Miyamoto Musashi (宮本 武蔵;Japanese pronunciation:[mʲi.ja.mo.to(|)mɯꜜ.sa.ɕi],[1]c. 1583 – 13 June 1645)[2] was a Japaneseswordsman, strategist, artist and writer who became renowned through stories of his unique double-bladed swordsmanship and undefeated record in his 62 duels.[3][a] Miyamoto is considered akensei (sword saint) of Japan.[4] He was the founder of theNiten Ichi-ryū (or Nito Ichi-ryū) style of swordsmanship, and in his final years authoredThe Book of Five Rings (五輪の書,Go Rin No Sho) andDokkōdō (獨行道,The Path of Aloneness).
Both documents were bequeathed toTerao Magonojō, Miyamoto's most important student, seven days before Musashi's death.The Book of Five Rings[b] focuses on the character of his Niten Ichi-ryū school in a concrete sense; his own practical martial art and its generic significance. On the other hand,The Path of Aloneness deals with the ideas that lie behind it, as well as his life's philosophy in a few short aphoristic sentences.
It is widely thought that both scriptures were to have been scheduled for burning due to a report from one of Musashi's disciplesFuruhashi Sōzaemon who is said to have written about Musashi ordering his work to be burned; "There are no written works in my school".[5]
Details of Miyamoto Musashi's early life are difficult to verify. Musashi writes inThe Book of Five Rings (Go Rin No Sho) that he was born in Miyamoto, a village inHarima Province.[6]: 13 Niten Ki, an early biography of Musashi, supports the assertion that Musashi was born in 1583. "[He] was born inBanshū, in Tenshō 12 [1583],[7] the Year of the Goat."[8] The historian Kamiko Tadashi, commenting on Musashi's text, notes: "Munisai was Musashi's father ... he lived in Miyamoto village, in the Yoshino district [ofMimasaka Province]. Musashi was most probably born here."[6]: 18ff
Musashi gives his full name and title inThe Book of Five Rings asShinmen Musashi-no-Kami Fujiwara no Harunobu (新免武蔵守藤原玄信) .[6]: 13 His father,Shinmen Munisai (新免無二斎) was an accomplished martial artist and master of the sword andjutte (alsojitte).[6]: 18ff Munisai, in turn, was the son of Hirata Shōgen (平田将監), a vassal of ShinmenIga no Kami, the lord ofTakayama Castle in the Yoshino district of Mimasaka Province.[6]: 17ff Hirata was relied upon by Lord Shinmen and so was allowed to use the Shinmen name. "Fujiwara" was the lineage from which Musashi claimed descent.[9] Other names of his include Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke,[7] and Niten Dōraku (his Buddhist name).[10] Hirata's wife was Omasa. She died as a result of giving birth to Miyamoto.[7]
Musashi developedeczema during infancy which had an adverse effect on his appearance.[11] Another story claims that he never bathed himself because he did not want to be surprised unarmed.[12]: 10 Historian Kamiko writes, "For his entire life, Musashi never took a wife, cut his hair, or entered a bath".[6]: 18ff
According toThe Book of Five Rings, Musashi testified that his first duel occurred when he was still 13 years old. His opponent was a Arima Kihei, a swordsman who practisedKashima Shintō-ryū martial arts that were created byTsukahara Bokuden. Musashi was victorious. The second duel happened when Musashi was 16 years old, when he won another victory againstTadashima Akiyama, a swordsman who was native toTajima Province. Musashi's third duel, at age 21 was inKyoto, where he defeated several students of a famous sword fighting school.[citation needed]
In 1599, Musashi left his village at age 15 or 16.[c]
In 1600, Musashi served in Kuroda Yoshitaka's army on the Eastern side and fought in the Battle of Ishigakihara and the Siege of Fuka Castle against Ōtomo Yoshimune's army from the Western side.[16][17] In this battle, the force of Kuroda Yoshitaka emerged victorious at 21 October.[18][19]
For a long time, the popular theory stated that Musashi participated in thebattle of Sekigahara on the Western Army side due to the fact that Shinmen clan was longtime vassal to theUkita clan. However, recent research by modern Japanese historians challenged the theory, as they asserted that Musashi and his father, Shinmen Munisai, actually sided with The Eastern Army based on the historical records that Munisai no longer served the Ukita clan during that time, and the clan records ofKuroda clan, ally of Tokugawa Ieyasu during the war, had recorded the name of Shinmen Munisai among their vassals who participated in the war.[20][21] Historians quotedThe Transmission of Military Art to Master Bushu Genshin,[20] the record from Tachibana Mineki; vassal of Kuroda clan,[16][17] and the "Matsui Clan record", rejecting that the theory that Musashi fought on the side of Western Army, both in Sekigahara and in Osaka siege 14 years later.[22] Historian Masahide Fukuda has determined that the name of Munisai appeared in Kuroda clan record under the category ofKogofudai, or Kuroda clanvassals who had entered service before 1586. Based on this fact, Fukuda concluded it was natural that Munisai and Musashi were on the Tokugawa side during the war.[20]
Nevertheless despite the consensus among Japanese historians that Musashi fought on the victorious Eastern Army side, its still debated whether Musashi fought in the Sekigahara battle, or in Ishigakihara battle.[23] Japanese history novelist Kengo Tominaga proposed a theory that Musashi during theSekigahara Campaign did not fight in the main battle of Sekigahara, but instead he fought underKuroda Yoshitaka againstIshida Mitsunari loyalists from the western provinces in the battle of Ishigakihara,Ōita Prefecture.[23]
In December 1608, It was reported that Musashi met with Mizuno Katsunari, a Tokugawa general. Musashi taught Katsunari the secret techniques of his sword style.[24]
Sasaki Kojiro, right, engages Miyamoto Musashi on the shores of Ganryū Island.
