Nichijo in a RageOil on canvas, 38.0 × 45.5 cm, 2010, M.Tsushima
The Counter Reformation in the 16th century made a significant influence on the religious and political framework of Japan. Nobunaga took advantage of the conflict between the newly introduced Christianity and the traditionally dominant Buddhism. By balancing the two religious powers, he took them under his control, and gained his political and economic power.
Background
Since Francis Xavier arrived at Japan in 1549, Christianity spread in the western Japan, welcomed by warlords who saw it beneficial for them to promote the trade with Portugal and Spain. But the Jesuits' missionary work was hampered by Buddhists who realized that Christianity was threatening Buddhism in Japan which had dominated Japan since the 6th century.In order to promote the propagation and increase the number of Catholic churches in Japan, Jesuits missionaries sought to propagate in Kyoto.
In 1569, Luis Frois, Jesuit missionary, was granted by Nobunaga permission to propagate Christianity in Kyoto, where Nobunaga was restoring the Shogun's palace and the Imperial Court[1].
But not all Nobunaga's vassals were agreeable with his decision. Nichijo, a Buddhist monk, who was serving Nobunaga to administer the restoration of the Imperial Court, hated Christianity and wished to expel Jesuits from Kyoto. He told Nobunaga that he would like to hear the teachings taught by the Christian. Nobunaga ordered Lorenzo, Jesuit Friar, to preach the doctrine to Nichijo; that was to become the debate between them. Nichijo in the debate got so frustrated that he drew a sword from the scabbard and tried to attack the Jesuit.
Accounts
Luis Frois(1532-1597), Jesuit missionary, writes[1]:In Nobunaga's room, there are many lords and nobles, and the corridors outside are full of nobles, it was thought to be about 300 people. The priest and Friar Lorenzo were by Nobunaga's side, and Nobunaga talked to them so politely and amiably that each of these favors was such a pain for Nichijo like a spear wound.
He was so filled with hatred that he could not possibly endure the things to defy his demonic desires. But Nichijo used camouflage and fake meekness to said to Nobunaga, "I would like to hear a little bit of the teaching taught by the christian. I would be happy if you ordered him to preach it to me." Nobunaga thought it was a good thing, and he ordered Friar Lorenzo to preach the doctrine to Nichijo.
...
Nichijo (said), "Even in a dream, such a delusion is impossible, and as you say, it should not be possible that there is a life separated from the four elements when it dies. If there is such a thing, why don't you send it out here and show it to me?"
The priest answered and said "I have long wanted to show you that, and I had submitted a lot of evidence (i.e. the way you think you must be able to figure it out yourself), but up until now you had refused to admit them."
At that point, Nichijo became completely enraged, biting his lips, gritting his teeth, trembling his limbs, with a bright red face as if in flames, with his eyes being bloodshot and burning with rage. Having lost all sense of reverence to his lord (Nobunaga), he sprang up like an arrow on a string and when passed by the priest, he cursed him, and grabbed him by the chest with both hands violently as if he was about to be thrown backwards, he rushed into the corner of the room where was a Nobunaga's long sword or were two handfuls of swords, grabbed the sword, and pulled it out of its sheath with great excitement, and said. "Then I will kill your disciple Lorenzo with this sword. Then show me the soul which you say is in a man."
As he began to draw his sword from its scabbard, Nobunaga and many other nobles present quickly stood up, caught him from behind, took the sword out of his hand, and condemned him for his shameless outrage. However, Nobunaga was exceptional, saying, "Nichijo, what you do is evil. What Buddhist monks should do is not to take up a weapon, but to defend the Dharma by giving reasons. However, on the other hand, while Nichijo was making this assault and disturbance, the priest and the friar did not move at all from where they were.
