Fujiwara Seika

Fujiwara Seika (藤原 惺窩) was a Japanese Neo-Confucian philosopher and writer during the Edo period.

His most well-known student was Hayashi Razan (1583–1657).

Life
He was born in Harima Province (now Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture) on February 8, 1561 to the Reizei family. At the age of seven or eight he was sent to the Shōkoku-ji temple to become a Zen Buddhist priest. There, he studied Confucianism alongside his Zen studies. In 1596, Fujiwara attempted to travel to Ming China in order to study under an authentic Confucian master, but inclement weather forced the party to turn back. Fujiwara learned more about Neo-Confucianism from the Korean scholar Kang Hang.