This article analyzes a twelfth-century session of the Yuima-e at Kōfukuji as a stage of history to determine the institutional and factional background of its participants. In order to do this, the format of the Yuima-e as it was held in the twelfth century is presented, followed by a study of primary materials related to the 1196 session of this annual ritual. The article then examines the Sanne jōichiki, the personal notes of the Tōdaiji monk Sōshō, and diaries, to conclude that these sessions can indeed be considered “theaters of the state” in which the connection between Kuroda Toshio’s concepts of kenmon and kenmitsu taisei can be found.
