* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Taiga Drama: Yoshitsune
大河ドラマ 義経
Yoshitsune, the 44th NHK Taiga Drama, broadcast in 2005 (original work: Miyao Tomiko; screenplay: Kaneko Narito; starring: Takizawa Hideaki). It depicts the life of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, from his military feats in overthrowing the Taira to his rift with his elder brother Minamoto no Yoritomo and his end at Koromogawa. Ishihara Satomi played Shizuka Gozen. As swords associated with Yoshitsune, the 'Usumidori (Hizamaru)' transmitted in The Tale of the Heike, including the 'Tsurugi no maki' chapter and elsewhere, and the 'Imanotsurugi' transmitted in Gikeiki are well known. A truly national taiga drama, it recorded an average audience rating of 19.4% and a peak of 26.9%.
Description
Taiga Drama Yoshitsune — Minamoto no Yoshitsune's Famous Swords and the Spirit of Japanese Swords as Embodied in the "Tragedy of Bushidō"
Yoshitsune (2005, the 44th NHK Taiga Drama; original work by Miyao Tomiko; screenplay by Kaneko Narito; starring Takizawa Hideaki) is a Taiga Drama that depicts the life of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, who met his end at Koromogawa (1189) after the Genpei War (1180–1185) and the Battle of Dan-no-ura. The love story with Shizuka Gozen, played by Ishihara Satomi, the master-retainer relationship with Benkei, and the image of Yoshitsune as a "tragic hero" were major highlights of the work (average viewership rating of 19.4%). The reason this drama deserves special mention from the perspective of Japanese sword culture is that famous swords associated with Minamoto no Yoshitsune, "Usumidori" and "Imanotsurugi," have been passed down to the present as legendary famous swords of Japanese swords, and their spiritual meaning deeply resonates with the tragedy of the work.
Minamoto no Yoshitsune's Beloved Sword — "Usumidori (Hizamaru)"
The most famous of Minamoto no Yoshitsune's beloved swords is the tachi known as "Usumidori," also called "Hizamaru." In the "Tsurugi no maki" chapter of The Tale of the Heike, it is described as a tachi 2 shaku 7 sun in length, and it is said that Yoshitsune, who received it from the superintendent (bettō) of Kumano, renamed it "Usumidori" after the spring mountains of Kumano (its original name was "Hizamaru"). According to the "Tsurugi no maki" chapter, Yoshitsune offered Usumidori to Hakone Gongen, after which it passed through Soga Gorō (Soga Tokimune) to Minamoto no Yoritomo. One of the swords transmitted as Hizamaru (Usumidori) is housed as an Important Cultural Property at Daikaku-ji in Kyoto. Hakone Shrine in Kanagawa Prefecture also holds a sword called "Usumidori-maru," which shows the regional spread of Yoshitsune legends and sword traditions. The name "Usumidori" overlaps with the image of Yoshitsune as a person of "youthful beauty and a tragic end," and it embodies the deep aesthetic of Japanese sword culture in which a sword's name symbolizes the fate of its wielder.
Minamoto no Yoshitsune's Beloved Sword — "Imanotsurugi"
Another famous sword of Yoshitsune is "Imanotsurugi," a short sword that had been dedicated to the temples and shrines of Mount Kurama. According to the Gikeiki, it was a sword dedicated to Kurama by the Sanjō Kokaji (said to be Sanjō Munechika), and it was later presented by the superintendent of Kurama-dera, Tōkōbō Rennin, to the young Yoshitsune (then called "Ushiwakamaru"). Yoshitsune wore this short sword beneath his armor even when he fought the Taira, and the Gikeiki records that he took his own life with it at the end. "Imanotsurugi" is thus positioned as a "soul sword" that runs through both his life and his death. Sanjō Munechika is a master smith of the Heian period who is also known as the maker of the blade "Mikazuki Munechika," and Imanotsurugi holds an important place in Japanese sword tradition as a spiritually meaningful blade dedicated by this master.
