A poet from the latter half of the Heian period, Saigyo (1118-1190) was raised in a military family whose male members traditionally served in the Imperial Guard, but Saigyo surprised all by suddenly entering the priesthood at the age of 23.
He became a dedicated priest who traveled extensively. He loved the cherry blossoms of Mt. Yoshino so dearly that he composed poems in honor of them.
Cherishing the memory of Saigyo, the poet Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) and the writer Shimazaki Toson (1872-1943) visited Yoshinoyama.
Saigyo-an, a hut where Saigyo supposedly spent over three years, remains in Yoshinoyama.
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Monument inscribed with one of Saigyo's poems |
Saigyo-an |
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(Yoshino Town)