Yagyu Muneyoshi
Encyclopedia
Yagyū Sekishūsai Taira-no-Munetoshi (柳生石舟斎平宗厳 1529 - May 25, 1606) was a samurai
in Japan
’s Sengoku period
famous for mastering the Shinkage-ryū
school of combat, and introducing it to the Tokugawa clan
.
, Nara
) in Yamato Province
. His father, Ietoshi, was a minor landed lord. When Munetoshi was 12, Ietoshi joined a general named Kisawa Nagamasa in contesting the growing power of the warlord Miyoshi Chōkei. However, Kisawa was killed in battle, and the Yagyū found themselves on the defensive. With over half of Yamato Province under his control, Miyoshi left the rest of the conquest to his lieutenant, Tsutsui Junshō
.
The Tsutsui and the Yagyū had feuded previously, and Junshō wasted no time. In 1544 he attacked the Yagyū at Koyagyū Castle with some 10,000 men. According to the Tamon-in Nikki, a chronicle of the Kōfuku-ji
temple, at first the Yagyū were caught by surprise, but Ietoshi rallied his troops for a defensive battle. Munetoshi, a young man of 15, ably led a small troop of his own. The Tsutsui troops surrounded the castle, burned the surrounding houses and villages, took control of the outer castle and cut off the water supply, but the main castle still held out. The Yagyū held out or three days, but they were greatly outnumbered, and had no choice but to capitulate, and submit to the Tsutsui.
The Yagyū served the Tsutsui for eight years. Munetoshi studied the martial and liberal arts, becoming proficient with the spear
and sword, as well as studying Confucianism
, Zen Buddhism
, and Shingon Buddhism
. Munetoshi soon gained notice as an able warrior and commander, and as many of orders were sent by Tsutsui to him, a young man in his 20s, as were sent to his father, still an active lord in his 50s. One message sent by Junshō’s son Fujikatsu
to Ietoshi singles out Munetoshi in particular for praise.
In 1559, the warlord Matsunaga Hisahide
decided to attack the Tsutsui and take control of Yamato Province. He sent a message to Munetoshi promising to restore their old lands and position to the Yagyū in exchange for their service. The Tsutsui were overthrown, and the Yagyū grew prominent under Matsunaga. In particular, Matsunaga gave Munetoshi a citation for valor for his performance in a battle at To'unomine. Matsunaga’s attempt to take the mountain was repulsed, and Munetoshi fought in the rearguard as the army retreated. He was wounded, but fighting with a spear he killed several of the enemy. Munetoshi almost did not survive the battle, but a retainer named Matsuda Muneshige sacrificed his life to save Munetoshi’s. Munetoshi would later make mention of his extreme gratitude when he gave a Shinkage-ryū license to Muneshige’s son Genjirō.
It is not entirely clear what school of combat Munetoshi studied, or who his teachers were. An Owari Yagyū family record suggests that he studied Shintō-ryū
under a man named Kantori Shinjūrō. But “Kantori” may simply be a misreading of kanji meant to read “Katori”, thus signifying “Katori Shintō-ryū”. An Edo Yagyū family record suggests that he studied Toda-ryū, a branch of Chūjō-ryū. All family records and Munetoshi’s own surviving writings suggest that he was an enthusiastic student of the military arts from a young age, before he met Kamiizumi Hidetsuna
.
was travelling to Kyoto
with his student and nephew Hikita Bungorō
and his long-time student Suzuki Ihaku. While stopping in Ise Province
, the group asked the governor, Kitabatake Tomonori, if he knew of any capable samurai nearby interested in a friendly match. Kitabatake recommended Munetoshi and Munetoshi’s friend Kakuzenbō In’ei, a monk and spearsman of the Hōzōin temple. Hidetsuna agreed, and a messenger was sent on ahead to Hōzōin temple to contact the two men.
Munetoshi agreed, and met Hidetsuna at Hōzōin. Accounts differ on the specifics of the match: according to the Edo Yagyū family record Kyū Yagyū-hanki, Munetoshi faced Hikita Bungoro and was roundly beaten with a fukuro-shinai. An account by Munetoshi’s great-great-grandson Toshinobu says that Munetoshi faced Suzuki Ihaku three times. Based on family documents and oral history, Yagyū Toshinaga suggested that Munetoshi’s opponent was Hidetsuna himself in three matches over three days. In any event, the common point of all the accounts is that Munetoshi lost, and became Hidetsuna’s disciple.
Munetoshi invited Hidetsuna to his land in Yagyū Village, where they trained for the better part of a year. Hidetsuna then went on to Kyoto, giving Munetoshi an assignment. He asked him to research the concept of Mutō-dori; facing an armed opponent while unarmed. While Hidetsuna was away Munetoshi devoted himself to this study, and upon Hidetsuna’s return he successfully demonstrated it on Suzuki Ihaku. Hidetsuna, pleased by this innovation, gave Munetoshi an inka-jō, signifying the highest attainment in Shinkage-ryū and permission to teach it. A year later, Hidetsuna gave Munetoshi the Kage-mokuroku, a selection of four scrolls detailing the kata of Shinkage-ryū with commentary and drawings by Hidetsuna himself.
