Background
Shiban Kumazawa was born in Odawara, Sagami Province (Kanagawa Prefecture). Family name: Kumazawa.
Shiban Kumazawa was born in Odawara, Sagami Province (Kanagawa Prefecture). Family name: Kumazawa.
The restorer of the Seitoku-ji Temple in Mino (Shiga Prefecture). Entered Ryusenan (Hermitage of Dragon Spring) of the Myoshin-ji Temple in Kyoto. Took the tonsure and received commandments of Buddhism (1643).
The following year began compiling the biographies of high priests and went on a 30 years' pilgrimage and collected materials for his work, wandering in many countries and visiting leading priests of various sects.
Published Empo Dentoroku (Collected Biographies of Those Who Received the Mantle Afte r the Empo Era), 41 Vols., Honcho Koso-den (The Biographies of High Priests in This Land), 75 Vols., and Togoku Koso-den Dang о (Correction of Mistakes in The Biographies of the High Priests in Eastern Provinces), all of which are relied upon until this day as authoritative works on biographies of Buddhist priests in Japan.