Our Tragic Hero
Minamoto no Yoshitsune is a character perfectly suited for the Japanese aesthetic. He is cunning and resourceful on the battlefield, relentless in his pursuit of victory, and highly skilled in the ways of combat. His younger years are full of anecdote and mystery. From training with Tengu, to fighting a much older and more experienced warrior monk, Benkei, it is clear that the life of this warrior was primed for embellishment. Does it seem strange then that one of Japan's most famous warriors would spend his final days on the run and finally be forced to committ seppuku along with his family?
Born to Minamoto no Yoshitomo, the head of the Minamoto clan, it is certain that much was expected of Yoshitsune from a young age. Son to a general, brother to a future shogun, and member of one of the most dominant clans in the Heian period, Minamoto no Yoshitsune certainly had all the opportunity for greatness anyone could ask for. As a leader in the Genpei War, his path to fame was certainly a difficult one. However, Yoshitsune's iron will and daring made him a capable commander. His words in Chapter 11 of the Heike Monogatari echo his strong resolve. He responds to a suggestion by one of his comrades, Kagetoki, to fit their boats with "reverse oars" before the upcoming battle:
"Men usually retreat when the tide turns against them, even if they have resolved not to yield an inch. What good can come of anticipating flight all along? This is inauspicious talk for the start of an attack. The rest of you can fit out your boats with a hundred or a thousand 'reverse oars' or 'retreat oars' if you want to. I will be content with the usual equipment."
Kagetoki provides a rebuttal to this dismissal by Yoshitsune, "A good Commander-in-Chief gallops forward when he ought to and draws back when he ought to. Saving himself to destroy the enemy is the mark of an able leader. A rigid man is called a 'wild boar warrior'; people do not think much of him"
Without hesitating, Yoshitsune remarks back, "I don't know anything about boars and deer. In battle, what I like is to attack flat out and win" (Heike 359).
This is a seemingly perfect example of Yoshitsune's jiriki, his personal strength and will guiding him in battle. In Chapter 9 of the Heike Monogatari, the "assault from the cliff" stands as another fine example of jiriki. Locked in battle, the Genji (Minamoto) and Taira (Heike) showed no signs of weakness. Yet, "the main Genji force seemed unlikely to prevail without help, despite its valor" (Heike 311). After assessing the situation, Yoshitsune resolved to lead a courageous and seemingly impossible charge down the cliff at Hiyodori Pass. This charge scattered the Taira warriors, who scrambled to make it to their boats in retreat. (**See image above)
However, not all the stories surrounding Yoshitsune focus on his jiriki, his self power. Indeed, Utagawa Kuniyoshi's famous painting on the home page of this site details a battle in which supernatural forces are at play. Yoshitsune's tariki stems from the time he spent on Mount Kurama, a holy site north of modern-day Kyoto. Despite being home to the temple Kurama-dera, the mountain is also known in myth to be the residence of Sojobo, king of the tengu. It was on this mountain that Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Sojobo met and Yoshitsune learned the secret arts of combat...
Born to Minamoto no Yoshitomo, the head of the Minamoto clan, it is certain that much was expected of Yoshitsune from a young age. Son to a general, brother to a future shogun, and member of one of the most dominant clans in the Heian period, Minamoto no Yoshitsune certainly had all the opportunity for greatness anyone could ask for. As a leader in the Genpei War, his path to fame was certainly a difficult one. However, Yoshitsune's iron will and daring made him a capable commander. His words in Chapter 11 of the Heike Monogatari echo his strong resolve. He responds to a suggestion by one of his comrades, Kagetoki, to fit their boats with "reverse oars" before the upcoming battle:
"Men usually retreat when the tide turns against them, even if they have resolved not to yield an inch. What good can come of anticipating flight all along? This is inauspicious talk for the start of an attack. The rest of you can fit out your boats with a hundred or a thousand 'reverse oars' or 'retreat oars' if you want to. I will be content with the usual equipment."
Kagetoki provides a rebuttal to this dismissal by Yoshitsune, "A good Commander-in-Chief gallops forward when he ought to and draws back when he ought to. Saving himself to destroy the enemy is the mark of an able leader. A rigid man is called a 'wild boar warrior'; people do not think much of him"
Without hesitating, Yoshitsune remarks back, "I don't know anything about boars and deer. In battle, what I like is to attack flat out and win" (Heike 359).
This is a seemingly perfect example of Yoshitsune's jiriki, his personal strength and will guiding him in battle. In Chapter 9 of the Heike Monogatari, the "assault from the cliff" stands as another fine example of jiriki. Locked in battle, the Genji (Minamoto) and Taira (Heike) showed no signs of weakness. Yet, "the main Genji force seemed unlikely to prevail without help, despite its valor" (Heike 311). After assessing the situation, Yoshitsune resolved to lead a courageous and seemingly impossible charge down the cliff at Hiyodori Pass. This charge scattered the Taira warriors, who scrambled to make it to their boats in retreat. (**See image above)
However, not all the stories surrounding Yoshitsune focus on his jiriki, his self power. Indeed, Utagawa Kuniyoshi's famous painting on the home page of this site details a battle in which supernatural forces are at play. Yoshitsune's tariki stems from the time he spent on Mount Kurama, a holy site north of modern-day Kyoto. Despite being home to the temple Kurama-dera, the mountain is also known in myth to be the residence of Sojobo, king of the tengu. It was on this mountain that Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Sojobo met and Yoshitsune learned the secret arts of combat...