Yagyū Toshikane

Yagyū Toshikane (Kan'ei 2, 1625 – Genroku 7, 1694) was a swordsman of the early Edo period and a samurai of the Owari Domain, the son of Yagyū Toshitoshi (Hyōgonosuke). After retiring and taking Buddhist vows, he adopted the name Ren'yasai, and so he is widely known as Yagyū Ren'yasai.

Succession of the Owari Yagyū

Toshikane succeeded his father Toshitoshi as fencing instructor of the Owari Domain and transmitted Shinkage-ryū to the domain lord, Tokugawa Mitsutomo. The Owari Yagyū family was, alongside the Edo Yagyū (the line of Yagyū Munenori, which served the shogunal house in Edo), a major lineage of Yagyū Shinkage-ryū, and Toshikane is known as one of its representative swordsmen.

Swordsmanship and Anecdotes

Toshikane showed his talent for the sword early on. In Keian 4 (1651), together with his elder brother Toshikata, he performed Shinkage-ryū forms before the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu. He is known for the anecdote that, believing it would hinder his training, he kept women away from him and remained unmarried all his life. He is portrayed as a seeker of the way who devoted his life to the study of the principles of the sword.

Later Life and Legacy

In the Jōkyō era he was permitted to retire, had his head shaved, and took the name Ren'yasai. After retiring he is said to have enjoyed gardening and to have built a celebrated garden at his residence in the castle town. He died in Genroku 7 (1694). Even after his death, the Owari Yagyū family continued to be treated with special status as official fencing masters of the domain until the late Edo period, and Shinkage-ryū has been handed down continuously to the present day.