11 Facts About Shimazaki Masaki

Shimazaki Masaki was a Japanese gono, honjin master, student of kokugaku, and Shinto priest.

Shimazaki Masaki was born under the apotropaic name Kanataro to Shimazaki Kichizaemon Shigeaki, hereditary chief of the Magome relay station in the Kiso Valley.

The young Masaki taught himself to read and write with great difficulty using the few books available in the village, often outdated and poorly copied manuscripts, in both Japanese and Classical Chinese.

Alongside the other Hirata disciples of Mino and Naegi, Shimazaki Masaki was involved in the promotion of traditional Shinto funeral practices in opposition to the officially mandated Buddhist alternative.

Shimazaki Masaki remained in Magome throughout the Boshin War, and on more than one occasion arranged lodging for the revolutionary Imperial Army.

At the time of a public cavalcade by the Emperor Meiji, Shimazaki Masaki threw the fan into what he believed to be the carriage of the emperor's outriders in the hope that the message would come to the emperor's attention.

Shimazaki Masaki was arrested immediately charged with the crime of impiety, but was not penalized beyond a minor fine due to the court's assessment of the motivations for his act.

Shimazaki Masaki later became aware that the fan had in fact landed in the carriage of the emperor himself.

In 1875, as part of the government's expulsion of Hirata influence, Shimazaki Masaki was rusticated by the Department of Religion to the remote Minashi Shrine to serve as a resident priest.

Shimazaki Masaki remained at Minashi for four years, and became known to locals for bursting into tears while conducting lectures on legendary national history.

Shimazaki Masaki who is most enlightened in his soul thinks the farthest ahead; the fool does not dare to do so at all.