Yoshitsune by Kikuchi Yosai

"Yoshitsune and Benkei Viewing Cherry Blossoms", by Yoshitoshi Tsukioka

Minamoto no Yoshitsune (源 義経) (1159 – June 15, 1189) was a general of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian and early Kamakura period. Yoshitsune was the ninth son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo. Yoshitsune's older brother Minamoto no Yoritomo (the third son of Yoshitomo) founded the Kamakura shogunate. Yoshitsune's name in childhood was Ushiwakamaru 牛若丸. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1084x1359, 520 KB) Minamoto no Yoshitsune (源 義経,c. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1084x1359, 520 KB) Minamoto no Yoshitsune (源 義経,c. ... Kikuchi Yōsai, self-portrait. ... Download high resolution version (426x625, 255 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Download high resolution version (426x625, 255 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839 - June 9, 1892) (Japanese: 月岡 芳年; also named Taiso Yoshitoshi 大蘇　芳年) was the last great master - and one of the great innovative and creative geniuses - of the Japanese woodblock print. ... Events In the Roman Catholic Church, Cardinals are given the right of election of the Pope. ... June 15 is the 166th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (167th in leap years), with 199 days remaining. ... Events January 21 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade September 3- Richard I of England is crowned as king of England. ... Minamoto (源) was an honorary surname bestowed by the Emperors of Japan of the Heian Period to their sons and grandsons after accepting them as royal subjects. ... The following text needs to be harmonized with text in the article History of Japan#Heian Period. ... The Kamakura period (Japanese: 鎌倉時代, Kamakura-jidai; 1185–1333) is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance of the Kamakura Shogunate; officially established in 1192 by the first Kamakura shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Yoshitomo Minamoto. ... Portrait of Yoritomo (copy) Minamoto no Yoritomo May 9, 1147—February 9, 1199) was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan, who ruled from 1192 until 1199. ... This wooden Kongorikishi statue was created during the Kamakura shogunate during 14th century Japan. ...

Yoshitsune was born slightly before the Heiji Rebellion of 1159 in which his father and oldest two brothers were killed. His life was spared and he was put under the care of Kurama Temple, nestled in the Hiei Mountains near the capital of Kyoto, while Yoritomo was banished to Izu Province. Eventually Yoshitsune was put under the protection of Fujiwara no Hidehira, head of the powerful regional Northern Fujiwara clan in Hiraizumi, Mutsu Province. The Heiji Rebellion (平治の乱) was fought between rival subjects of the cloistered emperor Go-Shirakawa of Japan in 1159. ... Events In the Roman Catholic Church, Cardinals are given the right of election of the Pope. ... This article is about the city Kyoto. ... Categories: Japan geography stubs | Old provinces of Japan ... Fujiwara no Hidehira (藤原 秀衡; ? - 1187) was the third ruler of Northern Fujiwara in Mutsu Province, Japan, the grandson of Fujiwara no Kiyohira. ... The Northern Fujiwara is a family that ruled the Northeastern (Tohoku) region of Japan from the 12th to the 13th centuries, ultimately conquered by the Kanto warriors lead by Minamoto no Yoritomo. ... Hiraizumi (平泉町; -chou) is a town located in Nishiiwai District, Iwate, Japan. ... Mutsu (陸奥国; -no kuni) is an old province of Japan, which today composes Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori prefectures and the city of Kazuno and the town of Kosaka in Akita prefecture. ...

