Fuuma Kotaro
Encyclopedia
was the name adopted by the leader of the of ninja
during the Sengoku era of Japan
. According to some records, his name was originally Kazama (風間).
, specializing in horseback guerrilla warfare
and naval espionage
. According to some sources, the family has roots in the 10th century when they served Taira no Masakado
in his revolt against the Kyoto
government.The usage of the name started with the first leader (jonin) of the clan. Originally surnamed "風間" (Fūma), with a different kanji
, it was later changed to homophone
風魔. Each subsequent leader of the school adopted the same name as its founder, making it difficult to identify them individually. This school was in the service of the Hōjō clan
of Odawara
.
(modern Kanagawa Prefecture
) on an unknown date, he became notorious as the leader of a band of 200 rappa "battle disrupters", divided into four groups: brigands, pirates, burglars and thieves. In a legend, he is an inhuman figure: a monstrous, giant (well over 2 meters high), part-oni (ogre) creature with inverted eyes. Kotarō served under Hōjō Ujimasa
and Hōjō Ujinao
. His biggest achievement came in 1580, when the Fūma ninja covertly infiltrated and attacked at night a camp of the Takeda clan forces under Takeda Katsuyori
, succeeding in causing a severe chaos in the camp that resulted in a mass fratricide
among the disoriented enemies. In 1590, Toyotomi Hideyoshi
laid siege to Odawara Castle
, which eventually fell and the Hōjō clan was forced to surrender. When the Tokugawa shogunate
came to power, the remnants of Fūma-ryū was reduced to a band of brigands operating in and around Edo
. A popular story says that in 1596 he was responsible for death of the famous ninja Hattori Hanzō
in the service of Tokugawa Ieyasu
, who has tracked him down in the Inland Sea but Kotarō succeeded in luring him into a small channel, where a tide trapped the Tokugawa gunboats and his men then set fire to the channel with oil. Kotarō was eventually caught by a special law enforcement force of the shogunate, guided by his rival and a former Takeda ninja Kosaka Jinnai (高坂甚内), and executed through beheading
by an order of Ieyasu in 1603. This also marked the end of the Fūma clan.
In the works of fiction Fūma Kotarō is often depicted as the arch-rival of Hattori Hanzō. As the name Fūma means literally "wind demon", depiction of Fūma Kotarō is frequently more flamboyant, fantastical, and sometimes even demonic, in contrast to Hanzō who is usually rendered with a relatively subdued appearance, and often he is portrayed as having long red hair.
Fuuma is a main character in the World Heroes
fighting game series (where his main rival was Hanzo and the two were also featured in Neo Geo Battle Coliseum
) and in Getsu Fūma Den, and is a player character in the video games Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny
(as a young ninja in the service of the Hōjō clan, returning in Onimusha Tactics
) and Samurai Warriors 2
along with its spin-off Warriors Orochi
(as Hanzō's foe, who, despite serving the Hōjō, prefers chaos, and so continually makes trouble for many of the factions). He is featured in the manga series Nabari no Ou (where he appears as the shape-shifting leader of the Fūma ninja village and an ally of the protagonist), and also makes an appearance in the light novel series Mirage of Blaze
(during the story arc involving the Hōjō clan), the manga series Yaiba
(revived by Onimaru), the manga and anime series Samurai Deeper Kyo
(as Sarutobi Sasuke
's childhood friend and rival) and Karasu Tengu Kabuto
, and the video games Nobunaga's Ambition II
and Taikō Risshiden V (where he is one of the ninja leaders who can be unlocked as a playable character, with his weapon-of-choice being the kunai
), Sengoku Basara 2
(as a non-playable character, though he becomes playable in Sengoku Basara 2: Heroes edition), Kessen III
(where he can be obtained as a bonus character), and Persona 2: Eternal Punishment (summonable as a persona).
