takuan soho

A Zen Buddhist monk, specifically, representative of the Rinzai sect. In 1610, he was appointed as abbot of the main temple, Daitokuji.

Takuan is known for his brute honesty and meticulously perceptive personality, which was sought after by monks, swordsmen, and politicians alike (such as Tokugawa Iemitsu and Go-Mizunoo).

Takuan's shared correspondence with Yagyū Munenori was captured in a treatise called "The Unfettered Mind." Takuan helps capture Takezo and later renames him as Miyamoto Musashi, setting him free to travel and evolve as a person.