* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Sasaki Rui
佐々木累
Cross-Dressing Swordmaster — An Edo Original Who Fought to Restore Her Family Name
Description
About Sasaki Rui
Sasaki Rui is a female swordsman said to have lived in the early Edo period. She was born as the daughter of Sasaki Budayū, a retainer and swordsman of the Koga Domain of Shimōsa Province (present-day Koga City, Ibaraki Prefecture). Note that she is an entirely different person from Kasane (written with the same character, 累), the protagonist of the Kasanegafuchi legend known from ghost stories and jōruri plays; the two should not be confused.
Born into a Family of Swordsmen
Rui had no siblings, and her father, Budayū, is said to have passed on all of his martial arts to her. He tried to take a son-in-law to carry on the family name, but was unable to accomplish this, and with her father's death the Sasaki family came to an end.
Activities in Edo
Having become a rōnin, Rui is said to have gone to Edo, set up a dōjō in Asakusa, and taught martial arts. She was known for an unusual male style of dress for the time: a black silk-crepe (chirimen) haori with the Sasaki family's yotsume-yui crest dyed into it, her hair dressed up, and a pair of swords (long and short) worn at her waist. Her appearance became a talking point in Edo. An anecdote is also said to survive that she clashed with gangs of hatamoto-yakko, such as the Shiratsuka-gumi, who were committing acts of violence and lawlessness in the city of Edo at the time.
Restoring the Family
Rui's actions are said to have stemmed from her wish to restore the Sasaki family by taking an outstanding warrior as her husband. The episode is told as taking place in the period when Ishigaya Sadakiyo served as North Magistrate of Edo, during the Keian to Manji eras (the 1650s). It is said that she ultimately took as her husband a young man chosen by the domain lord, and restored the family name.
Sources and Assessment
The principal source for Sasaki Rui's deeds is the Kokon Meiyo Jitsuroku, compiled in the Meiji period, and its content includes some elements of legend and oral tradition.
Notable Swords
- Paired long and short swords (worn samurai-style, according to tradition)
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