Regarding the Buddhist Priests Who Joined the Kangakue 勧学会

Abstract

Research on the Kangakue 勧学会 has focused on middle-class aristocratic bureaucrats, but work on the Buddhist monks who participated in the Kangakue is scarce. It was young Buddhist monks from Hieizan who participated in the Kangakue. The most authoritative teacher of these young monks was Ensho 延昌, the head of the Tendai order. Ensho gathered the young monks in his Kangakudo 勧学堂 hall and held a ritual. These monks joined the Kangakue.