Jūmyō’in (Subtemple of Engyōji)
Jūmyō’in was commissioned by the warlord Akamatsu Mitsusuke (1381–1441) to honor his daughter, who died at the youthful age of sixteen. Its principal icon is a statue of the thousand-armed manifestation of Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion. The statue is relatively large, and it is thought to have been made the same size as Mitsusuke’s daughter. The sliding doors of the subtemple’s three central rooms are decorated with beautifully preserved monochrome ink paintings by Kanō Einō (1631–1697), grandson of the founder of the renowned Kanō school.
The subtemple’s guest hall was built in 1691. Its construction combines the guest quarters with the kuri, a building that functioned as the subtemple’s kitchen, but the two areas were kept strictly separate. The undulating eaves on the outer gate and the exquisite design of the room, in the shoin-zukuri style, indicate that it was intended for guests of honor.
The story of the death of Mitsusuke’s daughter evinces a turbulent period in medieval Japanese history. In the first half of the fifteenth century, this area was controlled by the autocratic shogun Ashikaga Yoshinori (1397–1441). Fearing treachery, Yoshinori planned to assassinate several of his closest advisors, including Akamatsu Mitsusuke. Mitsusuke’s daughter learned of the plot while in residence at the shogun’s palace, and she sent her father a letter of warning. When Yoshinori discovered what the girl had done, he ordered her death. Thanks to his daughter’s tragic sacrifice, Mitsusuke was able to take pre-emptive action. He assassinated the tyrant Yoshinori at a reception in Kyoto in the summer of 1441.
