Furuichi Choin (古市澄胤)
Choin FURUICHI (1452 - August 22, 1508) was a priest and busho (military commander) who lived in the Sengoku Period (Period of Warring States) in Japan. He was a monk-soldier at Kofuku-ji Temple in Nara. His father was Insen FURUICHI. His wife was a daughter of Iehide OCHI. He was also called Harima-no-kimi, Harima-hoshi, or Harima-risshi (Buddhist priest).
He entered Hosshin-in at Kofuku-ji Temple where Nobutane, his uncle, lived, and became a priest at the age of fourteen, using Rinkanbo as his priest name. He became a ropposhu (monk-soldier) of Daijo-in Monzeki (an especially high-ranked temple) at Kofuku-ji Temple. In 1475, he had his older brother Ine FURUICHI retire from active life, and leaving temple life himself, he inherited the position of head of the family. Leading the monk-soldiers at Kofuku-ji Temple, he overwhelmed the Tsutsui clan in cooperation with the Ochi clan. In 1493, he entered Minami-Yamashiro Castle as Shugodai (Deputy of Shugo, and Provincial Constable) of Yamato Province, and suppressed the kuni ikki (an uprising in the province). After that, he cooperated with Soeki AKAZAWA, a busho under the control of Masamoto HOSOKAWA, in Soeki's invasion of Yamato Province. In 1508, under Nagatsune AKAZAWA, a busho under the control of Sumimoto HOSOKAWA, he attacked Hisanobu HATAKEYAMA at Takaya Castle in Kawachi Province, but was defeated, and killed himself during his escape.
On the other hand, he was presented with "Shinkei Sozu Teikin" by Kensai INAWASHIRO, a renga (linked-verse) poet, and with "Kokoro no Fumi" (Letter from the Heart) by Juko MURATA, a chajin (master of the tea ceremony), was good at Utai (the chanting of Noh text) and at playing the shakuhachi bamboo flute, and was also famous as man of literature. In "Yamanoue Soji Ki" (The Record of Soji YAMANOUE), Harima (Choin) FURUICHI is listed as one of "the three great masters of the tea ceremony" together with Noami and SEN no Rikyu. His disciples included Hisayuki MATSUYA who treasured the three special products of Matsuya inherited from Juko.