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The legendary warriors of Japan and the swords they cherished
Discover the sword culture of Japan's great fortresses
Legendary blades that shaped history
106 entries
Minamoto no Tametomo
Master Archer of the Hōgen Rebellion
Minamoto no Tametomo (1139-1170) was a fierce warrior representative of the late Heian period, and h...
Takezaki Suenaga
Higo Gokenin Who Petitioned Kamakura for His Reward and Left the Mongol Invasion Scrolls
Takezaki Suenaga was a gokenin (shogunal retainer) active in Higo Province in the middle to late Kam...
Kikuchi Takefusa
Tenth Head of the Kikuchi of Higo Who Led His Clan Against the Mongol Invasions
Kikuchi Takefusa was a warrior of the mid-Kamakura period and the tenth head of the Kikuchi clan of ...
Ashikaga Tadafuyu
Illegitimate Son of Ashikaga Takauji, Kyushu Tandai
## Birth and Childhood Ashikaga Tadafuyu was a warrior of the Nanbokuchō period and an illegitimate...
Taira no Masakado
The First Samurai Rebel
## The Tiger of the East Draws His Blade Born around Engi 3 (903), Taira no Masakado was a fifth-gen...
Hōjō Yasutoki
Third Regent of the Kamakura Shogunate Who Established the Goseibai Shikimoku—The Exemplary Lord Who Laid the Foundation for a Samurai Rule-of-Law State
## A Wise Ruler Who Achieved the Codification of Warrior Government Hōjō Yasutoki, born in Juei 2 (...
Akamatsu Mitsusuke
Architect of the Kakitsu Incident; Harima Guardian Daimyo who Assassinated the Shogun
Akamatsu Mitsusuke (1381–1441) was a military commander who held the shugo posts of the three provin...
Hosokawa Masamoto
The 'Half-Shogun' — Most Powerful Regent of the Muromachi Shogunate
## The "Half-Shogun" Who Controlled the Muromachi Shogunate Born in Bunshō 1 (1466), Hosokawa Masam...
Minamoto no Yoshitomo
Tragic Warrior of the Heiji Rebellion — Father of Yoritomo
Minamoto no Yoshitomo (1123-1160) was a leading warrior of the late Heian period and the father of M...
Kumagai Naozane
Warrior Who Killed Taira no Atsumori at Ichinotani, Later Became a Monk
Kumagai Naozane (1141-1207; according to one account, he died in 1208) was a warrior of the late Hei...
Ogasawara Nagahide
The Shinano Governor Undone at Ōtō — Head of a House of Mounted Archery
Ogasawara Nagahide (1366-1424) was a Muromachi-period military figure, head of the Ogasawara clan — ...
Sasaki Dōyo
The Basara Lord — who laughed at convention, reveled in excess, and pioneered the culture of medieval Japan
## What Is Basara? Sasaki Dōyo (real name: Sasaki Takauji) is a daimyō of Ōmi said to have been born...