His 18th century descendant Fūma Kotarō Kaneyoshi is the hero's nemesis through most of the TV series The Samurai
, while a modern one is a player character in the video game Ninja Commando
. Characters who are modern-day descendants of the Fūma clan include title characters in the manga series Fūma no Kojirō
and the anime film The Plot of the Fuma Clan
, as well as two of the main characters in the manga X
. In the manga and anime series Naruto
the character Pain was revealed to have a body that originated from the Fūma clan and he kills his rival Hanzō (similar to the legend), and there is even one more Fūma clan. Taki
from the Soul
series of video games is a runaway ninja of the clan, which is also featured in the TV series Shogun Iemitsu Shinobi Tabi
and the video games Yakuza 2 and Inindo: Way of the Ninja
.
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
during the Sengoku era of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. According to some records, his name was originally Kazama (風間).
Fūma clan
The clan was based in Kanagawa PrefectureKanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
, specializing in horseback guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
and naval espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
. According to some sources, the family has roots in the 10th century when they served Taira no Masakado
Taira no Masakado
was a samurai in the Heian period of Japan, who led one of the largest insurgent forces in the period against the central government of Kyoto.-History:...
in his revolt against the Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
government.The usage of the name started with the first leader (jonin) of the clan. Originally surnamed "風間" (Fūma), with a different kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
, it was later changed to homophone
Homophone
A homophone is a word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning. The words may be spelled the same, such as rose and rose , or differently, such as carat, caret, and carrot, or to, two, and too. Homophones that are spelled the same are also both homographs and homonyms...
風魔. Each subsequent leader of the school adopted the same name as its founder, making it difficult to identify them individually. This school was in the service of the Hōjō clan
Late Hojo clan
The ' was one of the most powerful warrior clans in Japan in the Sengoku period and held domains primarily in the Kantō region.The clan is traditionally reckoned to be started by Ise Shinkurō, who came from a branch of the prestigious Ise clan, a family in the direct employment of the Ashikaga...
of Odawara
Odawara, Kanagawa
is a city located in western Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 198,466 with a population density of 1,740 persons per km² . The total area was .-Geography:...
.
Fūma Kotarō
Fūma Kotarō was the fifth and the best known of the Fūma clan leaders. Born in Sagami ProvinceSagami Province
was an old province in the area that is today the central and western Kanagawa prefecture. It was sometimes called . Sagami bordered on Izu, Musashi, Suruga provinces; and had access to the Pacific Ocean through Sagami Bay...
(modern Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
) on an unknown date, he became notorious as the leader of a band of 200 rappa "battle disrupters", divided into four groups: brigands, pirates, burglars and thieves. In a legend, he is an inhuman figure: a monstrous, giant (well over 2 meters high), part-oni (ogre) creature with inverted eyes. Kotarō served under Hōjō Ujimasa
Hojo Ujimasa
was the fourth head of the late Hōjō clan, and daimyo of Odawara.Ujimasa commanded in many battles, consolidating his clan's position, and retired in 1590. His son Hōjō Ujinao became head of the clan and lord of Odawara, but later that year they failed to hold Odawara against the forces of Toyotomi...
and Hōjō Ujinao
Hojo Ujinao
Hōjō Ujinao was a Japanese daimyo of the late Sengoku period, and the final head of the Late Hōjō clan. An important figure in the history of Azuchi-Momoyama politics, he lost his entire domain following the siege in 1590...
. His biggest achievement came in 1580, when the Fūma ninja covertly infiltrated and attacked at night a camp of the Takeda clan forces under Takeda Katsuyori
Takeda Katsuyori
was a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku Period, who was famed as the head of the Takeda clan and the successor to the legendary warlord Takeda Shingen. He was the son of Shingen by the , the daughter of Suwa Yorishige...
, succeeding in causing a severe chaos in the camp that resulted in a mass fratricide
Fratricide
Fratricide is the act of a person killing his or her brother....
among the disoriented enemies. In 1590, Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
laid siege to Odawara Castle
Odawara Castle
is a landmark in the city of Odawara in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.-History:Odawara was a stronghold of the Doi clan during the Kamakura period, and a fortified residence was built by their collateral branch, the Kobayakawa clan stood on the approximate site of the present castle...
