Letter in Kana Character early 13th century, probably 1220s My?e K?ben ???? Monk My?e came of age at the outset of the Kamakura period, a time when Japan’s political and religious structures were undergoing transformational change—when a court-centered government was shifting to a military one, and new sects of Buddhism led by charismatic leaders would emerge from the Pure Land Buddhism that flourished during the Heian period. Monk My?e emerged as one of these spiritual leaders and was a dedicated diarist and correspondent, and more than twenty letters in his hand survive, including the one he

Letter in Kana Character early 13th century, probably 1220s My?e K?ben ???? Monk My?e came of age at the outset of the Kamakura period, a time when Japan’s political and religious structures were undergoing transformational change—when a court-centered government was shifting to a military one, and new sects of Buddhism led by charismatic leaders would emerge from the Pure Land Buddhism that flourished during the Heian period. Monk My?e emerged as one of these spiritual leaders and was a dedicated diarist and correspondent, and more than twenty letters in his hand survive, including the one here. Some, quite lengthy, provide revealing insights into his thoughts, relationships, and circumstances. Other brief notes, such as here are difficult to interpret without more context. Since this letter has not previously been published or scrutinized by My?e scholars, and is considered a new discovery, further research remains to be carried out on its contents. During the early Kamakura period, when My?e was active, the Hossh?ji style (Hossh?ji-ry? ????) of calligraphy flourished among both court nobles and the warrior elite. This style was bold and sometimes even brash compared with elegant, graceful style associated with the handwriting of court nobles in the Heian period. At the same time, bokuseki ??, the brusque, idiosyncratic calligraphy of monks, mainly of the Rinzai sect, came to be prized, both for its rule-breaking individuality, but also due to association with the personalities of famous prelates. Similarly the distinctive brush writing of spiritual leaders of other Buddhist sects such as Shinran (the founder of the Pure Land offshoot J?do Shinsh?) and Nichiren was cherished, and My?e’s calligraphy was similarly sought after and preserved as autograph traces of a inspiring religious , scion of a samurai family in the Heike lineage, was born in Arita, Kish? province (Wakayama prefecture). At age nine, he lost both parents and was placed in the

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