Hattori Hanzō | |
---|---|
服部 半蔵 | |
Leader of Iga Ninja | |
In office 1557–1597 | |
Preceded by | Hattori Yasunaga |
Succeeded by | Hattori Masanari |
Personal details | |
Born | Hattori Masanari 服部 正成 c. 1542 Mikawa Province (now Iga-chō, Okazaki, Aichi) |
Died | Edo, Musashi province | January 2, 1597 (aged 54-55)
Relations | Hattori Yasunaga, 1st-Hanzō (father) Hattori Masanari, 3rd-Hanzō (son) |
Nickname | "Demon Hanzō" |
Military service | |
Allegiance |
Matsudaira clan Tokugawa clan |
Battles/wars |
Attack on Udo Castle Siege of Kaminogō Castle Siege of Kakegawa Battle of Anegawa Battle of Mikatagahara Battle of Komaki and Nagakute Siege of Odawara |
Hattori Hanzō (服部 半蔵, c. 1542 [1] – January 2, 1597) or Second Hanzō, nicknamed Oni no Hanzō (鬼の半蔵, Demon Hanzō), [2] was a famous samurai of the Sengoku era, who served the Tokugawa clan as a general, credited with saving the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu and then helping him to become the ruler of united Japan. He is often a subject of varied portrayals in modern popular culture. Hanzō was known as an expert tactician and a master of sword fighting.
Hattori Hanzō was included in cultural sobriquet as one of Tokugawa 16 divine generals (Tokugawa jūrokushinshō). [3] [4] [5]
Born the son of Hattori Yasunaga (服部 保長), the First Hanzō, a minor samurai in the service of the Matsudaira (later Tokugawa) clan. [6] [2] His real name is Hattori Masanari (服部 正成), and he became known as the Second Hanzō. He would later earn the nickname Oni no Hanzō (鬼の半蔵, Demon Hanzō) [2] because of the fearless tactics he displayed in his operations; this moniker also distinguished him from Watanabe Hanzo ( Watanabe Moritsuna), who is nicknamed Yari no Hanzō (槍の半蔵, Spear Hanzō). [7]
Though Hanzō was born in Mikawa Province (now Iga-chō, Okazaki, Aichi), he often returned to Iga Province, home of the Hattori family. At the age of 15, his first battle was a night time attack during the siege of Udo Castle (1557). [6] [2]
Hanzo had a great contribution to Tokugawa Ieyasu's rise to power, helping the future Shogun bring down the Imagawa clan. After Imagawa Ujizane had held Ieyasu's wife and son as hostages in 1561, Hanzo made a successful hostage rescue of Tokugawa's family at Kaminogo castle in 1562 [8] and went on to lay siege to Kakegawa castle in 1569 against the Imagawa clan.
He served with distinction at the battles of Anegawa in 1570 and Mikatagahara in 1572. [6] According to the Kansei Chōshū Shokafu, a genealogy of major samurai completed in 1812 by the Tokugawa shogunate, Hattori Hanzō rendered meritorious service during the Battle of Mikatagahara and became commander of an Iga unit consisting of one hundred fifty men. He captured a Takeda spy named Chikuan, and when Takeda's troops invaded Totomi, Hanzō counterattacked with only thirty warriors at the Tenryū River.[ citation needed]
In late June 1582, after the Honnō-ji Incident, Tokugawa Ieyasu escapes from Sakai to return into Mikawa. Ieyasu had only 34 companions with him, including Hanzō. The journey which they taken were particularly dangerous due to the existence of Ochimusha-gari, or "Samurai hunters" gang [a] Ieyasu and his party, therefore, chose the shortest route back to the Mikawa Province by crossing the Iga Province, which was differed in many versions according to primary sources such as the records of Tokugawa Nikki or Mikawa Todai-Hon:
Regardless which theory is true, historians agreed that the track ended Kada(a mountain pass between Kameyama town and Iga), Tokugawa group suffered a last attack by the Ochimusha-gari outlaws at Kada pass where they reached the territory of Kōka ikki clans of Jizamurai who are friendly to the Tokugawa clan. The Koka ikki samurais assisted Ieyasu to eliminate the threats of Ochimusha-gari outlaws and escorting them until they reached Iga Province, where they further protected by other allied clans from Iga ikki which accompany the Ieyasu group until they safely reach Mikawa. [11] There are 34 Tokugawa retainers who accompany Ieyasu such as Sakai Tadatsugu, Ii Naomasa, and Honda Tadakatsu, Sakakibara Yasumasa and many others. [16]: 314–315 [10] [17]
Portuguese missionary Luís Fróis has recorded in his work History of Japan, that during this journey, Tokugawa retainers such as Sakai Tadatsugu, Ii Naomasa and Honda Tadakatsu fought their way out against the raids and harassments of Ochimusha-gari outlaws during their march escorting Ieyasu, while sometimes also paying bribes of gold and silver to the Ochimusha-gari outlaws which they could bribe. [18] Matsudaira Ietada recorded in his journal, Ietada nikki (家忠日記), the escorts of Ieyasu during the journey in Iga consisted the escorts of Ieyasu has killed around 200 outlaws during their journey from Osaka. [19] [20]