In the Yagyū Kaken, the Yagyū family constitution, Munetoshi wrote that he’d loved the military arts since he was a youth, and studied many ryū, but did not know victory until he met Kamiizumi Hidetsuna. Munetoshi’s service to Matsunaga, and later to Oda Nobunaga would keep him busy following Hidetsuna’s visit in 1567, Munetoshi and Hidetsuna both found themselves living and working in Kyoto in the waning years of the Ashikaga Shogunate, from 1570 to 1572. In 1572 Hidetsuna traveled to Yagyū Village for the last time, staying there an indefinite length of time before heading east to Kōzuke Province, where he was last seen in 1577.
entered Yamato Province with overwhelming force and subjugated the Matsunaga and Tsutsui, ending their skirmishing. It is likely that around this time Ietoshi retired, and passed on the leadership of the Yagyū to Munetoshi. Nobunaga ordered Munetoshi to go to Kyoto and attend to the new Shōgun
Ashikaga Yoshiaki
.
With the passing of a few years, however, Yoshiaki began forming alliances to overthrow Nobunaga, among them the Yagyū’s old lord and present commander Matsunaga Hisahide and the warlord Takeda Shingen
. In 1571, attempting to secure control once more over Yamato Province, Matsunaga sent the Yagyū in an attack against Tsutsui Junkei at Tatsuichi, a town in Nara. The attack was a total failure, and in the course of the battle Munetoshi’s oldest son, Toshikatsu, was shot in the hip. This compounded an earlier injury he had received in his first battle, and made him an invalid for life.
Yoshiaki’s coalition made its move against Nobunaga in 1573, but despite early success the death of Takeda Shingen weakened it. Nobunaga drove Yoshiaki out of Kyoto in August, and Matsunaga rejoined Nobunaga to fight the other members of the coalition. It is likely that Munetoshi took part in these battles. However, by 1577 Matsunaga again turned on Nobunaga, who then finally defeated his wayward vassal. It is not clear when, but around this time Munetoshi withdrew from the world of battle, and secluded himself in Yagyū Village.
Munetoshi spent most of his time teaching Shinkage-ryū to his sons and other men. Licenses given out by him that date back to 1580 survive today. In 1589 he wrote the Yagyū Kaken 柳生家憲, a memoir and treatise on proper conduct meant for his descendents. In 1593 he became a Buddhist lay priest, taking the name “Sekishūsai Songon”. This same year, he wrote the Heihō Hyakka兵法百歌, “One-hundred Songs of Strategy”, a collection of mostly original poetry on such subjects as the usefulness, training, and goals of the martial arts.
1594 would prove to be an eventful year. Despite his seclusion in Yagyū Village, Munetoshi’s prowess in Shinkage-ryū and Mutō-dori was known by Tokugawa Ieyasu
, at that time still Toyotomi Hideyoshi
’s loyal general. Ieyasu was highly interested in the martial arts, and he arranged for a meeting with Munetoshi at Takagamine, north of Kyoto. Munetoshi brought his fifth son, Munenori
, with him to demonstrate. After explaining the philosophy of Shinkage-ryū, they demonstrated some of the kata of the ryū, as well as Mutō-dori. However, Ieyasu wished to see for himself, so he took up a bokutō
, a wooden sword, and requested that Munetoshi demonstrate Mutō-dori on him. Munetoshi successfully did so, sending Ieyasu’s bokutō flying away and knocking Ieyasu onto his back. Impressed, Ieyasu asked Munetoshi to teach him Shinkage-ryū. Munetoshi refused, citing his advanced age, and recommended his son Munenori. Ieyasu agreed, and signed an oath to learn Shinkage-ryū, and to treat the Yagyū with favor. Munenori went with Ieyasu, and was given the post of hatamoto, or standard bearer.
That same year, a census of the Yamato Province revealed hidden, non-taxed rice fields in Yagyū Village. As punishment, Munetoshi’s lands were taken away by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Munetoshi continued to teach Shinkage-ryū, in particular to his grandson Hyōgonosuke Toshitoshi
, and Takeda Ujikatsu, the head of the Konparu-ryū school of Noh
theater.
and Tokugawa Ieyasu began moving against each other to determine who would rule after the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Ieyasu was attempting to put down an uprising by the Uesugi clan
in Shimotsuke Province
(present-day Tochigi Prefecture
) when he learned that Mitsunari was moving against him. He dispatched Munenori back to Yagyū Village, to ask his father to raise forces in the Yamato region. At the age of 71, Munetoshi was too old to lead the forces himself, so Munenori led them to Ieyasu’s position, arriving a day before the battle. Ieyasu’s army carried the day, and among the rewards given to the Yagyū was the return of their ancestral lands to their control.
