Sōhei literally "monk warriors" (僧兵) were Buddhist warrior monks of feudal Japan. At certain points of history they held considerable power, obliging the imperial and military governments to collaborate.
They were similar to the mountain ascetic yamabushi warrior monks, but unlike the solitary yamabushi, sōhei generally organized into large armies or mobs. A famous monastery is the Enryaku-ji on Mount Hiei, just outside Kyoto.
Sōhei did not operate as individuals, or even as members of
small, individual temples, but rather as warriors in a large extended
brotherhood or monastic order.
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