Torii Zenni (鳥居禅尼)
Torii zenni (the Buddhist nun Torii, year of birth and death unknown) was a woman living during the last days of the Heian period to the early Kamakura period. She was the daughter of MINAMOTO no Tameyoshi and the older half sister of MINAMOTO no Yoshitomo. She had a younger real brother MINAMOTO no Yukiie (also called MINAMOTO no Yoshimori), who, in Jisho-Juei War, visited on foot the members of the Minamoto clan scattered nationwide, and transmitted the Prince Mochihito's order to overthrow the Taira clan.
Biography
During the 1140s, she was married to Yukinori and began to be called Tatsutahara no nyobo (the wife of Tatsutahara). Yukinori was the heir of Naganori (1089 - 1141) who was the 16th Kumano betto (the title of the official who administered three shrines in Kumano), and Yukinori led shaso (priests attached to a shrine) and shinkan (Shinto priests) both in Kumanohayatama-taisha Shrine as a responsible person at the site. Around the middle 1140s, Torii zenni successively gave birth to some sons and daughters, and her sons were Noriyo, Gyokai (1146 - 1202), Hanmyo (1148 - 1208), Gyohen, Gyosen, Gyozo and others. One of her daughters became the wife of the 21st Kumano betto Tanzo, who was the second son of the 18th Kumano betto Tankai (1099 - 1174). In 1173, her husband Yukinori assumed the 19th Kumano betto after Tankai's retirement, but Yukinori died just a few months from his assumption.
After Yukinori's death, Tatsutahara no nyobo immediately tonsured herself, bore the name of Torii zenni and entered Tosen-ji Temple, her family temple. Incidentally, Tosen-ji Temple is said to have existed near former Shingu-jo Castle, and now, the statues of Amitabha Tathagata, Healing Buddha and others, to which Torii zenni is said to have dedicated her prayers, are enshrined in the temple. Torii zenni prayed for Yukinori there, occupying the position of the pivot in the family as a widow, and raised her children. Of her children, the oldest son Noriyo was adopted by an influential shaso in Nachi and later became the most responsible person at the site of Kumano Nachi-taisha Shrine, and Gyokai (the 21st Kumano betto in later days) was feared by pirates in Ise, "Kokin Chomonju" (A Collection of Tales Heard, Past and Present) says, as a masterful arrow shooter. And in addition, there existed Hanmyo (later, the 23rd Kumano betto), Gyohen, who became famous as a maker of Japanese poetry in "Shin Kokin Wakashu" (New Collection of Ancient and Modern Poems), and Gyosen and Gyozo, who both became gon no betto (the acting chief) of Kumano betto later.
After the Battles between the Minamoto clan and the Taira clan, MINAMOTO no Yoritomo, who was the Kamakura shogun and Torii zenni's nephew, rewarded Torii zenni for her contribution during the battles, and she became an immediate vassal of the Kamakura shogunate. The rewards were, for example, her appointment to Jito (the estate steward) of Sano no sho and Yubashi, both in Ki Province, in 1190, and then to Jito of Tataraki no sho in Tajima Province in 1194 (cf. "Azuma Kagami" (The Mirror of the East)).
In 1210, at Torii zenni's request, the Kamakura shogunate permitted her to transfer the position of Jito and control over all territory to her adopted child. The name of the adopted child is unknown, but supposedly, it was Yukitada or Chosen, both the sons of Gyosen (cf. "Azuma Kagami").
Thanks to these appeals of Torii zenni, Shingu betto-ke (the lineage based in Kumano Hayatama-taisha Shrine assuming Kumano betto for generations) seems to have been treated with the greatest respect as the member of the Kamakura shogunate family, and have expanded their influence inside and outside of Kumano Sanzan (three major shrines, Kumano Hongu-taisha, Kumano Hayatama-taisha and Kumano Nachi-taisha). Though Torii zenni could not become Kumano betto because of her gender, she exerted a great influence through her family members occupying the central part of the organization controlling Kumano Sanzan, such as her husband Yukinori, her younger brother-in-law Noritomo (the 20th Kumano betto), her son-in-law Tanzo (the 21st Kumano betto) and her sons and grandsons, and she is said to have passed away due to considerable old age around 1210.