Who were the Yoshida?

[NOTE: we have tried hard not to include information that might be considered secret by other Kempo groups - if any such practitioners have objection please send us an email and the offending information will be removed from the site.]

Many Kempo arts were associated with the Yoshida clan or with clans affiliated to them. The Yoshida were originally known as the Urabe, but were given their special name in recognition of their close relationship to the Imperial family. In feudal times the Yoshida were one of the most powerful families in Japan and at times achieved dominance, especially in matters related to the spiritual aspects of life in Japan. At once both religious leaders and warriors, the Yoshida were also innovators who added much developmental colour to an otherwise fairly stagnant society.

The Yoshida were leaders in both Shinto and Buddhism, but it is for Shinto that they are best known. Their headquarters was at the Yoshida Shrine in Kyoto (below).

 The Yoshida Shrine was the foremost of three shrines that were originally dedicated to the guardian spirit (Ujigami) of the courtly Fujiwara family. The Fujiwara were the most closely related family to the line of Emperors and several Fujiwara became parents and grandparents of Emperors. Based on Yoshida Mountain (Yoshidayama) near Kyoto this shrine was and is a centre dedicated to the divine aspect of nature, and is thought to provide blessings against misfortune and tragedy.

It is believed that Yoshidayama was considered to be a religious site since prehistoric times. The founding of the shrine was during the reign of Emperor Seiwa (the 56th Emperor) between the years 859-887AD when Fujiwara Chunagon invited the deity Kasuga-no-Okami to Yoshidayama to become the guardian of Heiankyo (the former name of Kyoto, which was at that time the capital of Japan).

The shrine was particularly associated with the line of the Fujiwara Hokke, the most politically influential northern branch of the Fujiwara family. Fujiwara Yamakage, descended from the famous Fujiwara Uona, had a son called Fujiwara Nakamasa who in turn had a daughter called Tokihime, who's daughter in turn was parent to two emperors, Enyu (64th Emperor) and Ichijo (66th Emperor). it was Emperor Ichijo who, in 987, elevated the Yoshida Jinja to the high status of enshrining the ujigami of the extended imperial family. In 1107 the status of the shrine was re-confirmed by the 73rd Emperor Horikawa.

During the course of the Heian Period (794-1185) the Yoshida Shrine was strongly associated with two other important shrines, the Kasuga-sha and the Oharano-sha. Around the end of the Heian period, Urabe Kanetada had two sons, Kanechika and Kanekuni, by whom the lineage was divided into the Yoshida (Kanechika) and Hirano (Kanekuni) families, both groups remaining influential throughout most of the subsequent history of Japan. The Yoshida branch became associated with the development and administration of Yoshida Shinto and the Yoshida Shrine, while the Hirano branch became associated with scholarship and guardianship of important Shinto texts, particularly the Nihon-Shoki.

During the Kamakura Period (12th-14th Century) which saw the rise to power of warrior government in Japan, the Yoshida Shrine maintained its important status as the Fujiwara family remained powerful and was influential both with the Imperial Court and the Kamakura Bakufu government of the early shoguns. Indeed Fujiwara Yoritsune and Fujiwara Yoritsugu, the 4th and 5th shoguns of the Kamakura Period, were Fujiwara family members closely associated with the shrine. It was during this period that indigenous martial arts had the ascendancy in Japan as the kind of warfare encountered was very much of the standard battlefield variety. Schools of Buddhism such as Zen flourished as it was found to be a good basis for training soldiers for the battlefield. At this time the Shinto of the Yoshida Shrine was very much for the elite, not for the masses.

The most dramatic changes in the history of the Yoshida came during the Muromachi Period (14th to late 16th Centuries). Early in the Muromachi the Yoshida Shrine's teachings developed a cloak of secrecy that was to last until the present day. One of the reasons for this was the ascendancy of Buddhism which greatly influenced the practice of Shinto throughout Japan. The Yoshida Shrine therefore became a small island maintaining the original Shinto tradition in secret among a sea of Buddhism. Buddhism further expanded its reputation of usefulness in training main battlefield troops, however the early Ashikaga Shoguns, particularly the third Ashikaga shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, found an increased need for special operations that did not fit neatly into the "battlefield" classification. These included the "protection" of key political personages and counter-piracy (see the section on the history of Kempo). For these purposes, specially selected bushi (warriors) were trained in Yoshida Shinto which was found to be more effective for applications where warriors had to think and respond to rapidly changing circumstances as well as fight. This should not be seen as a competition between Buddhism and Shinto, but rather that some small numbers of bushi received "standard" Buddhist training followed by "specialised" Shinto training. In this process it was recognised that specialised martial arts were also needed - these did not exist in Japan so they had to be imported from China. These imported arts used in conjunction with a Shinto and/or Buddhist base became known collectively as Kempo. Many of the Kempo arts thus became associated with the Yoshida family, and, in the northern branch of the Yoshida, with Yoshida Shinto.

