was a daimyo

Daimyo

is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...

and a monk during the Sengoku period

Sengoku period

The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...

 in Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. Myōchin was the son of Saitō Sōen (斎藤宗円), who served as the guardian

Shugodai

were officials during feudal Japan.Shugodai were representatives of provincial shugo when the shugo could not exercise his power, being often away from his province. Unlike shugo, who were appointed from the central power, shugodai were locally appointed....

 of Mino Province

Mino Province

, one of the old provinces of Japan, encompassed part of modern-day Gifu Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Mino Province bordered Echizen, Hida, Ise, Mikawa, Ōmi, Owari, and Shinano Provinces....

, and the younger brother of Saitō Toshinaga

Saito Toshinaga

was a daimyo during Japan's Muromachi period. He was the son of Saitō Sōen , shugo of Mino Province, and the older brother of Saitō Myōchin, making him the uncle of the warlord Saitō Dōsan. By his first wife, he was the father of Saitō Toshifuji and Saitō Noriaki...

. He began his training as a monk from a young age at Zene-ji (善恵寺). His grave is on the grounds of Zuiryū-ji

Zuiryu-ji (Gifu)

is a Buddhist temple of the Rinzai sect built in Mino Province . It is a branch temple of Myōshin-ji in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan....

 in Gifu

Gifu, Gifu

is a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. During the Sengoku period, various warlords, including Oda Nobunaga, used...

, Gifu Prefecture

Gifu Prefecture

is a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of central Japan. Its capital is the city of Gifu.Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west through such routes as the Nakasendō...

.

History

In 1450, Saitō Myōchin served as the guardian of upper Mino Province

Mino Province

, one of the old provinces of Japan, encompassed part of modern-day Gifu Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Mino Province bordered Echizen, Hida, Ise, Mikawa, Ōmi, Owari, and Shinano Provinces....

 on behalf of the Toki clan

Toki clan

The was a powerful clan that ruled in Japan from the Kamakura period to the Edo period. It descended from Emperor Seiwa by Minamoto no Yorimitsu from the Minamoto clan and used Toki in Mino Province as their hometown...

. During his reign, he built Jōzai-ji

Jozai-ji (Gifu)

is a Buddhist temple of the Nichiren sect in Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Its formal name is Shūrinzan Jōzai-ji . Starting with Saitō Dōsan, Jōzai-ji served as the family temple for the Saitō family for three generations, which included his son, Saitō Yoshitatsu, and his grandson, Saitō Tokugen...

 in modern-day Gifu. The temple would later become the family temple for the Saitō clan

Saito clan

The was a Japanese clan in Mino Province during the Sengoku period in the 16th century. According to records, the Saitō clan descended from the Fujiwara clan...

. When Yoshinaga died in 1460, Myōchin moved from Jōzai-ji and into nearby Kanō Castle

Kano Castle

was a castle that was built during peace time in the 15th and 16th centuries, but only its ruins, including the base of the donjon and walls, remain in the present-day city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan.-History:...

.