, which eventually fell and the Hōjō clan was forced to surrender. When the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
came to power, the remnants of Fūma-ryū was reduced to a band of brigands operating in and around Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
. A popular story says that in 1596 he was responsible for death of the famous ninja Hattori Hanzō
Hattori Hanzo
, also known as , was a famous samurai and ninja master of the Sengoku era, credited with saving the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu and then helping him to become the ruler of united Japan. Today, he is often a subject of modern popular culture.-Biography:...
in the service of Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
, who has tracked him down in the Inland Sea but Kotarō succeeded in luring him into a small channel, where a tide trapped the Tokugawa gunboats and his men then set fire to the channel with oil. Kotarō was eventually caught by a special law enforcement force of the shogunate, guided by his rival and a former Takeda ninja Kosaka Jinnai (高坂甚内), and executed through beheading
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
by an order of Ieyasu in 1603. This also marked the end of the Fūma clan.
In popular culture
Fuuma is a main character in the World Heroes
World Heroes
is a series of fighting games created by ADK originally created for the Neo Geo MVS arcade cabinets with the assistance of SNK, though some of the games in the series were also ported to the Neo Geo AES and Neo-Geo CD platforms, as well as some non-SNK platforms such as the Super NES and the Sega...
fighting game series (where his main rival was Hanzo and the two were also featured in Neo Geo Battle Coliseum
Neo Geo Battle Coliseum
NeoGeo Battle Coliseum is a 2 on 2 tag team fighting game for the Atomiswave arcade board. The game features characters from several SNK and ADK titles. The PlayStation 2 version of the game has been released in Japan, North America and Europe...
) and in Getsu Fūma Den, and is a player character in the video games Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny
Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny
Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny, released in Japan as is the second installment in the Onimusha series of video games. The plot revolves around a new protagonist, , as he battles a demonic Genma army which is invading 1571 Japan. Nobunaga Oda, a sinister warlord who was slain in the previous game,...
(as a young ninja in the service of the Hōjō clan, returning in Onimusha Tactics
Onimusha Tactics
is a strategy installment in the Onimusha series released for the Game Boy Advance. It does not follow the storyline of the previous PlayStation 2 games and is considered a side story...
) and Samurai Warriors 2
Samurai Warriors 2
is a sequel to the original Samurai Warriors, created by Koei and Omega Force. The game was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, and received a port to Microsoft Windows in 2008....
along with its spin-off Warriors Orochi
Warriors Orochi
, is a PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 hack and slash video game developed by Koei and Omega Force. It is a crossover of two of Koei's popular video game series, Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors...
(as Hanzō's foe, who, despite serving the Hōjō, prefers chaos, and so continually makes trouble for many of the factions). He is featured in the manga series Nabari no Ou (where he appears as the shape-shifting leader of the Fūma ninja village and an ally of the protagonist), and also makes an appearance in the light novel series Mirage of Blaze
Mirage of Blaze
is a shōnen-ai light novel series by Mizuna Kuwabara, which are published under Shueisha's Cobalt label. It was adapted into a TV anime series directed by Susumu Kudo in 2002 and an OVA in 2004....
(during the story arc involving the Hōjō clan), the manga series Yaiba
Yaiba
Yaiba, also known as , is a shōnen manga series by Gosho Aoyama. It ran in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday from issue 39 of 1988 to issue 50 of 1993, collected in 24 tankōbon volumes. It also came in 12 double volumes...
(revived by Onimaru), the manga and anime series Samurai Deeper Kyo
Samurai Deeper Kyo
is a manga series written and illustrated by Akimine Kamijyo. The manga was serialized from October 15, 1999 to May 10, 2006 in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine, and collected over 38 volumes....
(as Sarutobi Sasuke
Sarutobi Sasuke
was a famous ninja in Japanese folklore. He is generally believed to be a Meiji period fictional creation based on the historical ninja ', although some argue for his actual existence.- In folklore :...
's childhood friend and rival) and Karasu Tengu Kabuto
Karasu Tengu Kabuto
is a manga and anime series, created by Buichi Terasawa in 1986.-Manga:Those who have the blood of the Karasu Tengu in their veins must forever fight against the powers of darkness...
