Faith in Lord Kiyomasa

Japanese: 清正公信仰 - せいしょうこうしんこう

A faith that worships Kato Kiyomasa, a feudal lord in Higo and Kumamoto and an ardent believer in the Lotus Sutra, as "Lord Kiyomasa" and prays for the fulfillment of wishes. This faith is seen as a commoner faith that transcends sects and spreads throughout Kyushu, centered around Kumamoto, which was Kiyomasa's former territory and where his mausoleum (Honmyoji Temple) is located, and is distributed nationwide, mainly at temples of the former Rokujo school of the Nichiren sect. The background to the establishment of this faith is that Kiyomasa was revered by religious communities as the first person to introduce the Lotus Sutra faith to Higo, that he was revered as a wise ruler who demonstrated his achievements in flood control and land reclamation, and that common people sympathized with his family lineage being extinct. At the same time, Honmyoji Temple, where Kiyomasa's mausoleum is located, has continued to function as a temple of prayer since its founding by Kiyomasa.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

肥後熊本の領主で熱心な法華の信者であった加藤清正を〈清正公（せいしよこ）さん〉と奉称し，所願成就を祈る信仰。この信仰は地域的には清正の旧領で，その廟所（びようしよ）(本妙寺)のある熊本を中心に九州一円に広がる宗派を超越した庶民信仰としてみられ，教団的には日蓮宗旧六条門流寺院を中心に全国的に分布している。この信仰の成立過程には，清正が肥後にはじめて法華信仰を導入した人物として教団的に尊崇されたこと，治水，干拓などにしめされた治世の名君として敬慕されたこと，さらに家系断絶に対する庶民的同情等がその背景にあり，同時に，その廟所である本妙寺が清正の創建以来祈禱寺としての性格を持続していたことによる。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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