Honami Kiyonobu

  • Other Names: 本光 (Honkou)
  • Japanese: 本阿弥清信 (Hon'ami Kiyonobu)

Hon'ami Kiyonobu was a sword appraiser and polisher in the service of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshinori.

After angering Yoshinori in some way, Kiyonobu was imprisoned; while in prison, by chance, he met the Nichiren-shû monk Nisshin shônin, who had also been imprisoned after angering the shogun. Kiyonobu became quite close to Nisshin, and grew devoutly dedicated to Nichiren Buddhism. Upon their release from prison, Kiyonobu took the tonsure, and was given the monastic name Honkô by Nisshin. Honkô then became a major supporter of Nisshin's temple, Honpô-ji, particularly through the giving of alms.

Several generations later, when Honpô-ji was relocated in 1587, Kiyonobu's grandson Hon'ami Kôji and great-grandson Hon'ami Kôetsu played a significant role in funding or otherwise supporting that relocation and reconstruction.

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