, and the video games Nobunaga's Ambition II
Nobunaga's Ambition
is a series of turn-based grand strategy role-playing simulation video games, first released in 1983 by the Japanese video game developer Koei.Games in the franchise have been released on a variety of gaming platforms, including the Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Game Boy, Sega Mega Drive,...
and Taikō Risshiden V (where he is one of the ninja leaders who can be unlocked as a playable character, with his weapon-of-choice being the kunai
Kunai
A is a Japanese tool possibly derived from the masonry trowel. Two variations are the and the . It is a good example of a very basic tool which, in the hands of a martial arts expert, could be used as a multi-functional weapon...
), Sengoku Basara 2
Sengoku Basara 2
Sengoku Basara 2 is a sequel to the video game Sengoku Basara , released in Japan on July 27, 2006 for the PlayStation 2. A revision with additional features named Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes was released on November 29, 2007...
(as a non-playable character, though he becomes playable in Sengoku Basara 2: Heroes edition), Kessen III
Kessen III
is a PlayStation 2 video-game produced by Koei and is based on the life of Oda Nobunaga.-Historical background:The game's time frame is roughly between the years 1550 to 1590...
(where he can be obtained as a bonus character), and Persona 2: Eternal Punishment (summonable as a persona).
His 18th century descendant Fūma Kotarō Kaneyoshi is the hero's nemesis through most of the TV series The Samurai
The Samurai (TV series)
The Samurai is a Japanese historical fiction television series made by Senkosha Productions during the early 1960s. Its original Japanese title was Onmitsu Kenshi . The series premiered in 1962 on TBS and ran continuously until 1965 for ten self-contained story arcs , usually of 13 episodes each...
, while a modern one is a player character in the video game Ninja Commando
Ninja Commando
is a top-down, vertically-scrolling run and gun video game developed by Alpha Denshi and published by SNK. It was first released in May 1992 in cartridge format, and in 1994 for the Neo Geo CD.- Gameplay :...
. Characters who are modern-day descendants of the Fūma clan include title characters in the manga series Fūma no Kojirō
Fuma no Kojiro
is a manga series by Japanese author Masami Kurumada, later adapted to anime. It tells the story of sword legends and rivalry between ninja clans. The main character Kojirō is a young boy who is a member of the Fūma clan...
and the anime film The Plot of the Fuma Clan
The Plot of the Fuma Clan
, released in North America as Rupan III: The Fuma Conspiracy, is Arsène Lupin III's first direct-to-video adventure, and the first Lupin adventure since the pilot to not feature Yasuo Yamada as Lupin. Instead, Lupin's voice is provided by Toshio Furukawa...
, as well as two of the main characters in the manga X
X (manga)
, also known as X/1999, is a Japanese shōjo manga series created by Clamp, a creative team made up by Satsuki Igarashi, Nanase Ohkawa, Tsubaki Nekoi, and Mokona. It premiered in Monthly Asukas May 1992 issue and ran there until the magazine's editors showed concern with the increasingly violent...
. In the manga and anime series Naruto
Naruto
is an ongoing Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. The plot tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, an adolescent ninja who constantly searches for recognition and aspires to become the Hokage, the ninja in his village who is acknowledged as the leader and the strongest of...
the character Pain was revealed to have a body that originated from the Fūma clan and he kills his rival Hanzō (similar to the legend), and there is even one more Fūma clan. Taki
Taki (Soulcalibur)
is a fictional character in the Soul series of fighting games by Namco. Taki, one of the series' good characters, is a demon huntress and a runaway kunoichi whose motive is destroying the evil sword known as Soul Edge....
from the Soul
Soul (series)
The is a weapon-based historical fantasy fighting game series by Namco Bandai Games. The series revolves around a sword that, after years of bloodshed and hatred, gained a soul of its own, the Soul Edge, and the sword forged to counter it, Soul Calibur. The series is special in that each character...
series of video games is a runaway ninja of the clan, which is also featured in the TV series Shogun Iemitsu Shinobi Tabi
Shogun Iemitsu Shinobi Tabi
was a pair of television jidaigeki series on TV Asahi in Japan. The first aired in 1990–1991 and the sequel in 1992–1993. Kunihiko Mitamura portrayed Tokugawa Iemitsu in both series....
and the video games Yakuza 2 and Inindo: Way of the Ninja
Inindo: Way of the Ninja
Inindo: Way of the Ninja is a role-playing video game developed by Koei...
.