The secrecy of Yoshida Shinto increased through this period to a peak when the Onin War broke out in Kyoto in 1467. The next significant event was the rise in power and influence of Yoshida Kanetomo (1435–1511), the greatest Yoshida leader in history. He was one of the original bloodline of the Urabe, the group who had provided Kiboku (strategic divination) for the Imperial family since ancient times and later became known as foremost among the extended Yoshida clan. The word Urabe has several meanings, the most simple of which is "fortune-teller", however on another level it means "secret family" or "hidden family". The Urabe methods of divination were very sophisticated, extensive and strategic in nature and should not be confused with the typical idea of fortune tellers. In a modern sense the Urabe could be considered to be ancient political spin doctors and were strategic advisors to many of the most powerful figures in the country. The original home of the Urabe was in the Izu region, but they had become the most politically influential Shinto group in Heiankyo/Kyoto even before Kanetomo was born.

One night during the Entoku years (1489 – 1491), Yoshida Kanetomo underwent a revelatory experience and subsequently stated that Gods and Spirits moved from the Ise Jingu (Ise Shrine) to possess Yoshidayama, and based on his belief he had a worship hall built within the precincts of the Yoshida Jinja to be the most superior site to enshrine Gods and Spirits in the whole of Japan.  This worship hall was named Nihon Saijo Jingi Saijo, Japan’s Supreme Worship Hall.  Naturally, Kanetomo was heavily criticised by the officials of Ise Jingu and by various nobles for adhering to such a heretical doctrine.  Nevertheless, Kanetomo overrode such resistance and had the Daigengu (Head Shrine) constructed right in the middle of the worship hall. (The Daigengu is pictured below).

The Daigengu has a unique octagonal structure, representing its status as drawing the Kami from all directions. This shape is based on the Hasshinden of the Jingikan, the eight divine coordinations that indicate the positions of eight major guardian deities, and was adopted for the construction design of the Daigengu. The octagonal structure with a thatched roof and red-painted walls was extremely modern and prominent in those days.  Enshrined in the Daigengu was Taigen Sonjin (Kunitokotachi no Mikoto / Amenominakanushi no Kami), the supreme God which is considered to be the source of all things and beings in the universe.  3,132 other deities were also enshrined, surrounding Taigen Sonjin. However, it was the core of Kanetomo's teaching that all the myriad kami were simply human conceptualisations or aspects of one God, Taigen Sonjin. That is to say, Yoshida Kanetomo established a doctrine that Yaoyorozu no Kami (8 million Gods) in the universe, who were led by Amaterasu Omikami (the Sun Goddess), were all united into one by Taigen Sonjin with an emphasis on that the Nihon Saijo Jingi Saijo of the Yoshida Jinja was to be regarded as the Sohonzan, the Headquarters of  Shinto. Thus his teaching was essentially monotheistic, which made it extremely radical at that time in Japan.

Yoshida Kanetomo’s Shinto theory is commonly known as Yoshida Shinto or Yuiitsu Shinto (one and only Shinto).  It is properly called Gempon Sogen Shinto (fundamental/elemental Shinto), indicating his desire to get back to what had always been fundamental in nature religion and to reduce the influence of Buddhism on the heart of Shinto.

It is worth noting that the extended Yoshida clan also had much influence outside of the bounds of Yoshida Shinto. For example, two Yoshida family members, Yoshida Kenko and Yoshida Jihen, both experts on the Tendai branch of Buddhism, established Ise Shinto, the Shinto school associated with the Ise Grand Shrine, now the highest ranking shrine in the whole of Japan. This was based upon the idea of "shinpon-butsuju setsu", the combination of Shinto and Buddhist teachings in a sympathetic harmony. Other branches of the Yoshida were associated with Buddhist sects such as Zen and Shingon.

During the Meiji period (1868-1912) thirteen shinto sects were recognised, and at least four of them were already well-established at that time.  These four sects were; Kurozumi-kyo and Tenri-kyo which had the Yoshida affiliation, and Konko-kyo and Tohokami-kyo (later called Misogi-kyo), which had the Shirakawa affiliation.  Shinto priests were therefore appointed by both families accordingly.

Today, in the precincts of the Yoshida Jinja, there is the Honsha, the main shrine, where the principal deities, Kasuga-Shijin (or Shishin) (Four Gods of Kasuga) are enshrined, two Sessha, subordinate shrines, dedicated to minor deities, and nine Massha, also subordinate shrines, in one of which (Shinryu-sha) the spirit of Yoshida Kanetomo is enshrined.

The precincts of the Yoshida Jinja (above) cover most of Yoshidayama, which is famous for exhibiting beautiful seasonal views, especially stunning autumn colours.