Shizuka Gozen and Yoshitsune's "Sword and Dance" — The Unity of Martial and Artistic Arts
In the Taiga Drama Yoshitsune, Shizuka Gozen (dates of birth and death unknown), played by Ishihara Satomi, is known as Minamoto no Yoshitsune's beloved consort. Her art as a shirabyōshi, a female entertainer who performed male-attire dance popular in the Heian period, and her single-hearted love for Yoshitsune form the moving side of the work. Shizuka Gozen's presence embodies the important Japanese cultural theme of the unity of "martial (bu: swords and military power)" and "arts (gei: dance and music)." As shown by kenbu, the traditional Japanese performing art of dancing with a sword in hand, Japan has understood "swords (martial) and dance (arts)" as originally one. The waka that Shizuka Gozen danced before Minamoto no Yoritomo at Tsurugaoka Hachimangū in Kamakura, singing of her longing for Yoshitsune, has been handed down to later generations as the love and tragedy in which "Yoshitsune's sword (martial) and Shizuka's dance (arts) became one." Its lines are: "Yoshino-yama / mine no shirayuki fumi-wakete / irinishi hito no / ato zo koishiki."
The Era of The Tale of the Heike — Sword Culture of the Kotō Period
The historical setting of the Taiga Drama Yoshitsune (late Heian to early Kamakura period, the 1180s to 1190s) falls in the early part of the kotō period in the history of the Japanese sword. Swords of the late Heian period centered on the tachi with curvature, a long, curved blade for use on horseback, and Yoshitsune's Usumidori (Hizamaru) is understood as a tachi of this era. Late Heian tachi are characterized by narrow body width, high curvature, and an elegant form with a ko-kissaki, and they have an aesthetic different from the uchigatana, which became mainstream from the late Muromachi period onward. The beauty of the "late Heian tachi" that Yoshitsune's sword embodies holds special meaning even for modern sword enthusiasts.
The "Yoshitsune Legend" and the Regional Cultural Heritage of Swords
Yoshitsune is a legendary figure whose traces remain across Japan, including the "Yoshitsune–Genghis Khan legend," which holds that he survived Koromogawa and crossed over to Ezo (Hokkaidō) and even to the continent. This "spread of the Yoshitsune legend" also means "the regional spread of sword traditions associated with Yoshitsune," and swords passed down as "swords used by Yoshitsune" exist throughout the country. The existence of multiple "Usumidori," namely the Usumidori at Daikaku-ji and the Usumidori-maru at Hakone Shrine, can be understood as a cultural phenomenon in which the deep sympathy Japanese people feel for Yoshitsune appeared as a multiplication of sword traditions. The sympathy for Yoshitsune that the Taiga Drama Yoshitsune uncovered also contributed to the spread of sword culture, in that it drew attention to the regional cultural heritage of Japanese swords.
Perspectives for Sword Collectors
From four viewpoints, the Taiga Drama Yoshitsune offers "the legend of the famous swords Usumidori (Hizamaru) and Imanotsurugi," "the visual experience of the tachi culture of the late Heian and kotō periods," "the spiritual and symbolic aspects of swords shown by the tragedy with Shizuka Gozen," and "the cultural richness of the Yoshitsune sword traditions spread across Japan." As one of the Taiga Dramas that most richly lets viewers experience the "historical, spiritual, and cultural aspects" of Japanese swords, it is an important work for sword collectors and enthusiasts.
Real Swords Featured
Usumidori/Hizamaru
A tachi known as a beloved sword of Minamoto no Yoshitsune. One of the tachi transmitted as Hizamaru is held by Daikaku-ji (Kyoto) and is designated an Important Cultural Property. Also known as 'Hizamaru'. A sword of the same name is also transmitted at Hakone Shrine.
Imanotsurugi
A tantō said to have been dedicated at Kurama by Sanjō Munechika and bestowed upon Yoshitsune in his childhood. Gikeiki records that Yoshitsune used it to take his own life.
See authentic Japanese swords
See authentic Japanese swordsThis page is intended to introduce Japanese sword culture and is not affiliated with any of the works mentioned.