Minamoto Yoshitsune and Hizamaru (Usumidori) — The Legendary Sword of the Genpei War Hero

Minamoto no Yoshitsune and the Japanese Sword

Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159–1189) was a military commander of the late Heian period who carved his name in history as a brilliant general who supported his elder brother Minamoto no Yoritomo and became the vanguard in the pursuit of the Taira clan. His martial exploits have been recounted countless times in subsequent generations through Noh, jōruri, Kabuki, novels, and films, and his relationship with the "sword" likewise bears legendary color.

The tachi called Hizamaru (膝丸) is particularly famous among the weapons Yoshitsune wielded. Hizamaru was spoken of as one of the Minamoto clan's precious swords from the Heian period onward and was also called Usumidori (薄緑). This famous sword was deeply intertwined with Yoshitsune's life and occupies a special place in the history of the Japanese sword.

Origins and History of Hizamaru (Usumidori)

Hizamaru is a tachi that is said to have been forged under orders from Minamoto no Mitsunaka (912–997) and is said to have been passed down through generations as one of the Minamoto clan's treasures. Mitsunaka was a military commander based in Settsu Tada (present-day Kawanishi, Hyōgo Prefecture) and a figure who supported the development of the Seiwa Genji.

There are multiple theories about the origin of the name Hizamaru. The most widely known is the legend that the name derives from the sword splitting a criminal in half at the knee during a test cutting. Paired with this is a tachi called "Higekiri" (髭切) (also known as Onikiri-maru), which is often spoken of as one of the two precious swords of the Minamoto clan.

Regarding the alternative name "Usumidori" (薄緑), there is a theory that it comes from the sword blade and hamon being so clear that the color of the steel appears as a pale green, and another theory that the fittings were pale green in color. In any case, it is an elegant name reflecting the aesthetic sensibilities of the Heian period.

Yoshitsune's Connection—Ichinotani, Yashima, and Dannoura

The records stating that Minamoto no Yoshitsune wore Hizamaru are primarily based on military chronicles. Though the name does not appear directly in the Tale of the Heike or the Record of Yoshitsune, the name Hizamaru (Usumidori) became established as Yoshitsune's beloved sword in later legends about Yoshitsune.

The scenes spoken of regarding the sword's activities in Yoshitsune's major battles are as follows.

• Battle of Ichinotani (1184): The so-called "Reverse Fall of Hiyodorigoe" (鵯越の逆落とし), in which a surprise attack from above the cliffs was launched on the Taira clan's encampment set up along the coast of Settsu and Harima. Known for its reckless strategy of descending a steep cliff on horseback, there remains a legend that Yoshitsune wielded his sword in this battle.
• Battle of Yashima (1185): A naval battle in Sanuki Province (present-day Kagawa Prefecture). The famous episode of Yoshitsune dropping his bow in the sea and attempting to retrieve it belongs to this battle, but there is little concrete description regarding the sword.
• Battle of Dannoura (1185): The final decisive battle in the Kanmon Strait in Nagato Province (present-day Yamaguchi Prefecture). A historically significant naval battle in which Emperor Antoku and the Three Imperial Regalia sank into the sea, and Yoshitsune completely destroyed the Taira clan here. The fact that the Kusanagi sword (草薙剣), one of the Three Imperial Regalia, sank into the sea was a significant event that would influence the subsequent relationship between the imperial family and swords.

The Significance of Hizamaru as a Precious Sword of the Minamoto Clan

Behind Hizamaru's positioning not merely as a weapon but as "the Minamoto clan's precious sword" lies the political and magical significance of swords in the samurai society of the late Heian period. The precious sword inherited by successive heads of the Minamoto clan was a symbol of the clan's legitimacy and military power, and its conferral, gift, or inheritance was an important political act.

Yoshitsune, through his conflict with Yoritomo, ultimately came to commit suicide in Ōshū at Hiraizumi (1189), but it is unclear through what means the sword Yoshitsune wore was transmitted to later ages. There are few records of Yoshitsune's final years spent under the protection of the Ōshū Fujiwara clan, and much remains mysterious about the fate of his possessions.

Later History of Hizamaru

After Yoshitsune's death, multiple lineages of swords called Hizamaru began to be recorded. From the Kamakura period onward, examples can be seen of various warrior families attempting to inherit the authority of the Minamoto clan claiming to have inherited "Yoshitsune's precious sword," but unifying these into a single sword is difficult.

In the Muromachi period, a tachi called "Usumidori" is recorded among the possessions of the Ashikaga shoguns, and there is debate over whether this is the same as Yoshitsune's Usumidori. It is certain that the Ashikaga shogun house actively collected and authenticated swords connected to the Yoshitsune legend in order to display their authority as the legitimate successors to the Minamoto clan.

The most famous sword currently called "Hizamaru" is the one housed by Daikaku-ji temple in Saga, Ukyō Ward, Kyoto City (Important Cultural Property). However, even this has not been proven to have direct continuity with a sword directly used by Yoshitsune, and it is carefully preserved as an important cultural property bearing the tradition of "Yoshitsune's Usumidori."

The Yoshitsune Legend and Japanese Sword Culture

The story of Yoshitsune is one of the most widely known heroic legends in Japanese cultural history, and the traditions surrounding his sword likewise have a vast cultural foundation. In the world of Noh, Yoshitsune fights with sword in hand in performances such as "Funa Benkei" and "Hashi Benkei," and in Kabuki, "Yoshitsune Senbonzakura" has been performed for a long time.

Since the Meiji period, Yoshitsune has continued to be depicted as a hero carrying a sword in novels and films, and appearances with Yoshitsune motifs are not uncommon in modern games and anime. In Touken Ranbu (刀剣乱舞), characters of swords related to Yoshitsune appear, providing an opportunity for younger generations to become familiar with the relationship between Yoshitsune and swords.

While physical evidence for Hizamaru (Usumidori) is scarce, the legend of this famous sword continues to stimulate the Japanese people's aesthetic sense regarding swords and their imagination toward history. As an embodiment of the essence of Japanese sword culture that holds that "famous swords have names and stories," Hizamaru will likely continue to be passed down through the ages.