Munetoshi’s fourth son, Gorōemon Muneaki, had served under Kobayakawa Hideaki
until Hideaki’s death in 1602. Muneaki became a rōnin
, and was taken in by Yokota Muraaki, the chamberlain of Nakamura Kazutada, lord of Yonago. In 1603, Nakamura killed Yokota, believing that the chamberlain was plotting against him. Yokota’s family, including Yagyū Muneaki, started an uprising, which was ruthlessly put down. Muneaki fought bravely, reportedly cutting down 18 men before he was shot and killed. He was 35 years old.
In 1604, Munetoshi’s grandson, Toshitoshi, left Yagyū Village to serve the great general Kato Kiyomasa
. Toshitoshi was in Kiyomasa’s service only a year before trouble with older retainers forced him to leave. Toshitoshi used the opportunity to do musha shugyō
, testing himself against and learning from different teachers. In 1606, Munetoshi urgently summoned Toshitoshi back to Yagyū Village. When Toshitoshi returned, Munetoshi, now in ill health, bequeathed to his grandson all of his Shinkage-ryū materials, including the license of transmission and illustrated scrolls he received from Hidetsuna. In 1606, Yagyū Sekishūsai Taira-no-Munetoshi died at age 78 in Yagyū Village.
With the patronage of the Tokugawa family, the Yagyū family was finally secure, enjoying peace and prosperity until the end of the Tokugawa era. Munenori, initially only a hatamoto
and sword instructor, became a trusted aide to the third Tokugawa Shōgun, Iemitsu
. Yagyū Village and the surrounding area became Yagyū-han, with Munenori as its first lord. Munenori and his son Jūbei were known for their skill with the sword, and they had a number of students, some of who would go on to found their own styles. Munenori’s line is known as the Edo Yagyū.
Munetoshi’s oldest son, Toshikatsu, remained in Yagyū Village until his death, his disability preventing him from being employed by a lord. But his sons would go on to become renowned sword instructors in their own right. His youngest, Kenzaemon, became the sword instructor to Date Masumune, the lord of Sendai-han. Toshikatsu’s second son, Toshitoshi, eventually became the sword instructor to the Owari Tokugawa, in Nagoya. Toshitoshi’s line, the Owari Yagyū, continued to teach and pass down Shinkage-ryū throughout the Edo Period, to the present day. The current sōke, Yagyū Kōichi, is a direct 13th generation descendant of Munetoshi via Toshitoshi’s line.
When historians first came across the name 宗厳 they had no way to be sure how the name was read. The only suggestion for pronunciation in Yagyū family records was Songon, the Chinese-reading of the characters, which Munetoshi took upon taking the name “Sekishūsai”. One late 18th century record of family lineages, the Kansei Choshu Shokafu, noted “Muneyoshi” as the pronunciation. In the Daikanwa Jiten, the largest Chinese character dictionary for the Japanese language, 厳 is given kane, tsuyo, and yoshi as possible readings used in names. So in early modern histories, this reading was used. Some books still use it today. However, historian Imamura Yoshio posits that even the kana
characters indicating the "Muneyoshi" pronunciation in the Kansei Choshu Shokafu may actually be indicating "Munetoshi". The kana よ (yo) was derived from 与, which also can be read as "to". Starting with the release of Shōden Shinkage-ryū, by Yagyū Toshinaga, in 1955, the Yagyū family pronunciation has become more common than before.
Munetoshi is a prominent character in Eiji Yoshikawa
's Musashi
, a fictionalized telling of the life of Miyamoto Musashi
. In that story a young and still wild Musashi seeks out Munetoshi, seeking to make a name for himself by defeating the famous swordsman. By that time however, Munetoshi is already old and ailing, and instead of dueling, the encounter turns into a learning experience for Musashi, who is awed by the spiritual power of Munetoshi, and makes him aware of his shortcomings as a person. These encounters are also portrayed in the manga
series Vagabond
, based on Yoshikawa's novel.
In the Onimusha video game series, Munetoshi, by taking the title of Jubei, was the main character in Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny. After Nobunaga destroys the Yagyū Village, Jubei goes off on a journey to avenge them. He also appears in Onimusha Blade Warriors and is in hiding in Onimusha 3: Demon Siege. In Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams, he retires and gives the Jubei name to his granddaughter, Akane. He is referred to Sekishusai as a result. His son, Yagyū Munenori
became a servant of the evil Toyotomi Hideyoshi
, and for this, he sent Akane to kill him.
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
in 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...
’s Sengoku period
Sengoku period
The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
famous for mastering the Shinkage-ryū
Shinkage-ryu
' meaning "new shadow school", is a traditional school of Japanese martial arts, founded by Kamiizumi Ise-no-Kami Nobutsuna in the mid-sixteenth century...
school of combat, and introducing it to the Tokugawa clan
Tokugawa clan
The was a powerful daimyo family of Japan. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa and were a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Nitta clan. However, the early history of this clan remains a mystery.-History:...
.