In June 1582, a triangle conflict which dubbed as Tenshō-Jingo war broke out between the Tokugawa clan, Uesugi clan, and Hōjō clan. [21] [b] Hanzō participated in this conflict on the side of Tokugawa Ieyasu as he deployed his forces in various forts in the Kōfu Basin against Ujinao, who camped his army in the area of present-day Hokuto City. Hanzō led the Iga clan warriors to Katsuyama Castle (Kamisone-cho, Kofu City), Misakuchi Castle, and Kotohirayama Castle (Misakuchi-cho, Kofu City), where he monitored the Nakamichi road connecting Kai and Suruga. [24] At the same time, a Tokugawa army detachment from the Iga Province commanded by Hanzō invaded Saku District, where they also aided by Shinano local samurai warriors from Tsugane clan led by ōbi Sukemitsu. In early September, Hanzō and Sukemitsu launched a night attack on Egusuku Castle (also known as Shishiku Castle) and capturing it. [25] [26]
In 1584, Hattori Hanzo continued to serve his lord at Battle of Komaki and Nagakute with 100 warriors under his command.
In 1590, Hattori Hanzo served during the Odawara campaign and was awarded 8,000 koku. By the time Ieyasu entered Kantō, he was awarded an additional 8,000 koku and had 30 yoriki and 200 public officials for his services.
Historical sources[ which?][ specify] say he lived the last several years of his life as a monk under the name "Sainen" and built the temple Sainenji,[ citation needed] which was named after him and mainly built to commemorate Tokugawa Ieyasu's elder son, Tokugawa Nobuyasu.[ citation needed]
After Nobuyasu was accused of treason and conspiracy by Oda Nobunaga and was then ordered to commit seppuku by his father, Ieyasu. Hanzo was called in to act as the official second to end Nobuyasu's suffering, but he refused to take the sword on the blood of his own lord. Ieyasu valued his loyalty after hearing of Hanzo's ordeal and said, "Even a demon can shed tears." [27] [28]
This section needs additional citations for
verification. (June 2021) |
He died at the age of 54 or 55 in 1597. [6] There are three theories about his death. One asserts that he was assassinated by a rival Samurai, the pirate Fūma Kotarō. After Hanzo tracked him down to the Inland Sea, Kotarō lured him and his men into a small channel and used oil to set the channel on fire. The second theory is that Hanzo became a monk in Edo where he lived out the rest of his days until he died of illness. The third theory is that he died because of illness and it was a natural death.
Hanzo's reputation as a samurai leader who commanded a 200-men strong unit of Iga warriors has grown to legendary proportions. Tales of Hattori's exploits often attributed various supernatural abilities, such as teleportation, psychokinesis, and precognition. [2] [6]
After his death on 4 November 1596, Hattori Hanzō was succeeded by his son, whose name was also Masanari (third Hanzō), though written with different kanji (正就 instead of 正成). He was given the title of Iwami no Kami [29] and his Iga men would act as guards of Edo Castle, the headquarters of the government of united Japan. Hanzō is actually a name passed down through the leaders of the Hattori family meaning his father was also called Hanzō and so was his successor. Indeed, there are five people known as Hattori Hanzō throughout history. [2]
To this day, artifacts of Hanzō's legacy remain. Tokyo Imperial Palace (formerly the shōgun's palace) still has a gate called Hanzō's Gate (Hanzōmon), and the Hanzōmon subway line which runs from Hanzōmon Station in central Tokyo to the southwestern suburbs is named after the gate, where his house was once located. [30] [31] [32] The neighborhood outside Hanzō's Gate is known as Wakaba, but before 1943 was named Iga-chō ("Iga Town"). [33] Hanzō's remains now rest in the Sainen-ji temple cemetery in Yotsuya, Tokyo. The temple also holds his favorite spear and his ceremonial battle helmet. The spear, originally 14 feet (4.3 m) long and given to him by Ieyasu, was donated to the temple by Hanzō as a votive offering, but was damaged during the bombing of Tokyo in 1945. [34]
Kunio Yanagita "History of Japanese Farmers"
Tadashi Ishikawa quote
Akira Imatani"Practice of attacking fallen warriors"; 2000; p.153 chapter 4
Luís Fróis;History of Japan..; Nihon Yoso-kai Annual Report", Japanese historical materials also show that Ieyasu distributed a large amount of gold and silver to his subordinates) A certain " Ishikawa Tadashi Sosho
Hattori Hanzō | |
---|---|
服部 半蔵 | |
Leader of Iga Ninja | |
In office 1557–1597 | |
Preceded by | Hattori Yasunaga |
Succeeded by | Hattori Masanari |
Personal details | |
Born | Hattori Masanari 服部 正成 c. 1542 Mikawa Province (now Iga-chō, Okazaki, Aichi) |
Died | Edo, Musashi province | January 2, 1597 (aged 54-55)
Relations | Hattori Yasunaga, 1st-Hanzō (father) Hattori Masanari, 3rd-Hanzō (son) |
Nickname | "Demon Hanzō" |
Military service | |
Allegiance |
Matsudaira clan Tokugawa clan |
Battles/wars |
Attack on Udo Castle Siege of Kaminogō Castle Siege of Kakegawa Battle of Anegawa Battle of Mikatagahara Battle of Komaki and Nagakute Siege of Odawara |
Hattori Hanzō (服部 半蔵, c. 1542 [1] – January 2, 1597) or Second Hanzō, nicknamed Oni no Hanzō (鬼の半蔵, Demon Hanzō), [2] was a famous samurai of the Sengoku era, who served the Tokugawa clan as a general, credited with saving the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu and then helping him to become the ruler of united Japan. He is often a subject of varied portrayals in modern popular culture. Hanzō was known as an expert tactician and a master of sword fighting.
