimi and his son Yoshiki to Mino after the end of the Onin War. Regarding Myojun's political, military and economic power, it has been said that he was "a man of unparalleled good fortune and authority" (Harutomi no Sukune-ki), "the fortunes of the East and West depend on the actions of Jizein (Myojun)" (Daijojisha Zatsujiki), and "this man took various actions in the midst of the turmoil" (Choko no Sukune-ki). He also enjoyed literature and was on friendly terms with Ichijo Kaneyoshi, and there is a famous anecdote about how he returned the land of Azuma Tsuneyoshi, which he had seized, by exchanging a gift of waka poetry. In February 1728, he retired to Akechi in Kani County, and died the following year from a swelling.

(Taniguchi Ken's words)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：文明12.2.21(1480.4.1)
生年：応永18(1411)
室町時代の武将。美濃国(岐阜県)守護土岐成頼の守護代。利永の子とも弟ともいうが,弟説が有力。妙椿は法号で実名は不明。利永の死により,54歳のとき家督と美濃守護代の地位を継ぐ。応仁の乱(1467～77)では西軍(山名宗全方)に属した成頼の留守を預かり,富島氏,長江氏ら東軍勢(細川勝元方)を討って美濃を制圧する一方,多くの荘園を押領して守護成頼を凌駕する勢力を築く。文明4(1472)年には六角氏救援のため近江に出兵,同5年には伊勢に出兵し,長野氏を助けて梅津城を攻略,同6年越前に出兵して甲斐氏と朝倉氏の戦いを調停,同7年再び近江に出兵,同10年織田伊勢守に加勢して尾張に出兵するなど,その軍事力は周辺の国々にも行使され,また,書状をもって飛騨の姉小路氏と三木氏との戦いを調停したり,足利義教三十三回忌法要を美濃で営んだりもした。応仁の乱終結後,成頼が足利義視・義材父子を美濃に伴ったのも,妙椿の意思によるものであった。このような妙椿の政治・軍事・経済力については,「無双の福貴,権威の者なり」(『晴富宿禰記』),「東西の運不は持是院(妙椿)の進退によるべし」(『大乗寺社雑事記』),「この者,一乱中種々張行」(『長興宿禰記』)などといわれている。文芸も好んで一条兼良とも親交があり,押領した東常縁の所領を和歌の贈答によって返還した逸話は有名。文明11年2月,可児郡明智へ引退,翌年腫れ物を患って病没した。

(谷口研語)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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