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Jyoukouji


The inked letter from Jyokouin


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<IMG src="map/jyoukouji.png" width="250" height="200">
registered location Owner
S45. October 19th. City Cultural Property Asama, Obama city Jyoukouji Rinzai sect Myoushinji mission


This letter was sent by Jyoukouin Eishobi, the wife of Takatsugu Kyogoku, to Kaido priest who found the Jyokouji. It was dated on March 10th, but it is unknown which year.

Her names were either "Hatsu" or "Fuji" and she was the second daughter of Nagamasa Azai and her mother was Oichinokata, the sister of Nobunaga Oda. She had two sisters. The older sister was Yodogimi, the mistress of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, and the younger sister was Otoku, the wife of Hidetada Tokugawa.

She shaved her head after her husband died in Keicho 14(1609) at the age of 47. She named herself Eishobi and built a temple on the foot of Nochise Mountain and asked Kondo priest to be the founder of the temple. She passed away in August 27th, Kaneii 10(1633) and was burried in Jyokouji in October.

The letter is presumed to be written in her late years and content is about sending Kesa of Kujyo to the priest:

If you need, please reply soon. I would sew it for you. I have not written any letter for you recently, I wonder who you are. Please be relieved as nothing has changed on me too. You mentioned the Kesa of Kujyo before, and I have waited for your reply. But as time passed, I have sent some of I have sewn so far.

It is 46.3cm long and 30.4cm wide, and the kind letter with beautiful handwriting.