Hattori Hanzō was included in cultural sobriquet as one of Tokugawa 16 divine generals (Tokugawa jūrokushinshō). [3] [4] [5]
Born the son of Hattori Yasunaga (服部 保長), the First Hanzō, a minor samurai in the service of the Matsudaira (later Tokugawa) clan. [6] [2] His real name is Hattori Masanari (服部 正成), and he became known as the Second Hanzō. He would later earn the nickname Oni no Hanzō (鬼の半蔵, Demon Hanzō) [2] because of the fearless tactics he displayed in his operations; this moniker also distinguished him from Watanabe Hanzo ( Watanabe Moritsuna), who is nicknamed Yari no Hanzō (槍の半蔵, Spear Hanzō). [7]
Though Hanzō was born in Mikawa Province (now Iga-chō, Okazaki, Aichi), he often returned to Iga Province, home of the Hattori family. At the age of 15, his first battle was a night time attack during the siege of Udo Castle (1557). [6] [2]
Hanzo had a great contribution to Tokugawa Ieyasu's rise to power, helping the future Shogun bring down the Imagawa clan. After Imagawa Ujizane had held Ieyasu's wife and son as hostages in 1561, Hanzo made a successful hostage rescue of Tokugawa's family at Kaminogo castle in 1562 [8] and went on to lay siege to Kakegawa castle in 1569 against the Imagawa clan.
He served with distinction at the battles of Anegawa in 1570 and Mikatagahara in 1572. [6] According to the Kansei Chōshū Shokafu, a genealogy of major samurai completed in 1812 by the Tokugawa shogunate, Hattori Hanzō rendered meritorious service during the Battle of Mikatagahara and became commander of an Iga unit consisting of one hundred fifty men. He captured a Takeda spy named Chikuan, and when Takeda's troops invaded Totomi, Hanzō counterattacked with only thirty warriors at the Tenryū River.[ citation needed]
In late June 1582, after the Honnō-ji Incident, Tokugawa Ieyasu escapes from Sakai to return into Mikawa. Ieyasu had only 34 companions with him, including Hanzō. The journey which they taken were particularly dangerous due to the existence of Ochimusha-gari, or "Samurai hunters" gang [a] Ieyasu and his party, therefore, chose the shortest route back to the Mikawa Province by crossing the Iga Province, which was differed in many versions according to primary sources such as the records of Tokugawa Nikki or Mikawa Todai-Hon:
Regardless which theory is true, historians agreed that the track ended Kada(a mountain pass between Kameyama town and Iga), Tokugawa group suffered a last attack by the Ochimusha-gari outlaws at Kada pass where they reached the territory of Kōka ikki clans of Jizamurai who are friendly to the Tokugawa clan. The Koka ikki samurais assisted Ieyasu to eliminate the threats of Ochimusha-gari outlaws and escorting them until they reached Iga Province, where they further protected by other allied clans from Iga ikki which accompany the Ieyasu group until they safely reach Mikawa. [11] There are 34 Tokugawa retainers who accompany Ieyasu such as Sakai Tadatsugu, Ii Naomasa, and Honda Tadakatsu, Sakakibara Yasumasa and many others. [16]: 314–315 [10] [17]
Portuguese missionary Luís Fróis has recorded in his work History of Japan, that during this journey, Tokugawa retainers such as Sakai Tadatsugu, Ii Naomasa and Honda Tadakatsu fought their way out against the raids and harassments of Ochimusha-gari outlaws during their march escorting Ieyasu, while sometimes also paying bribes of gold and silver to the Ochimusha-gari outlaws which they could bribe. [18] Matsudaira Ietada recorded in his journal, Ietada nikki (家忠日記), the escorts of Ieyasu during the journey in Iga consisted the escorts of Ieyasu has killed around 200 outlaws during their journey from Osaka. [19] [20]