Venue and Date
According to the account of Lois Frois, the debate was held in Nobunaga's room in Kyoto, Though Frois did not write the date, he wrote that on the following day Nobunaga departed for Owari. Meanwhile, Yamashina Tokitsugu, a noble of Kyoto, writes in his diary on April 20th on the old calendar, that Nobunaga would leave Kyoto on the following day[2]. The diary reads that it was rainstorm on April 20th, while Lois Frois's account reads that during the debate it became heavy rain. So the date was certainly April 20th on the old calendar(May 6 on Julius calendar).Lois Frois neither wrote the certain location of the debate. He wrote that in Nobunaga's room there were many lords and nobles, and the corridors outside were full of nobles, it was thought to be about 300 people. According to Yamashina Tokitsugu's diary, Nobunaga in the evening of April 13th moved to Myokakuji Temple and on 15th was visited by nobles at Myokakuji Temple[2]. So Nobunaga was considered to have stayed at Myokakuji Temple for seven days before 20th when he held the debate probably in his room of Myokakuji Temple.
Myokakuji Temple is Nichiren Sect Buddist temple which was burned in the War of Tenmon Hokke in 1536. It was rebuilt in 1548 which was the building in which Nobunaga would stay when he visited Kyoto. At the time of the debate in 1569. in Nobunaga's room, there are many lords and nobles, and the corridors outside are full of nobles, it was thought to be about 300 people. It might be the main hall of the temple which housed so many people.
Nichijo
Asayama Nichijo（? - 1577）was a Buddhist monk of Tendai Sect. He built a temple in Yamaguchi, under the rule of the powerful warlord, Mori clan.At around 1554 Nichijo moved to Kyoto, where he won credit of the Emperor Gonara. In 1567 Nichijo supported a powerful samurai warlord, Matsunaga Hidehisa, who opposed Miyoshi Triumvirate in Kyoto. Nichijo attempted to transfer a letter from Mori to Matsunaga, when he was arrested by the Miyoshis and imprisoned at Sakai, where he was forced to spend more than 100 days, put in a pillory, poorly fed, Even so, he was so good at speech that he moved people to donate him[1].
In May 1568 he was released by an imperial edict; he was said to have donated to the imperial court. Five months later, in October 1568, when Nobunaga marched his army to Kyoto to support Ashikaga Yoshiaki to be enthroned to Shogun, Nichijo began to expand his power by mediating between Nobunaga and the Imperial Court. When Nobunaga began the restoration of the Imperial Palace in June 1569, Nichijo played a role as a magistrate.
Nichijo was a key figure also in mediating Nobunga and the Shogun when they broke up in 1573. The Shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, was expelled by Nobunaga from Kyoto to Mori's land, where Nichijo was sent as Nobunaga's envoy together with Toyotomi Hideyoshi, to negotiate with Mori for peace. Mori's envoy, Ankokuji Ekei, wrote that Nichijo made a great cooperation for all the mediation processes[4].
While Nichijo had a good reputation among nobles and samurais, he had an extremely bad reputation among Christians. Frois describes Nichijo as a Japanese anti-Christ, a deceiver of people, a Lucifer in a body. While Frois wrote that Nichijo was ignorant, had no knowledge about Japanese religion and had no education, he admitted that he was a good orator, writing "as for the talent of speech, he was the Demosthenes of Japan"[1].
Debate
The Jesuits who attended the debate were Luis Frois(1532-1597) and Lorenzo Ryosai(1526-1592).Lorenzo was a blind minstrel. In 1551, he converted to Christianity, baptized by Francis Xavier in Yamaguchi. In 1563 Lorenzo became a Jesuit and became a friar. Having a great ability of understanding, Lorenzo was well versed both in Buddhism and Christianity. Frois wrote that Lorenzo openly discussed and debated with the most learned Buddhist monks and persons of rank, He has never been refuted by any of them. His preaching converted thousands of people to Christianity.
The debate started with the argument about the object of faith. Lorenzo explained God in the Trinity. Nichijo, who was skeptical of it, asked the Jesuit to show God, but the Jesuit said that God is invisible. Lorenzo emphasized that omnipotent God is not one of four elements, not having a visible shape.