In 1180, Yoshitsune heard that Yoritomo, now head of the Minamoto clan, had raised an army at the request of Prince Mochihito to fight against the Taira clan which had usurped the power of the emperor. Yoshitsune shortly thereafter joined Yoritomo along with Minamoto no Noriyori, all brothers who had never before met, in the last of three conflicts between the rival Minamoto and Taira samurai clans in the Genpei War. Events April 13 - Frederick Barbarossa issues the Gelnhausen Charter November 18 - France Emperor Antoku succeds Emperor Takakura as emperor of Japan Afonso I of Portugal is taken prisoner by Ferdinand II of Leon Artois is annexed by France Prince Mochihito amasses a large army and instigates the Genpei War between... Prince Mochihito as he appeared on the 2005 NHK Taiga, Yoshitsune Prince Mochihito (以仁王, Mochihito-ō) (d. ... Taira (平) is a Japanese surname. ... Grave of Minamoto no Noriyori, Shuzenji (present-day Izu), Shizuoka Prefecture Minamoto no Noriyori )(1156-1193) was a late Heian period general, who fought alongside his brothers Minamoto no Yoritomo and Minamoto no Yoshitsune at a number of battles of the Genpei War. ... The Genpei or Gempei War (源平合戦、寿永・治承の乱) (1180-1185) was a war of ancient Japan, fought between the Taira and Minamoto clans. ...

Yoshitsune defeated and killed his rival cousin Minamoto no Yoshinaka at the battle of Awazu in Omi Province in the first month of 1184 and in the next month defeated the Taira at the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani in present day Kobe. In 1185, Yoshitsune defeated the Taira again at the Battle of Yashima in Shikoku and destroyed them at the Battle of Dan-no-ura in present day Yamaguchi Prefecture. Minamoto no Yoshinaka )(1154-1184) was a general of the late Heian Period of Japanese history. ... Continuing to flee from his cousins armies after attacking Kyoto, burning the Hojujiden, and kidnapping the Emperor, Minamoto no Yoshinaka made his final stand at Awazu. ... Categories: Japan geography stubs | Old provinces of Japan ... // Events Abbeville receives its commercial charter. ... Ichi-no-Tani (一の谷) was a Taira fortress, to the west of present-day Kobe. ... Port Tower at night For the basketball star Kobe Bryant go here. ... Events April 25 - Genpei War - Naval battle of Dan-no-ura leads to Minamoto victory in Japan Templars settle in London and begin the building of New Temple Church End of the Heian Period and beginning of the Kamakura period in Japan. ... Following a long string of defeats, the Taira retreated to Yashima, todays Takamatsu, just off of Shikoku. ... Shikoku (四国, four provinces) is the smallest and least populous (4,141,955 as of 2005) of the four main islands of Japan. ... The Battle of Dan-no-ura, more commonly known as Dan-no-ura no Tatakai (壇ノ浦の戦い), was a major sea battle of the Genpei War, occurring at Dan_no_ura, in the Shimonoseki Strait off the southern tip of Honshu. ... Yamaguchi Prefecture (山口県 Yamaguchi-ken) is located in the Chugoku region on Honshu island, Japan. ...

After the Gempei War, Yoshitsune joined the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa against his brother Yoritomo. Fleeing to the temporary protection of Fujiwara no Hidehira in Mutsu again, Yoshitsune was betrayed and forced to commit Seppuku along with his wife and daughter, by Hidehira's son Fujiwara no Yasuhira. There are also theories that Minamoto did not commit Seppuku and instead fled to mainland Asia and assumed the identity of Genghis Khan. Yoshitsune is enshrined in the Shinto shrine Shirahata Jinja in Fujisawa. Emperor Go-Shirakawa (後白河天皇 Go-Shirakawa Tennō) (October 18, 1127 – April 26, 1192) was the 77th imperial ruler of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. ... Seppuku with ritual attire and second (staged) General Akashi Gidayu preparing to commit Seppuku after losing a battle for his master in 1582. ... Fujiwara no Yasuhira (藤原 æ³°è¡¡; 1155 - 89) was the fourth ruler of Northern Fujiwara in Mutsu Province, Japan, the second son of Hidehira. ...   or Temüjin by birthname, (IPA: [], Mongolian: (see below for alternative spellings)), (c. ... Shinto() is the native religion of Japan and was once its state religion. ... , Fujisawa (藤沢市 Fujisawa-shi) is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. ...

Yoshitsune has long been a popular figure in Japanese myth and lore due to his appearance as the main character in the third section of the Japanese literary classic Heike Monotogari (Tale of the Heike). The Tale of the Heike (Japanese: 平家物語, Heike monogatari) is an epic account of the struggle between the Minamoto and Taira clans for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century. ...

Contemporary media

• Akira Kurosawa's film The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail dramatises a legend about Yoshitsune, based on the kabuki play Kanjincho.
• In the anime Samurai Champloo, 3 men rap a tale of the "Ghost of Yoshitsune" haunting the mountains, though Jin says, "They seem to have their rumors mixed up." (episode 16 - Lullabies of the Lost, verse 1).
• Yoshitsune's feat of cutting leaves as they fell from a tree has been referenced many times in Japanese pop culture. In some instances, characters attempt the feat to compare themselves to Yoshitsune, as in the beginning of Blade of the Immortal. Sometimes, variations upon this motif are seen, such as in the manga One Piece where Zoro the swordsman achieves the ability to cut steel because he can hold a falling leaf on his sword's edge without cutting it, or in Hajime no Ippo, where the main character is facetiously given the task of catching falling leaves with his bare hands before he will be allowed into a gym. Ippo's eventual ability to indirectly mimic Yoshitsune is seen as a sign of great potential by the other characters.
• NHK's 2005 taiga drama Yoshitsune is a fictionalized account of the samurai's life and the political intrigues that sealed his fate.
• Game Republic's 2005 PlayStation 2 video game, Genji: Dawn of the Samurai is another fictionalized account of the story of Yoshitsune and Saito Musashibo Benkei.
• Visual Kei heavy metal band Onmyo-Za published the trilogy "Kumikyoku Yoshitsune" as three partial singles in 2004, and also in "Garyo-Tensei" album in 2005.
• Sogo Ishii's film Gojoe retells, with considerable reinvention, Yoshitsune's encounter with Benkei at Gojoe Bridge.
• In the Nintendo DS game Age of Empires:The Age of Kings, Minamoto Yoshitsune has his own campaign over 5 missions, seeing him win at the 'Battle of Ichi-no-Tani' and then go on to defeat the Taira clan for good.
• In Mortal Kombat, Liu Kang's name was to be Yoshitsune Minamoto.
• In Disgaea:_Hour_of_Darkness, the ultimate sword is named "Yoshitsuna".
• "Yoshitsuna" also appears in another Nippon Ichi game as the best pilotable machine in Makai_Kingdom:_Chronicles_Of_The_Sacred_Tome
• In the anime Diamond Daydreams, Kyoko Asahina refers a tragic love tale about Yoshitsune and a girl he loved named Charinka who never loved him back. When Yoshitsune left the island, Charinka shown her true colors and cried out toward him but he never heard the call, leaving Charinka in tears. Kyoko adds that Charinka gets what she deserved in the end.
• In an unusual twist, Yoshitsune along with Benkei and two Minamoto clan members, Yoritomo and Yoshinaka, are the villains of an old Namco arcade game Genpei Toumaden. The hero of the game is Taira no Kagekiyo, who was portrayed as the villain of Genji: Dawn of the Samurai. All of them make an appearance in the crossover game Namco X Capcom.
• Kodansha is publishing manga about Yoshitsune. The manga is titled Shanaou Yoshitsune. It is being written by Sawada Hirofumi.
• Yoshitsune appears as "Ushiwaka" (or "Waka") in the videogame Ōkami as a Taoist Prophet who often gives the main character (the incarnation of Amaterasu as a wolf) prophesies in the form of unusual riddles.
• Yoshitsune appears as a recruitable demon in several of the Devil Summoner games.

Akira Kurosawa , 23 March 1910—6 September 1998) was a prominent Japanese film director, film producer, and screenwriter. ... The Men Who Tread On the Tigers Tail is the most common English translation of the Japanese film Tora no o wo fumu otokotachi, written and directed by Akira Kurosawa in 1945. ... The Kabukiza in Ginza is one of Tokyos leading kabuki theaters. ... Kanjinchō (勧進帳, The Subscription List) is a Japanese kabuki play by Namiki Gohei III. It is one of the ost popular plays in the modern kabuki repertory. ... Anime ) (IPA pronunciation: in Japanese, but typically or in English) is an abbreviation of the word animation. Outside Japan, the term most popularly refers to animation originating in Japan. ... // Samurai Champloo ) is an anime series consisting of twenty-six episodes that began broadcasting May 20, 2004 on Fuji Television in Japan. ... Popular West Coast rapper Snoop Dogg performing for the US Navy For information on rap music, see hip hop music. ... The following lists and describes characters of significance who appear in the fictional anime series Samurai Champloo. ... Blade of the Immortal, or 無限の住人 (Mugen no JÅ«nin, literally Inhabitant of Infinity), is a Japanese manga series by Hiroaki Samura. ... Serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump Shonen Jump BANZAI! Original run August 4, 1997 – (ongoing) No. ... Fighting Spirit, known in Japan as Hajime no Ippo (はじめの一歩) is a sports anime and manga series created by Jyoji George Morikawa (森川ジョージ) which was serialized by Kodansha in Shonen Weekly (週刊少年マガジン). A... NHK (日本放送協会, Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai), or the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, is Japans public broadcaster. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Taiga drama (大河ドラマ) is the name NHK gives to the annual, year-long historical fiction television series it broadcasts in Japan. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The PlayStation 2 (PS2) ) is Sonys second video game console, the successor to the PlayStation and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Heavy metal is a genre of music that emerged as a defined musical style in the 1970s, having its roots in hard rock bands which, between 1969 and 1974,[1] mixed blues and rock music to create a hybrid with a thick, heavy, guitar-and-drums-centered sound, characterised by... Onmyo-Za(also Onmyouza or Onmyoza: Japanese; 陰陽座 literally a band in Onmyodo) are a Japanese Visual Kei / heavy metal band who released their first commercial album in 1999. ... Sōgo Ishii (石井聰互 Ishii Sōgo) (born 1957) is a film director from Japan known for his striking visuals and sometimes outlandish subject matter. ... The Nintendo DS, sometimes abbreviated NDS or DS, is a handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo, and first released in 2004. ... This article is about the first game in a series. ... Mortal Kombat has multiple meanings. ... Liu Kang is a major character and fighter in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Disgaea: Hour of Darkness (魔界戦記 ディスガイア; Makai Senki Disgaea, lit. ... Diamond Daydreams (original Japanese title Kita e ～Diamond Dust Drops～ )) is an anime series adapted from a dating sim. ... Namco is a company based in Japan, best known for developing video games. ... Centipede by Atari is a typical example of a 1980s era arcade game. ... Genpei ToumaDen (源平討魔伝) is an arcade game that was released by Namco in 1986 only in Japan. ... Genpei ToumaDen ) is an arcade game that was released by Namco in 1986 only in Japan. ... Namco x Capcom (ナムコ クロス カプコン) is a turn-based strategy game featuring characters from games produced by video game companies Namco and Capcom, and developed by Monolith Soft. ... For the subspecies of gray wolf, see Japanese Wolf. ... The Sun goddess emerging out of a cave, bringing sunlight back to the universe. ... Devil Summoner is a Japanese console role-playing game that was originally released for the Sega Saturn in 1995, and later re-released in a slightly enhanced version for the PlayStation Portable in 2005. ...

See also

• The Tale of the Heike
• Saito Musashibo Benkei
• Seiwa Genji

The Tale of the Heike (Japanese: 平家物語, Heike monogatari) is an epic account of the struggle between the Minamoto and Taira clans for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century. ... Benkei as portrayed in Kabuki plays. ... The Seiwa Genji (清和源氏) were the most successful and powerful of the many branch families of the Minamoto clan. ...

External links

• 2005 NHK Drama fanlisting
• Biographical Summary