In June 1582, a triangle conflict which dubbed as Tenshō-Jingo war broke out between the Tokugawa clan, Uesugi clan, and Hōjō clan. [21] [b] Hanzō participated in this conflict on the side of Tokugawa Ieyasu as he deployed his forces in various forts in the Kōfu Basin against Ujinao, who camped his army in the area of present-day Hokuto City. Hanzō led the Iga clan warriors to Katsuyama Castle (Kamisone-cho, Kofu City), Misakuchi Castle, and Kotohirayama Castle (Misakuchi-cho, Kofu City), where he monitored the Nakamichi road connecting Kai and Suruga. [24] At the same time, a Tokugawa army detachment from the Iga Province commanded by Hanzō invaded Saku District, where they also aided by Shinano local samurai warriors from Tsugane clan led by ōbi Sukemitsu. In early September, Hanzō and Sukemitsu launched a night attack on Egusuku Castle (also known as Shishiku Castle) and capturing it. [25] [26]
In 1584, Hattori Hanzo continued to serve his lord at Battle of Komaki and Nagakute with 100 warriors under his command.
In 1590, Hattori Hanzo served during the Odawara campaign and was awarded 8,000 koku. By the time Ieyasu entered Kantō, he was awarded an additional 8,000 koku and had 30 yoriki and 200 public officials for his services.
Historical sources[ which?][ specify] say he lived the last several years of his life as a monk under the name "Sainen" and built the temple Sainenji,[ citation needed] which was named after him and mainly built to commemorate Tokugawa Ieyasu's elder son, Tokugawa Nobuyasu.[ citation needed]
After Nobuyasu was accused of treason and conspiracy by Oda Nobunaga and was then ordered to commit seppuku by his father, Ieyasu. Hanzo was called in to act as the official second to end Nobuyasu's suffering, but he refused to take the sword on the blood of his own lord. Ieyasu valued his loyalty after hearing of Hanzo's ordeal and said, "Even a demon can shed tears." [27] [28]
This section needs additional citations for
verification. (June 2021) |
He died at the age of 54 or 55 in 1597. [6] There are three theories about his death. One asserts that he was assassinated by a rival Samurai, the pirate Fūma Kotarō. After Hanzo tracked him down to the Inland Sea, Kotarō lured him and his men into a small channel and used oil to set the channel on fire. The second theory is that Hanzo became a monk in Edo where he lived out the rest of his days until he died of illness. The third theory is that he died because of illness and it was a natural death.
Hanzo's reputation as a samurai leader who commanded a 200-men strong unit of Iga warriors has grown to legendary proportions. Tales of Hattori's exploits often attributed various supernatural abilities, such as teleportation, psychokinesis, and precognition. [2] [6]
After his death on 4 November 1596, Hattori Hanzō was succeeded by his son, whose name was also Masanari (third Hanzō), though written with different kanji (正就 instead of 正成). He was given the title of Iwami no Kami [29] and his Iga men would act as guards of Edo Castle, the headquarters of the government of united Japan. Hanzō is actually a name passed down through the leaders of the Hattori family meaning his father was also called Hanzō and so was his successor. Indeed, there are five people known as Hattori Hanzō throughout history. [2]
To this day, artifacts of Hanzō's legacy remain. Tokyo Imperial Palace (formerly the shōgun's palace) still has a gate called Hanzō's Gate (Hanzōmon), and the Hanzōmon subway line which runs from Hanzōmon Station in central Tokyo to the southwestern suburbs is named after the gate, where his house was once located. [30] [31] [32] The neighborhood outside Hanzō's Gate is known as Wakaba, but before 1943 was named Iga-chō ("Iga Town"). [33] Hanzō's remains now rest in the Sainen-ji temple cemetery in Yotsuya, Tokyo. The temple also holds his favorite spear and his ceremonial battle helmet. The spear, originally 14 feet (4.3 m) long and given to him by Ieyasu, was donated to the temple by Hanzō as a votive offering, but was damaged during the bombing of Tokyo in 1945. [34]
Kunio Yanagita "History of Japanese Farmers"
Tadashi Ishikawa quote
Akira Imatani"Practice of attacking fallen warriors"; 2000; p.153 chapter 4
Luís Fróis;History of Japan..; Nihon Yoso-kai Annual Report", Japanese historical materials also show that Ieyasu distributed a large amount of gold and silver to his subordinates) A certain " Ishikawa Tadashi Sosho