Sassa Munekiyo (佐々宗淳)
Munekiyo SASSA (June 24, 1640 - July 10, 1698), aka. Sukesaburo SASSA, was a servant of Mitsukuni TOKUGAWA (aka. Mitsukuni MITO, former vice-shogun and retired daimyo of the Mito Domain). His Go (a pseudonym or pen name) was Jicchiku and Azana (a name received upon reaching an adulthood) was Shiboku. Munekiyo held the office of the president of the Shoko-kan Library of the Tokugawa Museum. It is believed that the character called Sukesaburo SASAKI which appears in the famous story "Mito Komon" (Provincial Middle Councilor of the Mito Domain) is modeled after him.
Munekiyo was the fifth son of Sugunao SASSA. He was the great-grandson of the biological older sister of Narimasa SASSA who was a military commander and served Nobunaga ODA.
Biography
Munekiyo was born in Sanuki Province and became a Buddhist monk of Myoshin-ji Temple of the Rinzai sect in Kyoto at the age of 15, and later learned the Obaku sect of Buddhism as well. He was also well-versed in academic studies besides Buddhism.
After 1678, when Munekiyo begun to doubt Buddhism itself and had a fierce argument with other priests, he got expelled from the Shrine and returned to the secular world to work for the Mito Domain. Mitsukuni TOKUGAWA favored him for his boldness and knowledge and kept him as a close aid. His work ranged from compiling "Dainihonshi" (Great history of Japan) with an order from Mitsukuni, repairing and examining "Nasu no Kuni no Miyatsuko no Hi" (one of the three oldest stone monuments, designated as a national treasure), and also doing the practical work associated with the construction of Minatogawa-jinja Shrine.
In 1696, Munekiyo was promoted to the president of Shoko-kan Library of the Tokugawa Museum, but resigned in the same year to serve Mitsukuni in the Nishiyama Villa.
In 1698, Munekiyo died. His age of death was 59.
Tomofusa SASSA
He was the first president of the Kyushu Nichinichi Newspaper and a member of the House of Representatives.
Hiroo SASSA
He was the president of the Kumamoto Nichinichi Newspaper and a member of the House of Councilors.
Atsuyuki SASSA
He was a former police bureaucrat, the first head of the Cabinet Security Affairs Office and a writer.
Graveyard
Their graveyard is located in Shoju-ji Temple in Mashii Town, Hitachi-ota City, Ibaraki Prefecture.