The Kutsuki were a branch of the Sasaki family hailing from Omi Province. They served as the stewards of the Kutsuki manor in that province in the Kamakura period, and the house continued through the Warring States period and into the Edo period, when some of their members became bannermen (direct vassals of the shogun) or daimyo (provincial lords). "The archives of Kutsuki family" consist of historical documents passed down in the family through the years. The Cabinet Records Bureau purchased them from the Kutsuki in 1888. Containing more than 1,060 documents, the archives were designated an important cultural property in the first year of Heisei( 1989).
Dated the 16th of the intercalary month of July in the 5th year of Kenmu (1338), this letter was written by Sasaki (a.k.a. Kyogoku) Doyo (1296 - 1373), a military commander in the Kamakura and Nanbokucho (Southern and Northern Court) periods. It urges Dewa Shiro Hyoenojo (Kutsuki Yoriuji) to come to Kyoto for the dispatch of troops to the Yoshino area. Doyo's given name was Takauji. He took the name "Doyo" upon entering a monastery at age 31. Following service for Hojo Takatoki, he entered the service of Ashikaga Takauji, and assisted the founding of the Ashikaga shogunate. A lover of literature and art, he is also known for his taste for the free-wheeling behavior and extravagant practices collectively termed "basara."