Musashi dueledSasaki Kojiro, another skilled swordsman, in one of his most famous battles. While there are differing opinions on how it happened, the prevailing notion is that Musashi challenged Kojiro, requesting Hosokawa Tadaoki to organise the time and place.[10] Kojiro agreed to the challenge, scheduled one year later, on 13 April, at Ganryūjima Island. When the date arrived, the island was filled with spectators anxious to witness the duel.
Musashi, it is said, deliberately arrived late. Kojirō had lost his patience while waiting, and he taunted Musashi for his late arrival, though the latter remained composed.[25][26] Kojirō was known for fighting with anodachi, a sword with a long blade.[25][26] During his journey to the island by boat, Musashi had carved anoar into abokken, or wooden practice sword. The duel ended when Musashi quickly and fatally struck Kojirō, crushing his skull with a vertical stroke.[25]
In 1614, during theSiege of Osaka, it was believed that Musashi participated in the Tokugawa army under the command of Musashi's personal friend,Mizuno Katsushige or also known as Katsunari. Musashi was reportedly carrying the banner of Katsunari,[27] and also acted as bodyguard of Mizuno Katsutoshi, son of Katsunari.[28] It was said in a later era, during the Shimabara Rebellion, that Musashi once told a commander of the Tokugawa army that he had served under Mizuno Katsunari's command during the Osaka siege and knew the military system very well.[29]Miyamoto Mikinosuke, the adopted son of Musashi, also served under Katsunari during this battle.[15]: 95, Introduction According to theSekisui zatsuwa, Mikinosuke was also Musashi's paternal relative through his father, Nakagawa Shimanosuke, who was also a vassal of Katsunari.[30] The attendance of Musashi in this conflict under the Mizuno clan also attested by contemporary Oba clan record documents. A document titledMunekyu-sama Godeko (a collection of Katsunari's words and actions after his retirement) also mentions Mikinosuke.[31]
In 1633, Musashi began staying withHosokawa Tadatoshi,daimyō ofKumamoto Castle, who had moved to theKumamoto fief and Kokura, to train and paint.[32] While he engaged in very few duels during this period, one occurred in 1634 at the arrangement of Lord Ogasawara, in which Musashi defeated a lance specialist namedTakada Matabei. Musashi officially became the retainer of the Hosokawa lords of Kumamoto in 1640. TheNiten Ki records "[he] received from Lord Tadatoshi: 17 retainers, a stipend of 300koku, the rank ofōkumigashira 大組頭, and Chiba Castle in Kumamoto as his residence."[33]
In 1638, Musashi allegedly participated in the suppression ofShimabara Rebellion. In the journalMunekyu (Katsunari)-sama, a collection of statements made by Katsunari Mizuno after his retirement in 1639, there is a story about Mizuno's army during the Shimabara Rebellion: a man named Miyamoto Musashi entered the camp of general Ogasawara Nagatsugu, and Musashi said, "Last time (at Siege of Osaka), (Mizuno Katsunari) Hyuga-no-Kamidono's clan had this, and I knew the military system very well."[29] Musashi continued, "He is a great general that no one can match."[35]
In the second month of 1641, Musashi wrote a work called theHyoho Sanju Go ("Thirty-five Instructions on Strategy") forHosokawa Tadatoshi. This work overlapped and formed the basis for the laterThe Book of Five Rings. This was the year that his adopted son,Hirao Yoemon, became Master of Arms for the Owari fief. In 1642, Musashi suffered attacks ofneuralgia, foreshadowing his future ill-health.
In 1643, he retired to a cave,Reigandō, living as a hermit to writeThe Book of Five Rings. He finished it in the second month of 1645. On the twelfth of the fifth month, sensing his impending death, he bequeathed his worldly possessions, after giving his manuscript to the younger brother of Terao Magonojo, his closest disciple. Musashi died in Reigandō cave around 13 June 1645 ("Shōhō 2, 19th day of the 5th month"). Allegedly, his death resulted from lung cancer.[36] According toHyoho senshi denki (Anecdotes About the Deceased Master):
At the moment of his death, he had himself raised up. He had his belt tightened and his wakizashi put in it. He seated himself with one knee vertically raised, holding the sword with his left hand and a cane in his right hand. He died in this posture, at the age of sixty-two. The principal vassals of Lord Hosokawa and the other officers gathered, and they painstakingly carried out the ceremony. Then they set up a tomb on Mount Iwato on the order of the lord.[15]: 131
Believed to have fought in theBattle of Sekigahara (21 October) as part of the Western army. However, recent researches has suggested he was on the Eastern army along with his father. Whether he actually participated in the battle is currently in doubt.
1604
19–20
Musashi has three matches with the Yoshioka clan inKyoto. (1) