Yagyū Toshikane

Yagyū Toshikane (1625–1694) was a swordsman and Owari Domain samurai of the early Edo period, son of Yagyū Toshiyoshi (Hyōgonosuke). After retirement he took the religious name Ren'yasai and is widely known as Yagyū Ren'yasai. He succeeded his father as the Owari Domain's fencing instructor and taught the Shinkage-ryū to the domain lord Tokugawa Mitsutomo. Regarded as a swordsmanship prodigy, he was said to be the reincarnation of the school's founder Yagyū Sekishūsai, and reportedly remained unmarried his whole life so as not to disrupt his training. After retirement he devoted himself to garden design, and the Owari Yagyū house continued as official fencing masters until the end of the Edo period. He died in 1694.