History The founder of our art, Hayashizaki Jinsuke Minamoto Shigenobu, lived in Oushu (currently Miyagi, Aomori, Fukushima and part of Akita prefecture) during the Ashikaga period. He sought revenge in the name of his father and he prayed at the Hayashizaki Myojin shrine for this to be true. He trained relentlessly and his final enlightenment was the miraculous realization of Iai Jutsu. His technique became known as Shigenobu style. Over the following generations new styles emerged and blended as the heritage style began taking shape.
The evolution of the art was especially notable in the 7th generation, when Hasegawa Mondonosuke Eishin made his contribution to the existing heritage style. His Hasegawa Eishin Ryu was significant and its infusion resulted in Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu. In 1674 - Enpou 2, the 9th generation, Hayashi Roku Dayu Yasumasa established Eishin Ryu as the house style of the Tosa Domain. The Tosa Domain kept his technique a closely guarded secret, confining the knowledge to succeeding generations of Tosa Samurai.
The 17th generation, Ooe Masamichikei, concerned that Budo was being diminished, opened the gates to share the secrets of Eishin Ryu more widely. The 18th generation, Yamauchi Toyotake, a descendant of the Tosa Domain, published 'Iai Shousetsu' formalizing some of the knowledge in writing for the first time. The 19th generation, Kono Kanemitsu, founded Meibukan dojo in Toshima-ku, Tokyo. The 20th generation, Onoe Masamitsu, inherited Meibukan and passed the cumulative knowledge of Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iai Jutsu to the 21st generation, Sekiguchi Komei.