Yamanaka Shikanosuke

Yamanaka Shikanosuke (1545-1578) was a fierce Sengoku warrior who fought throughout his life with the restoration of the Amago clan—a Sengoku daimyo of Izumo—as his life's goal. He is famous for the legend that he wished upon the crescent moon, saying "Grant me seven hardships and eight sufferings." His real name was Yamanaka Yukimori, and he was born into the household of a retainer of the Amago clan in Izumo Province.

Shikanosuke was born in Izumo Province (present-day Shimane Prefecture) and served the Amago family from childhood as the son (or grandson) of Yamanaka Mitsuyuki, a senior Amago retainer. However, the Amago clan weakened under the offensive of Mōri Motonari, and in the 9th year of Eiroku (1566), Gassan Toda Castle fell and Amago Yoshihisa surrendered, effectively ending the Amago clan. Even in this desperate situation of his lord's destruction, Shikanosuke continued to burn with obsession for the Amago restoration.

Around the 1st year of Genki (1570), Shikanosuke elevated Amago Katsuhisa, a member of the Amago clan, to figurehead status, organized a restoration army, and launched a counteroffensive against the Mōri clan. For a time he established bases within Izumo Province and united former Amago retainers in resistance against Mōri forces. However, faced with the Mōri clan's overwhelming military power, the Amago restoration forces were pressed hard. Subsequently, Shikanosuke shifted strategy to seek the Amago restoration with the aid of Oda Nobunaga and Hashiba Hideyoshi, participating in Hideyoshi's campaigns in Tajima and Harima.

In the 6th year of Tensho (1578), during the battle with the Mōri clan, Shikanosuke was captured and assassinated during transport through Bitchū Province (present-day Okayama Prefecture). He died young at the age of 33. His oath to the crescent moon—"Grant me seven hardships and eight sufferings"—has been widely passed down to later generations as an expression of the strong spirit that accepts adversity as a trial for oneself.

In the realm of Japanese swords, Shikanosuke, as a fierce veteran of real combat, possessed deep knowledge of swords. Izumo Province was historically renowned for the "Izumo smiths," and Shikanosuke is said to have favored fine works of Izumo blades. In the battles for the Amago restoration, as he campaigned across various regions, he encountered fine blades from various swordsmiths, and his sword knowledge was extensive. Multiple swords are transmitted as Shikanosuke's beloved blades, and some are said to have been among the offerings to Izumo Grand Shrine associated with him. Shikanosuke's life—told to later generations as a symbol of loyalty and valor—embodies the Sengoku ideal in which the spirit of the Japanese sword and the warrior are one.