Hello and welcome to the History of Japan podcast.

Episode 23.

In Buddha's name, the rise and fall of the Ikoiki, part one.

This week, I want to talk about a subject that tends to get ignored by most historians,

and most people interested in Japanese history, if for no other reason than they haven't even heard about it.

The group we're going to talk about today existed for around 120 years, from the 1460s to the 1580s.

During this period of Japanese history, and for the 300 years or so on either side of it,

the history of Japan tends to be described as hierarchical and dominated by the samurai.

This group, though, challenges that assumption about Japanese history.

It was a militant Buddhist insurrection, led by commoners and not samurai, called the Ikoiki,

and for a few decades it was one of the most powerful forces in Sengoku Japan.

First, a note on terminology before we get started.

What exactly does Iko-Iiki even mean?

Well, Iki means something like Lee or revolt, and refers to a group who band together for a political purpose,

usually to pressure the government, in this case the samurai, over some issue.

The leagues were formed out of both the desire for strength in numbers and for the protection

of anonymity.

They existed throughout all of Japanese history, sometimes violent, sometimes not.

Iqo in Japanese literally means single direction.

Ikkoshu, or the Ikko sect, was one branch of a doctrine we've discussed in previous episodes,

Joldo Shinshu, or True Pirland Buddhism.

Ikkoshu was unique in being able to trace its lineage of leaders all the way back to the original

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