Early life
Munetoshi was born Yagyū Shinsuke in 1529 in Yagyū Village (present day YagyūYagyu, Nara
is a quarter in the city of Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan. The center of Yagyū is about 20 km to the east, in the direction of Mie Prefecture on Route 369, from the center of the city of Nara. In the context of tourism, also used to include neighbouring area to Yagyū-chō, which were mostly former...
, Nara
Nara, Nara
is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture...
) in Yamato Province
Yamato Province
was a province of Japan, located in Kinai, corresponding to present-day Nara Prefecture in Honshū. It was also called . At first, the name was written with one different character , and for about ten years after 737, this was revised to use more desirable characters . The final revision was made in...
. His father, Ietoshi, was a minor landed lord. When Munetoshi was 12, Ietoshi joined a general named Kisawa Nagamasa in contesting the growing power of the warlord Miyoshi Chōkei. However, Kisawa was killed in battle, and the Yagyū found themselves on the defensive. With over half of Yamato Province under his control, Miyoshi left the rest of the conquest to his lieutenant, Tsutsui Junshō
Tsutsui Junsho
was a warlord of the Japanese province of Yamato during the Sengoku period of the 16th century. Junshō was the son of Tsutsui Junkō. Through one time in the Sengoku Period, Junshō was destined to ascend to the position of Daimyō over the province of Yamato....
.
The Tsutsui and the Yagyū had feuded previously, and Junshō wasted no time. In 1544 he attacked the Yagyū at Koyagyū Castle with some 10,000 men. According to the Tamon-in Nikki, a chronicle of the Kōfuku-ji
Kofuku-ji
is a Buddhist temple in the city of Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan. The temple is the national headquarters of the Hossō school and is one of the eight Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.-History:...
temple, at first the Yagyū were caught by surprise, but Ietoshi rallied his troops for a defensive battle. Munetoshi, a young man of 15, ably led a small troop of his own. The Tsutsui troops surrounded the castle, burned the surrounding houses and villages, took control of the outer castle and cut off the water supply, but the main castle still held out. The Yagyū held out or three days, but they were greatly outnumbered, and had no choice but to capitulate, and submit to the Tsutsui.
The Yagyū served the Tsutsui for eight years. Munetoshi studied the martial and liberal arts, becoming proficient with the spear
Yari
is the term for one of the traditionally made Japanese blades in the form of a spear, or more specifically, the straight-headed spear...
and sword, as well as studying Confucianism
Confucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
, Zen Buddhism
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
, and Shingon Buddhism
Shingon Buddhism
is one of the mainstream major schools of Japanese Buddhism and one of the few surviving Esoteric Buddhist lineages that started in the 3rd to 4th century CE that originally spread from India to China through traveling monks such as Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra...
. Munetoshi soon gained notice as an able warrior and commander, and as many of orders were sent by Tsutsui to him, a young man in his 20s, as were sent to his father, still an active lord in his 50s. One message sent by Junshō’s son Fujikatsu
Tsutsui Junkei
son of Tsusui Junshō, and a Daimyo of the province of Yamato.Very early on, Junkei had his castle taken away by Matsunaga Hisahide, one of the most powerful warriors of the region in feudal Japan at that time. Later by joining forces of Oda Nobunaga, Junkei defeated Hisahide at Mount Shigi in 1577...
to Ietoshi singles out Munetoshi in particular for praise.
In 1559, the warlord Matsunaga Hisahide
Matsunaga Hisahide
Matsunaga Hisahide was a daimyo of Japan following the Sengoku period of the 16th century.A companion of Miyoshi Chokei, he was a retainer of Miyoshi Masanaga from the 1540s. He directed the conquest of the province of Yamato in the 1560s and by 1564 had built a sufficient power-base to be...
decided to attack the Tsutsui and take control of Yamato Province. He sent a message to Munetoshi promising to restore their old lands and position to the Yagyū in exchange for their service. The Tsutsui were overthrown, and the Yagyū grew prominent under Matsunaga. In particular, Matsunaga gave Munetoshi a citation for valor for his performance in a battle at To'unomine. Matsunaga’s attempt to take the mountain was repulsed, and Munetoshi fought in the rearguard as the army retreated. He was wounded, but fighting with a spear he killed several of the enemy. Munetoshi almost did not survive the battle, but a retainer named Matsuda Muneshige sacrificed his life to save Munetoshi’s. Munetoshi would later make mention of his extreme gratitude when he gave a Shinkage-ryū license to Muneshige’s son Genjirō.
