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Legends dealing with
Yoshitsune’s childhood show young Yoshitsune (or Ushiwakamaru) with heroic qualities. He is portrayed as a brave and skilled swordsman, despite being a young boy. He was also skilled in music and his studies, and was also said to be able to easily sway the hearts of young women.
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So here I remain, vainly shedding crimson tears....I have not been permitted to refute the accusations of my slanderers or to set foot in
Kamakura, but have been obliged to languish idly these many days with no possibility of declaring the sincerity of my intentions. It is now so long since I have
714:
Many of the literary pieces that
Yoshitsune appears in are legend rather than historical fact. Legends pertaining to Yoshitsune first began to appear in the fourteenth century. In early works at that time, Yoshitsune was described as a sharp-witted military leader. Then, romantic stories about his
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had promised upon
Hidehira's death to honor his father's wishes and continue to shelter Yoshitsune, but, giving in to pressure from Yoritomo, betrayed Yoshitsune, surrounding his Koromogawa-no-tachi residence with his troops, defeating Yoshitsune's retainers, including
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Legends which pertain to the time when his half-brother, Yoritomo, turned against him take away some of
Yoshitsune’s heroic qualities. He is no longer portrayed as a great warrior, but he retains his knowledge and skills that are valuable in the emperor’s court.
263:
549:. Yasuhira then had Yoshitsune's head preserved in sake, placed in a black-lacquered chest, and sent to Yoritomo as proof of his death. Historical sources differ as to the fate of Yoshitsune's mistress Shizuka and their son.
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for approval from
Yoritomo to enter Kamakura. The letter was Yoshitsune's "final appeal" to Yoritomo of his loyalty. The letter is a "mixture of bravado and an almost masochistic indulgence in misfortune." An excerpt:
580:
and assuming the name
Okikurumi/Oinakamui. An alternative legend states that after evading death, Yoshitsune made his way past Hokkaido and sailed to the mainland of Asia, re-surfacing as
718:
The legends that deal with his public career show
Yoshitsune as a great, virtuous warrior. He was often shown as kind to those around him and honorable, but was also shown to be naive.
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entrusted a monk
Hitachi Nyūdō Nensai with a child of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, Keiwaka, as demanded by Hidehira Fujiwara. Furthermore, according to the tradition of Enmyō-ji temple in
336:
in 1160 in which his father and two oldest brothers were killed. He survived this incident by fleeing the capital with his mother, while his half-brother
Yoritomo was banished to
676:
Yoshitsune has long been a popular figure in Japanese literature and culture due to his appearance as the main character in the third section of the Japanese literary classic
368:, Ushiwakamaru stole). Not wanting to become a monk, Yoshitsune eventually left and followed a gold merchant who knew his father well, and in 1174 relocated to
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Yoshitsune eventually made his way to Hiraizumi, Mutsu, once again to the protection of Fujiwara no Hidehira, and lived undisturbed for a time. Hidehira's son
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depicting Yoshitsune and his retainers looking at the rough sea while fleeing from Yoritomo's pursuers. by Ishikawa Komei. circa 1880.
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Yoshitsune, together with his brother Noriyori, defeated the Taira in several key battles. He also attacked and killed his cousin
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in the history of Japan. Yoshitsune perished after being betrayed by the son of a trusted ally and was labelled as a tragic hero.
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consolidate power. He is considered one of the greatest and the most popular warriors of his era, and one of the most famous
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set eyes on His Lordship's compassionate countenance that the bond of our blood brotherhood seems to have vanished.
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In 1180, Yoshitsune heard that Yoritomo, now head of the Minamoto clan, had raised an army at the request of
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defending themselves in their boat during a storm created by the ghosts of conquered Taira warriors. Made by
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503:. His suspicious brother Yoritomo, however, opposed the presentation of these titles, and nullified them.
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historical accounts, he did not commit seppuku, but instead escaped the siege at Koromogawa, fleeing to
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in opposing Yoritomo. Incurring Yoritomo's wrath, Yoshitsune fled Kyoto in 1185. His faithful mistress,
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Taylor, Alex J. "The Song of Yoshitsune." Illuminations of the Fantastic Online Magazine. Poetry.
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Yoshitsune, who had by then been given the rank of general, went on to defeat the Taira at the
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in a duel. From then on, Benkei became Yoshitsune's retainer, eventually dying with him at the
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early childhood and last years of his life appeared as people began to know more about him.
