Munenaga
Encyclopedia
, an imperial prince
(the eighth son of Emperor Godaigo) and a poet of the Nijō poetic school
of Nanboku-chō period, mostly known for his compilation of the Shin'yō Wakashū
.
Prince Munenaga led a turbulent life, which quite likely served as an impetus for his poetic sensibility. In 1326 he took tonsure as a Tendai
priest on Mount Hiei
and swiftly advanced in his studies of the Buddhist doctrine.
In 1330 Prince Munenaga became the head priest of Tendai
school, but was soon after banished to Sanuki
in Shikoku
for his participation in the Genkō War
, where he had fought for his father's cause of imperial restoration. After three years of exile he marched his troops into Kyoto
. Subsequently, when the imperial army lost to Ashikaga Takauji
in 1336, Prince Munenaga took refuge on Mount Hiei with his father, Emperor Godaigo.
In 1338, when one of his relatives suggested that Prince Munenaga abandon resistance and return back to Kyoto, the prince replied with this poem:
Thus in an elegant poetic form Prince Munenaga replied that he would not abandon his father and stayed in the mountains of Yoshino
to continue the fight despite all the hardships.
For the rest of his life, Prince Munenaga was at the head of resistance against the Muromachi bakufu and the Northern Court. The date of his death is uncertain, but some historians believe it to be around 1385 CE.
Shinnoke
was the collective name for the four cadet branches of the Imperial Household of Japan, which were until 1947 entitled to provide a successor to the Chrysanthemum throne if the main line failed to produce an heir...
(the eighth son of Emperor Godaigo) and a poet of the Nijō poetic school
Nijo poetic school
The refers to descendants of Fujiwara no Tameie's eldest son, Nijō Tameuji . The family name took after Nijō district of Kyoto where the family had resided. This hereditary house of Japanese waka poetry is generally known for its conservative slant toward the politics and poetics aimed at...
of Nanboku-chō period, mostly known for his compilation of the Shin'yō Wakashū
Shin'yo Wakashu
The is a Nanboku-chō period collection of Japanese poetry compiled by Munenaga Shinnō ca. 1381. Although commissioned by Emperor Chōkei of the Southern Court, it is not included in the Nijūichidaishū, i.e., the twenty-one imperial anthologies for political reasons – the "official"...
.
Prince Munenaga led a turbulent life, which quite likely served as an impetus for his poetic sensibility. In 1326 he took tonsure as a Tendai
Tendai
is a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism, a descendant of the Chinese Tiantai or Lotus Sutra school.Chappell frames the relevance of Tendai for a universal Buddhism:- History :...
priest on Mount Hiei
Mount Hiei
is a mountain to the northeast of Kyoto, lying on the border between the Kyoto and Shiga prefectures, Japan.The temple of Enryaku-ji, the first outpost of the Japanese Tiantai sect of Buddhism, was founded atop Mount Hiei by Saichō in 788. Both Nichiren and Honen studied at the temple before...
and swiftly advanced in his studies of the Buddhist doctrine.
In 1330 Prince Munenaga became the head priest of Tendai
Tendai
is a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism, a descendant of the Chinese Tiantai or Lotus Sutra school.Chappell frames the relevance of Tendai for a universal Buddhism:- History :...
school, but was soon after banished to Sanuki
Sanuki Province
was an old province of Japan on the island of Shikoku, with the same boundaries as modern Kagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called .It faced the Inland Sea and bordered on Awa and Iyo Provinces. Across Naruto strait it bordered Awaji Province too. Administratively it was included as a part of...
in Shikoku
Shikoku
is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...
for his participation in the Genkō War
Genko War
The —also known as the —was a civil war in Japan which marked the fall of the Kamakura shogunate and end of the power of the Hōjō clan. The war thus preceded the Nanboku-chō period and the rise of the Ashikaga shogunate...
, where he had fought for his father's cause of imperial restoration. After three years of exile he marched his troops into Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
. Subsequently, when the imperial army lost to Ashikaga Takauji
Ashikaga Takauji
was the founder and first shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate. His rule began in 1338, beginning the Muromachi period of Japan, and ended with his death in 1358...
in 1336, Prince Munenaga took refuge on Mount Hiei with his father, Emperor Godaigo.
In 1338, when one of his relatives suggested that Prince Munenaga abandon resistance and return back to Kyoto, the prince replied with this poem:
| Rōmaji | English |
|
|
Thus in an elegant poetic form Prince Munenaga replied that he would not abandon his father and stayed in the mountains of Yoshino
Yoshino Province
thumb|250px|right|Location of Yoshino Province c. 716. was a short-lived special division of the provinces of Japan, a part of Kinai. It was composed of only one district, . Its present day location is the southern part of Nara Prefecture....
to continue the fight despite all the hardships.
For the rest of his life, Prince Munenaga was at the head of resistance against the Muromachi bakufu and the Northern Court. The date of his death is uncertain, but some historians believe it to be around 1385 CE.