Iwakura Michihiro

, born and later given the title , was the eldest son of the oni Mikoshi Chiyo, the legitimate heir to the Mikoshi Clan, and the adoptive brother of Mikoshi Nagamasa.
He lived through the cataclysm five hundred years ago, during which Chiyo was corrupted by the Abyss during a battle against a certain "creature of sin" and turned her blade on the Raiden Shogun. As one of Beelzebul's most trusted allies, Chiyo's betrayal was a great stain on the Mikoshi name. Michihiro secluded himself in Konda Village out of shame until he met Teruyo of the Yougou Tengu, who gave him the name "Iwakura" to distance him from his past. He thereafter became the patriarch of the Iwakura Clan.
He had the famed sword and its kageuchi (spare copy) Amenoma Kageuchi, forged by the Amenoma Smithy owner at the time. The sword Hakuen Bankou is passed down to each bearer of the title. Meanwhile, the kageuchi was gifted to the Saimon Clan of the Konda Village as a token of gratitude from him.
==Story==
===As Mikoshi Michihiro===
Little is known about Michihiro's early life, besides the fact that he was Chiyo's biological son. At some point in time, Chiyo fostered Nagamasa and adopted him into the Mikoshi Clan.
===As Iwakura Michihiro===
During his time in seclusion, Iwakura encountered Teruyo of Yougou. She gave him his "Iwakura" name and set up a wager: if he could touch her during their duel, she would let him call his blade the "Tengu Victor." He managed to accomplish this feat with a swing so strong, it destroyed both the abandoned temple they dueled in and the blade he used. After refining his swordsmanship style, Michihiro named it the "Tengu Sweeper" and established his own sword school, known as the Iwakura Art.
The Kujou Clan recruited him as their sword instructor and bestowed upon him the title of "Douin."
===Legacy===
At some point while Michihiro was still alive, the Maguu Kenki was built based on his Iwakura Art and modeled after him. However, the combat puppet did not work as intended and was abandoned, and Ako Domeki's crew stole a Maguu Kenki puppet during their conflict with the Shogunate.Event: Echoing Tales
The Iwakura Art has been passed down to modern times and is still presently practiced. However, after the enactment of the Vision Hunt Decree, many of its practitioners became vagrant Nobushi and Kairagi. During the Traveler's journey across Inazuma, they inadvertently cause the destruction of the Iwakura Clan.
==Trivia==
===Etymology===
*In Shinto, is a large rock or rock formation used to invite down , or believed to inhabit kami themselves. The in Iwakura Michihiro's and his clan's name does not use this term, but it is used when Teruyo explains the name's meaning. The English localization translates as "seat of rock."
**In both Chinese and Japanese, the term is used to denote constellation names. For example, Zhongli's Japanese Constellation name is . This suggests that Teruyo may have been naming Iwakura's constellation, his "seat of fate," in her attempt to spare him from the fate of his oni lineage.
*Michihiro may have been inspired by swordsmen of the (one of two schools officially patronized by the Tokugawa Shogunate), notably its founder (1527–1606) and his son (1571–1646).
**Michihiro's signature sword art is most likely a reference to a sword technique of the same nameYouTube: Yagyu Shinkage Ryu: Tengu-Sho (demonstration video) used by the and its branch Yagyuu Shinkage school.
**According to folklore, Munetoshi once had a duel with a tengu.Nara Prefecture Sightseeing Guide: Tengu no Ittou-seki (in Japanese) When Munetoshi finally slashed his opponent, the tengu suddenly disappeared and what appeared in turn was a huge rock that was cut into two pieces. The said rock Ittou-seki is now located nearby the Ama no Iwadate Shrine, known for the worship of sacred rocks. This legend may have inspired Michihiro's duel with the tengu Teruyo and his surname Iwakura.
**Munetoshi was also a fellow disciple of the warrior-monk , who likely inspired the spearman Kitain Bunsou in the game.
**Munetoshi's son Munenori served as a major warlord of , the founder and the first shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate. He was also a sword instructor of the second shogun .
**Munenori was also a disciple of the Zen monk . Under the influence of Takuan, he developed a philosophy that swordsmanship and zen are one and the same. Such a Buddhist influence can also be seen in the episode and the name of Michihiro's sword Hakuen Bankou, which is said to be able to sever (see Amenoma Kageuchi#Trivia for details).
==Gallery==
===Genius Invokation TCG===
==Other Languages==
==Change History==
==References==
es:Iwakura Michihiro
ru:Ивакура Докэй