Touhou Saku - Touhou Saku

A Chinese scholar of the Han dynasty. His pen name was Mansei. He was from Pingyuan Enji (Huimin County, Shandong Province). When Emperor Wu ascended to the throne and called for wise and skilled writers, Saku submitted a self-praising essay, and his literary talent was recognized, leading to him being promoted to Jinmamen Shichu (Attendant of the Jinba Gate), and later to Taichu Taifu (Prefectural Office) and then to Taichu Taifu (Prefectural Office). Saku was erudite, knowledgeable, and skilled in writing, and was full of humor and wit, and became a close aide to Emperor Wu, but Emperor Wu saw him as a humorous man and did not trust him in politics. Two essays that Saku wrote to console himself in his misfortune, "Answering the Difficulties of Guests" and "On the Non-existence of a Teacher," are included in the "Wen Xuan." There are many ancient legends about him, such as how he stole and ate the peach fruit planted by Xiwangmu, became a hermit, and gained a long life of 8,000 years. There is also a Noh play called "Tohosaku" based on this.

[Masako Negishi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、漢の文人。字(あざな)は曼倩(まんせい)。平原厭次(えんじ)（山東省恵民県）の人。武帝が即位したのち賢良文学の士を募ったとき、朔は自賛の文を奉り、文才を認められて金馬門侍中(きんばもんじちゅう)となり、そののち常侍郎(じょうじろう)から太中大夫(たいちゅうたいふ)給事中となった。朔は博学多識で文章に優れ、ユーモアや機知に富み、諧謔(かいぎゃく)の言語で武帝の側近となったが、武帝からは滑稽(こっけい)の士とみられ、政治のうえでは信任を得られなかった。朔が不遇の自分を慰めてつくった「客の難に答う」「非有先生論」の二文は『文選(もんぜん)』に収められている。西王母の植えた桃の実を盗んで食べ、仙人になって八千年の長寿を得たなど、古来伝説が多い。これによる能『東方朔』もある。

［根岸政子］

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