While the Buddhist and the Christian were at loggerheads, Nichijo suggested that God is same as satori of Zen Buddhism, but Lorenzo, who knew both Buddhism and Christianity, denied it by explaining the difference between them. Nichijo was frustrated. He told Nobunaga that the Jesuits were imposters and told him to exile them from Japan. But Nobunaga calmed him down and told him to continue to ask questions.
The debate lasted so long, 1.5 hours, that Lorenzo was too exhausted to continue the debate, so Luis Frois thereafter succeeded his role.
Frois said to Nichijo, "It is no surprise that you are confused, because Japanese religion is based on the principal of nothingness, and Japanese scholars' knowledge and recognition reach nothing more than the visible things comprised in "four elements". So, once they are taught about the invisible, immortal soul, it is no wonder they regard it as strange.", and he began to explain the existence of immortal soul.
That was the moment when Nichijo could not stand any more. Completely enraged, biting his lips, gritting his teeth, trembling his limbs, with a bright red face as if in flames, with his eyes being bloodshot and burning with rage, Nichijo sprang up and rushed into the corner of the room, and grabbed Nobunaga's sword, and pulled it out of its sheath with great excitement, and said. "Then I will kill your disciple Lorenzo with this sword. Then show me the soul which you say is in a man."
As Nichijo began to draw the sword from its scabbard, Nobunaga and many other nobles present quickly stood up, caught him from behind, took the sword out of his hand.
Aftermath
Thus ended the debate. It was definitely Nichijo's loss; in Kyoto a rumor spread "Nichijo, though being a Buddhist monk, upset, enraged in front of Nobunaga, took a sword, thus making a blunder, committing an offense against decency. That was the evidence that he was defeated in the debate."[1]Though Nichijo lost the debate, Nobunaga did not punish Nichijo; Nichijo was a key figure for Nobunaga to contact with the imperial court, that was instrumental for Nobunaga to gain power in Kyoto.
After the debate, Nichijo's hostility against Christianity did not cease. He tenaciously pleaded Nobunaga to exile Jesuits from Kyoto. But Nobunaga did not prevent Jesuits from propagating in Kyoto.
Unlike the former ruler of Kyoto, Matsunaga Hidehisa, who persecuted Christians, Nobunaga was friendly with Christians. Since his meeting with Luis Frois in Kyoto in 1569, Nobunaga protected Christianity in Kyoto from hostile warlords and Buddhists. His vassal,Takayama Tomoteru, who was Christened in 1563, made a great contribution to build a Christian church, Nanbanji Temple, in Kyoto in 1575.
While some of his vassals converted to Christianity, Nobunaga himself did not convert to Christianity. So, what was Nobunaga's attitude towards Christian teaching?
During the debate, Nobunaga posed a question about the relationship between God and evil people. When he was explained by Lorenso about it, he answered that the explanation is reasonable. But as for the immortality of the soul, he might have similar skepticism as Nichijo; Frois wrote,
Equipped with good understanding and clear judgment, Nobunaga despised all worship, reverence, and admiration of Gods and Buddhas. He despised all pagan divination and superstition. At first, he nominally pretended to belong to the Nichiren sect, but after he took the throne, he became conceited, chose himself over all idols, agreed with some points of Zen sect views, and denied the existence of the immortality of the soul and reward or punishment in the afterlife.
Nobunaga himself did not judge the debate. While showing his curiosity for Christian teaching, he seemed not involved in the argument concerning the discrepancy between the religious teachings. His concern was politics. Kyoto was the center of Buddhism that had been influential on the politics of central Japanese states. Meanwhile, Christianity was getting to play a key role for Japanese warlords to promote overseas trade. What Nobunaga was to do was carefully balancing the powers of Buddhism and Christianity. That led to his protection of religions, which was coming not from his religious identity but genuinely from his own political purpose.
References
[1] 日本史, Luis Frois[2] 言継卿記 第４ 永禄十二年四月廿日 p168/327, 山科言継
[3] 洛中洛外図屏風 上杉本, 狩野永徳, 1565
[4] 大日本古文書 家わけ第九『吉川家文書之一』一六一〇「安国寺恵瓊自筆書状」（天正元年）十二月十二日