Sanyo Rai was a notable scholar and poet in the Edo Period. He is known as the author of “Nihon Gaishi” which describes the history of warrior rule from the battle between the Minamotos and Tairas in the Heian Period (792 – 1185) to the beginning of the Edo Period. During a New Year period, he visited the Yamadas (now Yamaguchis), a herbal wine dealer family in Shinden, and wrote a poem to appreciate their service. The name of Saikando originates from the poem.