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Tenkai (Japanese:天海, 1536–13 November 1643) was an influential JapaneseTendai Buddhist monk of theAzuchi-Momoyama and earlyEdo periods. He achieved the rank ofDaisōjō, the highest rank of the Tendai priesthood and was an influential advisor to variousShoguns, includingTokugawa Ieyasu. He also oversaw the project to carve and print the Kan'ei-ji Edition (also known as Tenkai Edition) of theChinese Buddhist Canon, which was completed in 1648.
HisBuddhist name was firstZuifū (随風), which he changed to Tenkai in 1590. Also known asNankōbō Tenkai (南光坊 天海), he died on 13 November 1643, and was granted theposthumous title ofJigen Daishi (慈眼大師) in 1648.
Though believed to have been born in Aizu, much of Tenkai's early life is unclear.He became a monk atRyūkō-ji Temple, adopting the nameZuihū. At age 14, he studied Tendai Buddhism under Emperor Shun at Konokawa-dera in Utsunomiya, Shimotsuke Province. He then pursued further studies atEnryaku-ji on Mount Hiei in Ōmi Province, Onjō-ji, and Kōfuku-ji in Yamato Province.
In 1571, whenOda Nobunaga attacked and burned Mount Hiei, Tenkai took refuge in Kai Province at the invitation of Takeda Shingen. Later, he moved to Inari-dō Hall in Kurokawa Castle (Wakamatsu Castle) under Ashina Morikatsu's invitation. Afterward, he resided at Chōraku-ji Temple in Kōzuke Province before moving to the North Hall of Muryōju-ji Temple (now Kita-in in Kawagoe, Saitama) in 1588, where he adopted the nameTenkai.
Tenkai's activities become more prominent after arriving at the North Hall of Muryōju-ji. At this time, he also served as abbot of Edosaki Fudō-in. According to records from Sensō-ji Temple, Tenkai was present inTokugawa Ieyasu's camp during the Siege of theHōjō clan, indicating he had originally come to the Kantō region on Ieyasu's behalf.
In 1599, Tenkai succeeded Gōkai as the abbot of the North Hall. He later acted as Ieyasu's advisor in negotiations with the Imperial Court and was appointed Tendai Overseer in 1607, residing at Nankōbō and working on the restoration of Enryaku-ji. In 1609, he was appointed Deputy Prelate.
In 1612, Tenkai began rebuilding the North Hall and renamed it Kita-in, establishing it as the main temple of the Kantō Tendai branch. In 1613, Ieyasu appointed him Abbot of Nikkō-zan, where he restored the main temple, Kōmyō-in. He was also heavily involved in theHōkō-ji Bell Incident, which contributed to the outbreak of the Siege of Osaka.
In 1616, when Ieyasu was on his deathbed, he entrusted Tenkai with instructions regarding his posthumous title and funeral. After Ieyasu's death, Tenkai advocated for Ieyasu to be enshrined asGongen in the Sannō Ichijitsu Shintō tradition, countering the proposal by Ishin Sūden and Honda Masazumi, who suggested the titleMyōjin. Tenkai argued thatMyōjin was inauspicious due to the fall of the Toyotomi clan following Toyotomi Hideyoshi's enshrinement asToyokuni Daimyōjin. Ultimately, Ieyasu was enshrined asTōshō Daigongen, and his remains were moved from Kunōzan to Nikkō.
Tenkai continued to serve as a consultant to the next twoTokugawa shōguns. In 1624, retired shōgunTokugawa Hidetada and ruling shōgunTokugawa Iemitsu asked him to establishKan'ei-ji, a Buddhist temple to the northeast ofEdo Castle inUeno.
Tenkai worked to print and publish the entire Buddhist Canon in Japan. With shogunate support, theKan'ei-ji Edition (Tenkai Edition) of theTripiṭaka was completed in 1648. This printing project is considered one of the most significant achievements in Japanese printing history. Over 260,000 wooden movable type blocks from the Tenkai Edition still survive today.
Tenkai passed away in 1643 at the age of 108 (by traditional count). Five years later, the Imperial Court granted him the posthumous titleJigan Daishi.
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