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Younger brother of Kanamori Nagachika, lord of the castle of Hida-Takayama, he was ordained as a child, and became a monk of the Pure Land school of Buddhism. In 1613, he was given the abbacy of the Seigan-ji in Kyoto, where his witty and engaging preaching style gained him a large following. His sermons were collected in a book called Seisui-sho, which was much read and evolved over time into the popular art still enjoyed today, rakugo, or amusing narration.