It is not entirely clear what school of combat Munetoshi studied, or who his teachers were. An Owari Yagyū family record suggests that he studied Shintō-ryū
Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu
is one of the oldest extant Japanese martial arts, and an exemplar of koryū bujutsu. The Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū was founded by Iizasa Ienao, born 1387 in Iizasa village , who was living near Katori Shrine at the time...
under a man named Kantori Shinjūrō. But “Kantori” may simply be a misreading of kanji meant to read “Katori”, thus signifying “Katori Shintō-ryū”. An Edo Yagyū family record suggests that he studied Toda-ryū, a branch of Chūjō-ryū. All family records and Munetoshi’s own surviving writings suggest that he was an enthusiastic student of the military arts from a young age, before he met Kamiizumi Hidetsuna
Kamiizumi Nobutsuna
Kamiizumi Ise-no-kami Fujiwara-no-Nobutsuna was a samurai in Japan’s Sengoku Period famous for creating the Shinkage-ryū school of combat.-Early life:...
.
Encounter with Kamiizumi Hidetsuna
In 1564, Kamiizumi Ise-no-kami HidetsunaKamiizumi Nobutsuna
Kamiizumi Ise-no-kami Fujiwara-no-Nobutsuna was a samurai in Japan’s Sengoku Period famous for creating the Shinkage-ryū school of combat.-Early life:...
was travelling to 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:...
with his student and nephew Hikita Bungorō
Hikita Bungoro
was a swordsman during the Sengoku Period of the 16th century. Hikita Bungoro was the nephew of the famous swordsman Kamiizumi Hidetsuna, in which they were both very well versed in the ways of bujutsu. Another famous swordsman by the name of Yagyū Muneyoshi had seen the superb skills set by...
and his long-time student Suzuki Ihaku. While stopping in Ise Province
Ise Province
or was a province of Japan including most of modern Mie Prefecture. Ise bordered Iga, Kii, Mino, Ōmi, Owari, Shima, and Yamato Provinces.The ancient provincial capital was at Suzuka...
, the group asked the governor, Kitabatake Tomonori, if he knew of any capable samurai nearby interested in a friendly match. Kitabatake recommended Munetoshi and Munetoshi’s friend Kakuzenbō In’ei, a monk and spearsman of the Hōzōin temple. Hidetsuna agreed, and a messenger was sent on ahead to Hōzōin temple to contact the two men.
Munetoshi agreed, and met Hidetsuna at Hōzōin. Accounts differ on the specifics of the match: according to the Edo Yagyū family record Kyū Yagyū-hanki, Munetoshi faced Hikita Bungoro and was roundly beaten with a fukuro-shinai. An account by Munetoshi’s great-great-grandson Toshinobu says that Munetoshi faced Suzuki Ihaku three times. Based on family documents and oral history, Yagyū Toshinaga suggested that Munetoshi’s opponent was Hidetsuna himself in three matches over three days. In any event, the common point of all the accounts is that Munetoshi lost, and became Hidetsuna’s disciple.
Munetoshi invited Hidetsuna to his land in Yagyū Village, where they trained for the better part of a year. Hidetsuna then went on to Kyoto, giving Munetoshi an assignment. He asked him to research the concept of Mutō-dori; facing an armed opponent while unarmed. While Hidetsuna was away Munetoshi devoted himself to this study, and upon Hidetsuna’s return he successfully demonstrated it on Suzuki Ihaku. Hidetsuna, pleased by this innovation, gave Munetoshi an inka-jō, signifying the highest attainment in Shinkage-ryū and permission to teach it. A year later, Hidetsuna gave Munetoshi the Kage-mokuroku, a selection of four scrolls detailing the kata of Shinkage-ryū with commentary and drawings by Hidetsuna himself.
In the Yagyū Kaken, the Yagyū family constitution, Munetoshi wrote that he’d loved the military arts since he was a youth, and studied many ryū, but did not know victory until he met Kamiizumi Hidetsuna. Munetoshi’s service to Matsunaga, and later to Oda Nobunaga would keep him busy following Hidetsuna’s visit in 1567, Munetoshi and Hidetsuna both found themselves living and working in Kyoto in the waning years of the Ashikaga Shogunate, from 1570 to 1572. In 1572 Hidetsuna traveled to Yagyū Village for the last time, staying there an indefinite length of time before heading east to Kōzuke Province, where he was last seen in 1577.
Career as a general
Munetoshi served Matsunaga with distinction. The battle at To’unomine, for which Munetoshi received a citation of valor, was either just before his encounter with Hidetsuna or shortly after. In 1568, Oda NobunagaOda Nobunaga
was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi...
entered Yamato Province with overwhelming force and subjugated the Matsunaga and Tsutsui, ending their skirmishing. It is likely that around this time Ietoshi retired, and passed on the leadership of the Yagyū to Munetoshi. Nobunaga ordered Munetoshi to go to Kyoto and attend to the new Shōgun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
Ashikaga Yoshiaki
Ashikaga Yoshiaki
was the 15th shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate in Japan who reigned from 1568 to 1573. His father, Ashikaga Yoshiharu was the twelfth shogun, and his brother, Ashikaga Yoshiteru was the thirteenth shogun....
.
With the passing of a few years, however, Yoshiaki began forming alliances to overthrow Nobunaga, among them the Yagyū’s old lord and present commander Matsunaga Hisahide and the warlord Takeda Shingen
Takeda Shingen
, of Kai Province, was a preeminent daimyo in feudal Japan with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period.-Name:Shingen was called "Tarō" or "Katsuchiyo" during his childhood...
. In 1571, attempting to secure control once more over Yamato Province, Matsunaga sent the Yagyū in an attack against Tsutsui Junkei at Tatsuichi, a town in Nara. The attack was a total failure, and in the course of the battle Munetoshi’s oldest son, Toshikatsu, was shot in the hip. This compounded an earlier injury he had received in his first battle, and made him an invalid for life.
Yoshiaki’s coalition made its move against Nobunaga in 1573, but despite early success the death of Takeda Shingen weakened it. Nobunaga drove Yoshiaki out of Kyoto in August, and Matsunaga rejoined Nobunaga to fight the other members of the coalition. It is likely that Munetoshi took part in these battles. However, by 1577 Matsunaga again turned on Nobunaga, who then finally defeated his wayward vassal. It is not clear when, but around this time Munetoshi withdrew from the world of battle, and secluded himself in Yagyū Village.
Seclusion and focus on Shinkage-ryū
Sometime in the late 1570s, Munetoshi gave up all aspirations of being a general or warlord, and retired to Yagyū Village, where he devoted himself to teaching and training in Shinkage-ryū. It is not exactly clear why, as he was only in his late-40s. The death of Hidetsuna, his teacher, around this time may have been a factor, as well as the fall of the Ashikaga and Matsunaga. Poetry that Munetoshi wrote during this time express doubt and a lack of confidence in anything beyond Shinkage-ryū, and even this skill is compared in utility to a “stone boat”.Munetoshi spent most of his time teaching Shinkage-ryū to his sons and other men. Licenses given out by him that date back to 1580 survive today. In 1589 he wrote the Yagyū Kaken 柳生家憲, a memoir and treatise on proper conduct meant for his descendents. In 1593 he became a Buddhist lay priest, taking the name “Sekishūsai Songon”. This same year, he wrote the Heihō Hyakka兵法百歌, “One-hundred Songs of Strategy”, a collection of mostly original poetry on such subjects as the usefulness, training, and goals of the martial arts.
1594 would prove to be an eventful year. Despite his seclusion in Yagyū Village, Munetoshi’s prowess in Shinkage-ryū and Mutō-dori was known by 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...
, at that time still 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...
’s loyal general. Ieyasu was highly interested in the martial arts, and he arranged for a meeting with Munetoshi at Takagamine, north of Kyoto. Munetoshi brought his fifth son, Munenori
Yagyu Munenori
was a Japanese swordsman, founder of the Edo branch of Yagyū Shinkage-ryū, which he learned from his father Yagyū "Sekishusai" Muneyoshi. This was one of two official sword styles patronized by the Tokugawa Shogunate...
, with him to demonstrate. After explaining the philosophy of Shinkage-ryū, they demonstrated some of the kata of the ryū, as well as Mutō-dori. However, Ieyasu wished to see for himself, so he took up a bokutō
Bokken
A bokken , "wood", and ken, "sword") , is a Japanese wooden sword used for training. It is usually the size and shape of a katana, but is sometimes shaped like other swords, such as the wakizashi and tantō...
, a wooden sword, and requested that Munetoshi demonstrate Mutō-dori on him. Munetoshi successfully did so, sending Ieyasu’s bokutō flying away and knocking Ieyasu onto his back. Impressed, Ieyasu asked Munetoshi to teach him Shinkage-ryū. Munetoshi refused, citing his advanced age, and recommended his son Munenori. Ieyasu agreed, and signed an oath to learn Shinkage-ryū, and to treat the Yagyū with favor. Munenori went with Ieyasu, and was given the post of hatamoto, or standard bearer.
That same year, a census of the Yamato Province revealed hidden, non-taxed rice fields in Yagyū Village. As punishment, Munetoshi’s lands were taken away by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Munetoshi continued to teach Shinkage-ryū, in particular to his grandson Hyōgonosuke Toshitoshi
Yagyu Hyogonosuke
or — Toshiyoshi was the founder of the Owari mainline of the Yagyū Shinkage-ryū style of swordsmanship in the early Edo period. He was a son of Yagyū Toshikatsu and a grandson of Yagyū Muneyoshi ....
, and Takeda Ujikatsu, the head of the Konparu-ryū school of Noh
Noh
, or - derived from the Sino-Japanese word for "skill" or "talent" - is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles. Traditionally, a Noh "performance day" lasts all day and...
theater.