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Chohan in 1174. Yoshitsune was only 15 when he defeated the notorious bandit leader.
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These legends delve into fantasy more so than the legends about his later life.
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Statue of Yoshitsune in Mimosusogawa Park, Shimonoseki, near the site of the
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in 1879, with the aim of improving Japanese prestige in the wake of the
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Yoshitsune then secured imperial authorization to ally with his uncle
776:" relates events of Yoshitsune's life after the defeat of the Heike.
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A skillful swordsman, Yoshitsune defeated the legendary warrior monk
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340:. When he was 10, Yoshitsune was placed in the care of the monks of
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12th-century military commander in the Minamoto clan of feudal Japan
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Following the Genpei War, Yoshitsune was appointed as Governor of
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Yoshitsune's escape through the Ataka barrier is the subject of
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in March 1185. He finally destroyed them one month later at the
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The death of Yoshitsune has been very elusive. According to
314:(the third son of Yoshitomo) would go on to establish the
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In the visual arts, Yoshitsune is commonly depicted as a
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682:. The Japanese term for "sympathy for a tragic hero",
603:. According to an old temple magazine and tradition,
350:), nestled in the Hiei Mountains near the capital of
1029:. Stanford University Press. pp. 258–260, 291.
267:
The fight between Ushiwakamaru and the bandit chief
441:, a rival for control of the Minamoto clan, at the
1215:Yoshitsune: A Fifteenth-Century Japanese Chronicle
1141:"The Japanese Origin of the Chinggis Khan Legends"
619:by Kaison. After the adoption Kaison disappeared.
59:
50:Portrait of Yoshitsune in the Chusonji collection
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499:and awarded other titles by cloistered emperor
1217:. California: Stanford University Press, 1966.
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711:), which he received from the Imperial Court.
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1057:. MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc. p. 62.
668:Painting of Shizuka Gozen (lady Shizuka) by
655:Yoshitsune and Benkei Viewing Cherry Blossom
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434:, all brothers who had not previously met.
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948:"Minamoto Yoshitsune – Japanese warrior"
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991:. Holt, Rinehart and Winston. pp.
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760:The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail
588:(1855–1920) while he was studying at
318:. Yoshitsune's name in childhood was
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679:Heike Monogatari (Tale of the Heike)
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545:), and forcing Yoshitsune to commit
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1118:. Overlook Duckworth. p. 139.
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310:. Yoshitsune's older half-brother
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1184:真岡市史案内第4号中村城 真岡市教育委員会発行 栃木県立図書館蔵書
1085:. Cassell & Co. p. 204.
922:Mysteries of Yoshitsune I&II
701:, comes from Yoshitsune's title
645:
460:in March 1184, and again at the
380:, head of the powerful regional
302:Yoshitsune was the ninth son of
281:Warriors Trembling with Courage
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1334:People of Kamakura-period Japan
1055:The Samurai, A Military History
958:from the original on 2010-07-11
552:Yoshitsune is enshrined in the
332:). He was born just before the
1256:New International Encyclopedia
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1178:
1139:Miyawaki-Okada, Junko (2006).
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672:of the most famous shirabyōshi
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1:
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599:There's a temple Henshoji in
584:. This story was invented by
483:for him to govern, after the
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1329:People of Heian-period Japan
797:Wife: Sato Gozen (1168–1189)
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1250:"Minamoto Yoshitsune"
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695:
479:Yoshitsune, was then given
247:, helping his half-brother
10:
1370:
1157:10.1163/146481706793646819
1081:Turnbull, Stephen (1998).
1053:Turnbull, Stephen (1977).
1027:A History of Japan to 1334
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839:Yoshitsune Shin Takadachi
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753:was later dramatized by
1294:Imperial House of Japan
1025:Sansom, George (1958).
988:The Nobility of Failure
774:Chronicle of Yoshitsune
223:was a commander of the
89:June 15, 1189 (aged 30)
1116:Legends of the Samurai
1083:The Samurai Sourcebook
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205:Minamoto no Yoshitsune
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130:Battle of Ichi-no-Tani
92:Battle of Koromo River
985:Morris, Ivan (1975).
814:The Tale of the Heike
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418:to fight against the
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1289:Deified Japanese men
1243:Biographical Summary
916:Letter from Koshigoe
590:Cambridge University
534:Fujiwara no Yasuhira
474:Yamaguchi Prefecture
470:Battle of Dan-no-ura
432:Minamoto no Noriyori
426:clans, known as the
398:Battle of Dan-no-ura
378:Fujiwara no Hidehira
365:Six Secret Teachings
312:Minamoto no Yoritomo
239:periods. During the
184:Minamoto no Noriyori
179:Minamoto no Yoritomo
140:Battle of Dan-no-ura
1349:Suicides by seppuku
1324:Nobility from Kyoto
1213:McCullough, Helen.
659:Yoshitoshi Tsukioka
409:Siege of Koromogawa
277:Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
38:Minamoto Yoshitsune
757:in the 1945 movie
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670:Katsushika Hokusai
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523:Minamoto no Yukiie
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516:Walters Art Museum
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316:Kamakura shogunate
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100:Kamakura shogunate
69:Ushiwakamaru (牛若丸)
1314:Kabuki characters
1309:Japanese nobility
1299:Japanese folklore
1125:978-1-59020-730-7
1002:978-0-03-010811-2
594:Meiji Restoration
568:Rumors and legend
462:Battle of Yashima
382:Northern Fujiwara
297:Utagawa Kuniyoshi
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481:Ōmi Province
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360:Kiichi Hōgen
338:Izu Province
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320:Ushiwakamaru
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308:Tokiwa Gozen
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231:in the late
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174:Tokiwa Gozen
166:(concubine)
116:Battles/wars
28:
1284:1189 deaths
1279:1159 births
928:Seiwa Genji
800:Concubine:
684:Hōgan-biiki
491:Final years
275:printed by
219: 1159
75: 1159
56:Native name
1354:Uxoricides
1268:Categories
1170:30 October
1145:Inner Asia
962:2010-11-07
934:References
703:Kurō Hōgan
428:Genpei War
420:Taira clan
324:young bull
259:Early life
245:Taira clan
241:Genpei War
235:and early
155:Sato Gozen
1196:源義経周辺系図解説
871:Kanjinchō
751:Kanjinchō
746:Kanjinchō
370:Hiraizumi
191:Signature
186:(brother)
160:Relations
152:Spouse(s)
96:Hiraizumi
79:Heian-kyō
1165:23615520
1114:(1995).
956:Archived
909:Kurozuka
892:See also
885:bishōnen
791:Mother:
785:Father:
739:and the
633:Koshigoe
609:Hirosaki
578:Hokkaido
562:Fujisawa
269:Kumasaka
249:Yoritomo
237:Kamakura
176:(mother)
171:(father)
110:Minamoto
29:Minamoto
19:In this
1344:Samurai
1259:. 1905.
911:(novel)
818:Gikeiki
769:Gikeiki
547:seppuku
466:Shikoku
424:samurai
273:Ukiyo-e
253:samurai
25:surname
1163:
1122:
1089:
1061:
1033:
999:
898:Benkei
876:kabuki
864:kabuki
859:jōruri
845:jōruri
780:Family
772:, or "
741:Kabuki
613:Aomori
558:Shinto
539:Benkei
405:Benkei
388:Career
384:clan.
356:Sōjōbō
293:Benkei
147:(1189)
142:(1185)
137:(1185)
132:(1184)
127:(1184)
122:(1184)
106:Family
23:, the
1161:JSTOR
993:71–72
823:sekai
743:play
736:Ataka
733:play
657:, by
627:The "
352:Kyoto
233:Heian
229:Japan
1172:2022
1120:ISBN
1087:ISBN
1059:ISBN
1031:ISBN
997:ISBN
862:and
816:and
766:The
708:九郎判官
690:判官贔屓
574:Ainu
556:, a
458:Kobe
211:源 義経
86:Died
66:Born
60:源 義経
1153:doi
731:Noh
510:An
497:Iyo
464:in
445:in
347:鞍馬寺
329:牛若丸
322:or
227:of
27:is
1270::
1253:.
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1159:.
1147:.
1143:.
1101:^
1073:^
1045:^
1011:^
995:.
971:^
954:.
950:.
830:.
763:.
749:.
693:,
611:,
596:.
564:.
487:.
476:.
411:.
372:,
279:.
216:c.
214:,
98:,
72:c.
1174:.
1155::
1149:8
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