Database: Kennyo

Kennyo, also known as Kōsa, served as the 11th pontiff (hossu) of the Hongan-ji, the central institution of the True Pure Land School (Jōdo Shinshū), also known as the Ikkō sect. He succeeded his father by ascending to this position at the tender age of twelve. Throughout the first half of the 16th century, the Hongan-ji emerged as a formidable powerhouse, rivaling the great daimyōs. Kennyo, following in the footsteps of his father, solidified his status by marrying a princess from the esteemed Kujō family at the imperial court. The Hongan-ji's influence was bolstered by leagues of peasant believers, the Ikkō-ikki, which held significant sway in regions such as Echizen, Kaga, and Mikawa.

Despite the burgeoning power of Oda Nobunaga, Kennyo adeptly maintained a policy of equilibrium in the Kinai region until 1570, when he resolutely refused to submit. At that juncture, the Hongan-ji was entrenched in the formidable fortress of Ishiyama, later the site of Osaka Castle under Hideyoshi, renowned for its impregnability. Nobunaga's siege of Ishiyama spanned approximately a decade. Kennyo, leveraging the support of regional leagues and alliances with powerful daimyōs like Takeda Shingen and the Mōri, mounted a prolonged resistance. However, Nobunaga systematically subdued the peasant leagues, and the Hongani-ji's allies, such as the Asakura and the Azai, were vanquished. In 1580, Kennyo was constrained to negotiate peace with Nobunaga and evacuate the fortress, leading to the temporary relocation of the Hongani-ji to the Kii Peninsula.

Kennyo's subsequent relations with Hideyoshi were markedly more amicable than the contentious interactions he had with Nobunaga. Hideyoshi accorded him considerable respect, securing honors for him at the imperial court and, in 1591, granting him land in Kyoto. This land became the site of the new Hongani-ji, now known as Nishi Hongan-ji.