Episode 153 – The Birth of the Samurai, Part 8

This week, we conclude our series on the rise of the samurai with murder, intrigue, political reform, and gratuitous Game of Thrones references.

Listen to the episode here.

Sources

McCullough, Helen. The Tale of the Heike.

Friday, Karl. Hired Swords: The Rise of Private Warrior Power in Early Japan.

Sansom, George B. A History of Japan to 1334.

Images

Minamoto no Yoshitsune’s exploits remained the stuff of legend after his death. They are memorialized in manga, TV shows, video games, and statues like this one.

An Edo-era print of the three Minamoto brothers (from left to right: Yoshitsune, Yoritomo, Noriyori) by the prolific printer Utagawa Kunisada. I particularly like this print because of the way the men are dressed. Yoshitsune and Noriyori are in battle gear, but Yoritomo is dressed like a courtier — or perhaps a politician.

We’ve already touched on the Japanese fondness for wax statues. This one shows the monk Benkei at the moment of his death protecting his friend Yoshitsune. It depicts a popular tale about Benkei: that he died standing up and never fell to the ground until toppled after the battle. That story mirrors one from China about another famously loyal warrior with a halberd: the great Chinese saint of war Guan Yu. The two stories were probably linked specifically to draw a parallel between the reputation of Guan Yu and that of Benkei.

 

Episode 152 – The Birth of the Samurai, Part 7

 

The Genpei War comes to a close in this action packed episode! Kyoto will fall! The Taira will burn! Oxen will be deployed as tactical weapons!

 

Listen to the episode here.

Sources

McCullough, Helen Craig. The Tale of the Heike.

Dalkey, Kara. Genpei.

Sansom, George B. A History of Japan to 1334.

Images

The major battles of the Genpei War.

The Battle of Kurikara, complete with oxen charging in on the top right.

Yoshinaka mired in the mud at the Battle of Awazu.

Yoritomo’s downhill charge at Ichinotani as depicted in a diorama, because the Japanese really love dioramas.

A map of the Battle of Ichinotani. Noriyori’s route is in blue; Yoshitsune’s is in Green.

The Taira fleet gathering up escaping samurai in the Battle of Yashima.

Dan-no-ura, the final battle of the Genpei War.

Episode 151 – The Birth of the Samurai, Part 6

 

This week, we let slip the dogs of war as Japan plunges into a new phase of conflict. Though Prince Mochihito will not make it out of 1180, the rebellion he starts will catch on in eastern Japan. Young Minamoto no Yoritomo, with some prodding from his new father-in-law/captor, will rise up to assume his birthright as leader of the Minamoto (but not without some controversy).

 

Listen to the episode here.

Sources

McCullough, Helen. The Tale of the Heike.

Sansom, George. A History of Japan to 1334.

Adolphson, Michael. The Claws and Teeth of the Buddha.

Dalkey, Kara. Genpei.

Images

 

A late Edo period depiction of the Battle of Uji Bridge, in which the forces of Prince Mochihito were defeated.

Minamoto no Yoshitsune battles Benkei atop Gojo bridge in Kyoto. This is also a late Edo rendering.

Minamoto no Yoshinaka, Yoritomo’s cousin and rival.

Tales of this time period were popular subjects of pop culture during the Edo period, and characters from the time were inserted in other stories as well. Here, Minamoto no Yoshinaka and his allies fight a group of tengu, long nosed winged mythical creatures.

Episode 150 – The Birth of the Samurai, Part 5

We’re live, folks! Sorry for the delay. It’s time for the career of Taira no Kiyomori, the man whose talent and ambition was matched only by his temper and his ego.

 

Listen to the episode here.

Sources

Sansom, George. A History of Japan to 1334

McCullough, Helen Craig, trans. The Tale of the Heike.

Black, Jeremy. War in the Early Modern Period.

Keene, Donald, trans. Essays in Idleness (Tsurezuregusa) 

Images

A diorama of Fukuhara during its brief time as Japan’s capitol. Courtesy of the City of Hyogo tourism office.

Prince Mochihito depicted escaping from Kyoto after his declaration of rebellion. This image (like most others I’ve been using) is from the Edo period, when stories of this time provided grist for the mill of popular entertainment presses.

Another image of Prince Mochihito.

Episode 149 – The Birth of the Samurai, Part 4

 

This week: patricide, rebellions, and royal incest. Oh, also the increasing destabilization of the Heian government as ever more power falls into the hands of Taira no Kiyomori.

 

Listen to the episode here.

Sources

McCullough, Hellen. The Tale of the Heike.

Sansom, George. A History of Japan to 1334.

Totman, Conrad. A History of Japan.

Images

 

Fujiwara no Michinori as depicted later in life. This illustration is from the late Edo period; artistic representations of this period were common, as it became something of a cultural touchstone later in Japanese history.

Minamoto warriors during the coup slaying their political opponents.

Go-Shirakawa and his heir escaping Kyoto. Without the imperial family, the position of the Minamoto would deteriorate rapidly, culminating in the suppression of their coup after only 17 days.

The final attack on the fortified Minamoto. Though the attempt to use fire to drive the Minamoto out would fail, Taira subterfuge would eventually win the day.

Episode 148 – The Birth of the Samurai, Part 3

 

This week: the Taira family continue their rise to prominence, the Minamoto get stuck spinning their wheels for a few decades, and warrior violence makes its way to Kyoto.

All that, plus the hottest court gossip of the 1120s, this week.

 

Listen to the episode here.

Sources

Sansom, George B. A History of Japan to 1334.

McCullough, Hellen, trans. The Tale of the Heike.

Turnbull, Stephen. Pirates of the Far East.

Turnbull, Stephen. Samurai: World of the Warrior.

Varley, H. Paul. Warriors of Japan: As Portrayed in the War Tales.

Images

Taira no Tadamori, whose clever leadership propelled the Taira to a central position at court. This illustration, like most of the other character sketches we have, comes from the late Edo Period; the exploits of the Taira were popular grist for the mill of pop culture.

Taira no Kiyomori as a young man. Get used to that face; you’ll be seeing a lot of it.

Minamoto no Yoshitomo, the renegade son of the Minamoto family head. Unlike most of his relatives, he backed the sitting Emperor Go-Shirakawa over the Retired Emperor Sutoku in the Hogen Rebellion.

Emperor Go-Shirakawa, who was lucky enough to get the support of Taira no Kiyomori in his dispute with his imperial relatives.

A screen showing the main (and only) battle of the Hogen Rebellion — Kiyomori’s suprise attack on Sutoku’s palace.

A detail shot of the screen above, providing a closer view of the way the fighting is being depicted.

Episode 147 – The Birth of the Samurai, Part 2

This week, Minamoto no Yoshiie establishes the power of the Seiwa Minamoto family, upsetting a careful balance of power. Also, he drops the hottest rhymes of 1063.

Listen to the episode here.

Sources

Sansom, George. A History of Japan to 1334

Turnbull, Stephen. The Samurai: A Military History.

“The Rise of the Warriors” in The Cambridge History of Japan, Vol II.

Images

Minamoto no Yoshiie as depicted during the Edo Period.

A Muromachi-era depiction of the Minamoto warriors during the Later Three Years War (Gosannen Senso).

Hiraizumi, capital city of the Northern Fujiwara. This particular shot shows Motsuji, one of the many temples founded under the patronage of the Northern Fujiwara.