Henjo

Munesada was the eighth son of Dainagon Yoshimine no Yasuyo, who was a son of Emperor Kanmu, relegated to civilian life. He began his career as a courtier, and was later appointed to the position of ' to Emperor Ninmyō. In 849 he was raised to the Head of Kurōdo. After Emperor Nimmyō died in 850, Munesada became a monk due to his grief, taking the religious name Henjō (literally “Universally Illuminated”). He was a priest of the Tendai school. In 877 Munesada founded Gangyō-ji in Yamashina, in the southeast part of Kyoto, but continued to be active in court politics. In 869 he was given another temple, Urin-in or Unrin-in, in the north of Kyoto and managed both temples. In 885 he was ranked high priest and was called Kazan Sōjō. He was rumored to have had a love affair with the famous female poet Ono no Komachi. Thirty-five of his waka were included in imperial anthologies including Kokin Wakashū. The preface to Ki no Tsurayuki criticized him: "he knows how to construct waka, but there is less real emotion. It is like when you see a picture of a woman and it moves your heart". His son, Sosei, was also a waka poet and a monk.

Henjō was famous for the following poem from the Hyakunin Isshu: