Cloistered Imperial Prince Sonen (尊円法親王)
Cloistered Imperial Prince Sonen (August 1, 1298 - October 7, 1356) was the seventeenth Chief Priest of Shoren-in Temple. He was the fifth Prince of Emperor Fushimi. His mother was Toshihira MIYOSHI's daughter. His initial name was Imperial Prince Morihiko. He was also called Priest-Imperial Prince Sonen.
He entered into the Shoren-in Temple in 1308, and received the title to become Imperial Prince in 1310. He went into the Priesthood in 1311 and was renamed Sonen, and became Chief Priest of Shoren-in Temple. Between 1314 and 1329, he was suspended as Minister of Chief Priest, however he became the chief priest of a religious sect again, he also became the head priest of the Buddhist Tendai sect in 1331. Four times before and after this period, he became the head priest of the Buddhist Tendai sect and also during this time he successively held the position of steward of Shitenno-ji Temple.
He learned Waka poems from Yukifusa SESONJI, after Yukifusa fought as member of the Southern Court and died in the War in Kanazawa City in the country of the north, he learned from Yukifusa's younger brother, Yukitada SESONJI. He studied Jodaiyo (Japanese calligraphy style during the middle of the Heian period) of ONO no Tofu and FUJIWARA no Yukinari, he then added Cho Sokushi's style to it, and created a new style called the Sonen Style or Sonen Shoren-in style of calligraphy.
His famous art work past to the present
Kanazawa bunko kire (small piece)(巻子万葉集切)
Makimonogire (Kokin Waka shu (Collection of Ancient and Modern Japanese Poetry))
Kyogire
Juboku sho
Monyo ki (a record of Shoren-in Temple of Tendai sect)
and others.