Final years and death
The Yagyū family suffered a major loss in 1597, when Munetoshi’s oldest grandson and ostensible heir, Sumitoshi, was killed in battle in Korea. In 1599, Munetoshi wrote out a will. Demonstrating the dire situation his family was in, he ordered that his tea ceremony equipment be sold to pay for his funeral. But Munetoshi would live to see a final reversal of fortune, and his long dedication to Shinkage-ryū finally secure the success of his family for generations. In 1600, the armies of Ishida MitsunariIshida Mitsunari
Ishida Mitsunari was a samurai who led the Western army in the Battle of Sekigahara following the Azuchi-Momoyama period of the 17th century. Also known by his court title, Jibunoshō...
and Tokugawa Ieyasu began moving against each other to determine who would rule after the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Ieyasu was attempting to put down an uprising by the Uesugi clan
Uesugi clan
The was a Japanese samurai clan, descended from the Fujiwara clan and particularly notable for their power in the Muromachi and Sengoku periods ....
in Shimotsuke Province
Shimotsuke Province
is an old province of Japan in the area of Tochigi Prefecture in the Kanto region. It was sometimes called or .The ancient capital of the province was near the city of Tochigi, but in feudal times the main center of the province was near the modern capital, Utsunomiya.-History:Different parts of...
(present-day Tochigi Prefecture
Tochigi Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the Kantō region on the island of Honshū, Japan. The capital is the city of Utsunomiya.Nikkō, whose ancient Shintō shrines and Buddhist temples UNESCO has recognized by naming them a World Heritage Site, is in this prefecture...
) when he learned that Mitsunari was moving against him. He dispatched Munenori back to Yagyū Village, to ask his father to raise forces in the Yamato region. At the age of 71, Munetoshi was too old to lead the forces himself, so Munenori led them to Ieyasu’s position, arriving a day before the battle. Ieyasu’s army carried the day, and among the rewards given to the Yagyū was the return of their ancestral lands to their control.
Munetoshi’s fourth son, Gorōemon Muneaki, had served under Kobayakawa Hideaki
Kobayakawa Hideaki
Kobayakawa Hideaki was fifth son of Kinoshita Iesada and the nephew of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.He was adopted by Hideyoshi and called himself Hashiba Hidetoshi and Shusen . He was then again adopted by Kobayakawa Takakage and renamed himself Hideaki...
until Hideaki’s death in 1602. Muneaki became a rōnin
Ronin
A or rounin was a Bushi with no lord or master during the feudal period of Japan. A samurai became masterless from the death or fall of his master, or after the loss of his master's favor or privilege....
, and was taken in by Yokota Muraaki, the chamberlain of Nakamura Kazutada, lord of Yonago. In 1603, Nakamura killed Yokota, believing that the chamberlain was plotting against him. Yokota’s family, including Yagyū Muneaki, started an uprising, which was ruthlessly put down. Muneaki fought bravely, reportedly cutting down 18 men before he was shot and killed. He was 35 years old.
In 1604, Munetoshi’s grandson, Toshitoshi, left Yagyū Village to serve the great general Kato Kiyomasa
Kato Kiyomasa
was a Japanese daimyō of the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo period.-Origins and early career:Kiyomasa was born in Owari Province to Katō Kiyotada. Kiyotada's wife, Ito, was a cousin of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's mother. Kiyotada died while his son was still young...
. Toshitoshi was in Kiyomasa’s service only a year before trouble with older retainers forced him to leave. Toshitoshi used the opportunity to do musha shugyō
Musha shugyo
is a samurai warrior's quest or pilgrimage. The concept is similar to Knight Errantry in feudal Europe. A warrior, called a shugyōsha, would wander the land practicing and honing his skills without the protection of his family or school. Possible activities include training with other schools,...
, testing himself against and learning from different teachers. In 1606, Munetoshi urgently summoned Toshitoshi back to Yagyū Village. When Toshitoshi returned, Munetoshi, now in ill health, bequeathed to his grandson all of his Shinkage-ryū materials, including the license of transmission and illustrated scrolls he received from Hidetsuna. In 1606, Yagyū Sekishūsai Taira-no-Munetoshi died at age 78 in Yagyū Village.
Legacy
After his death, his son Munenori took possession of the family lands in Yagyū Village, and ordered that Hōtokuji Temple be built in Munetoshi’s honor. Munenori’s son Retsudō was made the chief priest. The temple remains today, on the grounds where Munetoshi’s manor once stood.With the patronage of the Tokugawa family, the Yagyū family was finally secure, enjoying peace and prosperity until the end of the Tokugawa era. Munenori, initially only a hatamoto
Hatamoto
A was a samurai in the direct service of the Tokugawa shogunate of feudal Japan. While all three of the shogunates in Japanese history had official retainers, in the two preceding ones, they were referred to as gokenin. However, in the Edo period, hatamoto were the upper vassals of the Tokugawa...
and sword instructor, became a trusted aide to the third Tokugawa Shōgun, Iemitsu
Tokugawa Iemitsu
Tokugawa Iemitsu was the third shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Iemitsu ruled from 1623 to 1651.-Early life :...
. Yagyū Village and the surrounding area became Yagyū-han, with Munenori as its first lord. Munenori and his son Jūbei were known for their skill with the sword, and they had a number of students, some of who would go on to found their own styles. Munenori’s line is known as the Edo Yagyū.
