early life and spiritual pursuits shōjō shōkadō, a prominent figure in japan's edo period, was born in 1584 in the yamato province. his life took a significant turn when he entered the hachiman shrine on otoko-yama (yawata) near kyoto, where he received his buddhist name, shōjō. this marked the beginning of his spiritual journey as a buddhist monk. artistic pursuits and mastery shōjō's artistic talents extended to painting, calligraphy…