Sōhei The prominence of the sōhei rose in parallel with the ascendancy of the Tendai school ' s influence between the 10th and 17th centuries . The warriors protected land and intimidated rival schools of Buddhism , becoming a significant factor in the spread of Buddhism and the development of different schools during the Kamakura period . They were similar to the mountain ascetic " yamabushi " warrior monks , but unlike the solitary " yamabushi " , " sōhei " generally organized into large armies or mobs . A famous monastery is the Enryaku - ji on Mount Hiei , just outside Kyoto . The " sōhei " shared many similarities with the Western lay brother s , members of a monastic order who might not have been ordained . Much like warrior monks of Germany ( see Teutonic Knights ) , or other religious orders , such as those involved in the Crusades , " sōhei " did not operate as individuals , or even as members of small , individual temples , but rather as warriors in a large extended brotherhood or monastic order . The ' home temple ' of a " sōhei " monastic order might have had several , if not tens or a hundred , smaller monasteries , training halls , and subordinate temples . History . Founding and feuds . Warrior monks first appeared during the Heian period , when bitter political feuds began between different temples , different sub - sects of Buddhism , over imperial appointments to the top temple positions ( abbot , or " zasu " ) . Much of the fighting over the next four centuries was over these sorts of political feuds , and centered around the temples of Kyoto , Nara , and Ōmi , namely the Tōdai - ji , Kōfuku - ji , Enryaku - ji , and Mii - dera , the four largest temples in the country . The first armed conflict broke out in 949 , when 56 monks from Tōdai - ji staged a protest at the residence of a Kyoto official , over an appointment that displeased them . Protests of this sort continued through the 10th century , often breaking out into brawls in which some participants would be killed . In 970 , following a dispute between Enryaku - ji and the Yasaka Shrine of Kyoto , the former established the first standing army of warrior monks . It is not entirely clear whether or not this standing army consisted of monks from Enryaku - ji , or were more like mercenaries , since Ryōgen , the abbot who established this army , also established a code of monastic conduct that prevented monks from leaving Mount Hiei during their twelve - year training , from covering their faces , and from carrying weapons . Beginning in 981 , there were a number of armed conflicts between Enryaku - ji and Mii - dera , each the head temple of a different sub - sect of Tendai Buddhism . These disputes were , as before , over political appointments , and dishonorable etiquette . More often than not , these were cases of members of one faction being chosen as the abbot of the other faction ' s temple , and the monks would protest . This continued , on and off , once stopping for as long as 40 years , through the eleventh and into the 12th century . The armies became larger , and the violence increased , until in 1121 and 1141 Mii - dera was burned to the ground by monks from Enryaku - ji . Other temples became embroiled in the conflicts as well , and Enryaku - ji and Mii - dera united against Kōfuku - ji , and , another time , against Kiyomizu - dera . Genpei War . At the end of the 12th century , Japan was plunged into the Genpei War , a civil war . While the feuds between the temples did not end , they became submerged in larger events . The warring Minamoto and Taira clans both tried to obtain the aid of the warrior monks of Nara and Kyoto , adding the temples ' forces to the clans ' already mighty armies of samurai . Taira no Kiyomori sent generous gifts of rice and silk to Enryakuji , ensuring they would not help his enemies , the Minamoto , who had allied themselves with the monks of Mii - dera . In 1180 , in one of the more famous battles in which " sōhei " participated , the monks of Mii - dera , along with a force of Minamoto samurai , tried to defend the bridge over the Uji River , and the Byōdō - in , a temple behind it , from an attacking Taira force ( see Battle of Uji ( 1180 ) ) . The monks pulled up the planks of the bridge , to impair the ability of the samurai , on horseback , to cross . They stood their ground with bow and arrow , " naginata , " sword and dagger , but were ultimately defeated . However , despite their defeat , and simply for their defiance alone , Taira no Kiyomori ordered that revenge be taken upon the monks that opposed him . Mii - dera was burned to the ground once again , as were many of the temples of Nara . Only the Enryaku - ji escaped unscathed . Three years later , when Minamoto no Yoshinaka betrayed his clan by storming into Kyoto , setting the Hōjōji Palace aflame and kidnapping Emperor Go - Shirakawa , he was opposed by many of the monks of Kyoto , including those from Mount Hiei . 13th – 14th centuries and the rise of Zen . Following the Genpei War , the monasteries , to a large extent , turned their attention to rebuilding , first physically , and then politically . Their political influence grew stronger through peaceful means , and the warrior monks played only very minor roles in the wars of the 13th and 14th centuries . Violent conflict between the temples still occurred on occasion , once again over political and spiritual appointments , and related matters . During the wars of the Nanboku - cho Period , Mount Hiei took in the rebel Emperor Go - Daigo , and offered him sanctuary . Emperor Go - Daigo , along with his son , and the help of the " sōhei " of Mount Hiei , launched a brief rebellion against the Kamakura shogunate . The Ashikaga shogunate took power shortly afterwards , and supported Zen over the other Buddhist sects , drawing the ire of the warrior monks . Over the course of the 1340s - 1360s a number of conflicts erupted between the Tendai sect temples , and those of Zen , especially Nanzen - ji . Sengoku - jidai and the rise of the Ikkō - Ikki . The Ōnin War , starting in 1467 , was the prelude to over a century of civil war in Japan , and the stimulus for a reorganization of the warrior monks . Unlike the Jōkyū War and Mongol invasions of the 13th century , the Ōnin War was fought primarily in Kyoto , and thus the warrior monks could no longer remain non - violent and neutral . In addition , a new breed of warrior monks was forming in the countryside . Where the monks of Mount Hiei had subscribed to the teachings of the Tendai sect , these new groups , calling themselves Ikkō - ikki , followed the dictates of the Jōdo Shinshū sect of beliefs . They were essentially coalitions of religious fundamentalist priests , farmers , and families , who were willing to literally fight for their beliefs . " Ikkō - ikki " translates to something like " devoted league , " but also had the connotation of " single - minded riots . " In 1488 , their leader Rennyo , incited an uprising against samurai rule , and secured Kaga Province for the Ikkō - ikki . From there they spread , establishing themselves in Nagashima , Ishiyama Hongan - ji , and Mikawa Province . Their growing power base would eventually attract the attention of warlords like Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu , who recognized their opposition to samurai rule , their determination , their strength , and their numbers . Tokugawa Ieyasu attacked the Ikkō - ikki of Mikawa in 1564 , in the Battle of Azukizaka , and failed to defeat them , but returned shortly afterwards with a contingent of warrior monks from his own religious sect , Jōdo shū , and , after defeating the Ikkō adherents in battle , burned all their temples to the ground . As Oda Nobunaga rose to power at the end of the 1560s , the monks of Enryaku - ji regained their military might , and fought a number of skirmishes in the streets of Kyoto against a new rival sect , Nichiren Buddhism . They eventually burned all of Kyoto ' s Nichiren temples to the ground , and then sought allies among the local lords , or daimyo . Unfortunately for them , the Azai and Asakura clan s they allied with were enemies of Oda Nobunaga . Beginning on September 29 , 1571 , Nobunaga ' s army of 30 , 000 attacked Mount Hiei , destroying the Enryaku - ji . Though it was rebuilt , the standing army of warrior monks would never be reconstituted . Nobunaga then moved on to fighting the Ikkō - ikki in their fortresses of Nagashima and Ishiyama Hongan - ji ( see Sieges of Nagashima , Siege of Ishiyama Hongan - ji ) . In the summer of 1574 , with the help of former pirate Kuki Yoshitaka , Nobunaga essentially blockaded the Ikkō fortresses and starved them into submission . The 20 , 000 inhabitants of the fortress went up in flames along with their home . Two years later , Nobunaga returned to the Ishiyama Hongan - ji , which he had failed to take earlier . At the two Battles of Kizugawaguchi , Nobunaga defeated his enemies , the Mōri clan , who had naval control over the area . The Ikkō were finally forced to surrender in 1580 . In the 1580s and 1590s , various factions of warrior monks sided with either Tokugawa Ieyasu or his rival Toyotomi Hideyoshi , fighting in a number of battles and skirmishes . When Tokugawa Ieyasu finally defeated the last of his enemies and took control of the country in 1603 , the time of the warrior monks finally came to an end . Weapons and dress . " Sōhei " were quite varied in their armament . The " naginata " is the weapon most often associated with them , though in legend as well as history many warrior monks are known to have been proficient with everything from bow and arrow to " tantō " and " wakizashi " ( dagger and shortsword ) . Many fought on horseback , and many with the " Ō - yoroi " armor of the samurai . Warrior monks , like most other Buddhist monks of related sects , wore a series of kimono - like robes over one another , usually white underneath , and tan or saffron yellow on top ; this style has changed very little since the introduction of Buddhism to Japan in the 7th century . Footwear traditionally consisted of " tabi " socks and " geta " ( wooden clogs ) , or " waraji " straw sandals . Warrior monks would often fold and tie the white headcowl to cover more of their head , or would substitute a " hachimaki " headband . Finally , many warrior monks would wear some form of samurai armor . The " sōhei " employed a variety of weapons . The " obi " , or belt , of the kimono would often be supplemented with a heavier sash , so a sword could be slung from it . The " tachi " style of sword was probably the most common , though many monks may have carried " tantō " as well . Many monks were also accomplished archers , and used bamboo - and - rattan bows , called " daikyū , " with bamboo arrows . The most traditional weapon of the monk , however , was the " naginata " , a weapon much like the European glaive or halberd . The " sōhei " were also trained to use the heavy kanabō , which was a large staff or club forged of solid iron . Although deadly , this weapon was generally used to defeat an opponent without bloodshed . The Ikkō - ikki monks of the 16th century , due largely to their origins as countryside mobs , were far more varied in their armor and armament . Many wore the more traditional monk robes , with varying degrees and types of armor . Many wore various sorts of helmets , while many others opted for the straw hat and cloak of a peasant . " Naginata " remained very common , along with a variety of swords and daggers , and a limited number of arquebus es ( with the Saika Ikki being a notable exception , as they are mainly composed of musketeers and gunsmiths as per Saika Magoichi ' s standard of having an all - musketeer army ) . Finally , while not truly armor nor armament , a very common item wielded by the mobs of Ikkō - ikki monk warriors was a banner with a Buddhist slogan written upon it . One of the more common slogans was the chant ' Hail to the Amida Buddha ! ' ( " Namu Amida Butsu " ) .