Kiyohara Nobukata (清原宣賢)
Nobukata KIYOHARA (1475 - August 24, 1550) was a Kugyo (the top court official) and a scholar during the Muromachi period and the Sengoku Period (Period of Warring States). He was the third son of Kanetomo YOSHIDA who was a Shintoist and a Haikan (priest) of the Yoshida-jinja Shrine. He was adopted into the Kiyohara family who was Myogyo Hakase (doctor of the Bureau of Education). His official rank was Shosanmi (Senior Third Rank), Shonagon (Lesser Counselor). His children were Kanemigi YOSHIDA who succeeded the Yoshida family, Chikei-in who was mother of Yusai HOSOKAWA who received instruction of Kokin Waka shu (Kokin Waka imperial anthology). His grandson was Shigekata KIYOHARA.
Nobukata served in the imperial court and gave lectures, also studied Myogyodo (one of the Confucian schools) and wrote lucubration and literary works about Kokugaku and Jugaku (native studies and Confucianism). In 1529, he retired from the service of the court and shaved his head and became a bonze to devote his life to study naming himself Kansuiken Sobu as by name. He died in Ichijodani, Echizen Province in 1550 at the age of 76.
Known as one of the best scholars of Japanese literature, culture, and Confucianism, he wrote many books. Nobukata's works are still existing and they are the basis of Nihon kokugaku (studies of Japanese literature and culture). Some documents called him Funabashi Daigeki (Senior Outer Clerk) Nobukata because the name of family was changed from Kiyohara to Funabashi by Hidekata who was the fourth generation of the Kiyohara family.