The silk coloured portrait of Myogenbikougazo
with Myogenbikouyuishogenjyousho written by Gimon Tojyo
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registered
location
Owner
S61. April 26th. City Cultural Property
Hiromine, Obama city
Myogenji Shinsyu Otani mission
This portrait describes Myogenbikou who was the second wife of Masachika Sakai, the lord of Nishio castle. She was a sister of Kazumasa Ishikawa, and the second mother of Shigetada Sakai, the lord of Kawagoe castle and the mother of Tadatoshi and also the grandmother of Tadakatsu Sakai, the feudal lord of Obama Han.
She sits on Uwadatami and has prayer beads in the right hand and put the left hand on the knee. She wears white Buddhism cloths and put blue Uchikake on her head.
She became to believe Shinran and also member of Honshoji. She built Jibutsudo in the castle and moved Myoanji, which kept the statue of Shinran, in Mimura Shimofusa province to Kawagoe and when Shigetada moved to Maebashi, she also moved the temple to Maebashi (the wooden statue of Shinran was moved to Higashi Honganji by the order of Ieyasu). She also built a new temple and welcomed Kyoden in Ryokouji from Mikawa province as the chief priest in Genna 6(1620). She passed away in Kanei 2(1625) at her age of 96 and her son, Tadatoshi, made the funeral for three days with Sennyo Jyonin from Higashi Honganji. He also asked Higashi Honganji to give the name of temple, Myogenji, and her portrait. This is the one which the painter of Higashi Honganji draw. It was drown just after she passed away, thus this portrait is quite accurate. It is 97.9cm long and 39.9cm wide. About the Myogenbikouyuishogenjyousho, Gimon visited everywhere to investigate her birth and her history and wrote it. Thus, it is a precious data to know the origin of this portrait and her.
Explanation 
Myogenji