Munetoshi’s oldest son, Toshikatsu, remained in Yagyū Village until his death, his disability preventing him from being employed by a lord. But his sons would go on to become renowned sword instructors in their own right. His youngest, Kenzaemon, became the sword instructor to Date Masumune, the lord of Sendai-han. Toshikatsu’s second son, Toshitoshi, eventually became the sword instructor to the Owari Tokugawa, in Nagoya. Toshitoshi’s line, the Owari Yagyū, continued to teach and pass down Shinkage-ryū throughout the Edo Period, to the present day. The current sōke, Yagyū Kōichi, is a direct 13th generation descendant of Munetoshi via Toshitoshi’s line.
Name
Munetoshi is often referred to in popular works as “Muneyoshi”, and likewise his grandsons Jūbei and Hyōgonosuke are referred to as Mitsuyoshi and Toshiyoshi, respectively. However, in the Yagyū family, they are known as Munetoshi, Mitsutoshi, and Toshitoshi. The character 厳 has been passed down in the family since Ietoshi’s time, always with the reading “toshi”. In the Edo Yagyū line of Munenori, only Jūbei Mitsutoshi was given the 厳 character, but from the 5th head of the family on, the character 俊 was used, also read “toshi”.When historians first came across the name 宗厳 they had no way to be sure how the name was read. The only suggestion for pronunciation in Yagyū family records was Songon, the Chinese-reading of the characters, which Munetoshi took upon taking the name “Sekishūsai”. One late 18th century record of family lineages, the Kansei Choshu Shokafu, noted “Muneyoshi” as the pronunciation. In the Daikanwa Jiten, the largest Chinese character dictionary for the Japanese language, 厳 is given kane, tsuyo, and yoshi as possible readings used in names. So in early modern histories, this reading was used. Some books still use it today. However, historian Imamura Yoshio posits that even the kana
Kana
Kana are the syllabic Japanese scripts, as opposed to the logographic Chinese characters known in Japan as kanji and the Roman alphabet known as rōmaji...
characters indicating the "Muneyoshi" pronunciation in the Kansei Choshu Shokafu may actually be indicating "Munetoshi". The kana よ (yo) was derived from 与, which also can be read as "to". Starting with the release of Shōden Shinkage-ryū, by Yagyū Toshinaga, in 1955, the Yagyū family pronunciation has become more common than before.
Fiction and Legend
Like many other great figures in Japanese history, Munetoshi has become a popular figure in literature, movies, video games and other media, and has accumulated a number of exaggerated tales and legends about him. In Yagyū Village, near the Yagyū family burial ground, is a large rock called Itto-seki, which has been split in half. Though it was most probably split by lightning or earthquake, legend says that Munetoshi cleaved it himself with his sword.Munetoshi is a prominent character in Eiji Yoshikawa
Eiji Yoshikawa
was a Japanese historical novelist, probably one of the best and most famous authors in the genre. Among his most well-known novels, most are revisions of past works. He was mainly influenced by classics such as The Tale of the Heike, Tale of Genji, Outlaws of the Marsh, and Romance of the Three...
's Musashi
Musashi (novel)
is a Japanese novel written by Eiji Yoshikawa and serialized in 1935 in Asahi Shimbun.-Introduction:It is a fictionalized account of the life of Miyamoto Musashi, author of The Book of Five Rings and arguably the most renowned Japanese swordsman who ever lived.The novel has been translated into...
, a fictionalized telling of the life of Miyamoto Musashi
Miyamoto Musashi
, also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was a Japanese swordsman and rōnin. Musashi, as he was often simply known, became renowned through stories of his excellent swordsmanship in numerous duels, even from a very young age...
. In that story a young and still wild Musashi seeks out Munetoshi, seeking to make a name for himself by defeating the famous swordsman. By that time however, Munetoshi is already old and ailing, and instead of dueling, the encounter turns into a learning experience for Musashi, who is awed by the spiritual power of Munetoshi, and makes him aware of his shortcomings as a person. These encounters are also portrayed in the manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series Vagabond
Vagabond (manga)
is an ongoing manga by Takehiko Inoue, portraying a fictionalized account of Miyamoto Musashi's life, on a loose adaptation of Eiji Yoshikawa's novel Musashi....
, based on Yoshikawa's novel.
In the Onimusha video game series, Munetoshi, by taking the title of Jubei, was the main character in Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny. After Nobunaga destroys the Yagyū Village, Jubei goes off on a journey to avenge them. He also appears in Onimusha Blade Warriors and is in hiding in Onimusha 3: Demon Siege. In Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams, he retires and gives the Jubei name to his granddaughter, Akane. He is referred to Sekishusai as a result. His son, Yagyū Munenori
Yagyu Munenori
was a Japanese swordsman, founder of the Edo branch of Yagyū Shinkage-ryū, which he learned from his father Yagyū "Sekishusai" Muneyoshi. This was one of two official sword styles patronized by the Tokugawa Shogunate...
became a servant of the evil 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...
, and for this, he sent Akane to kill him.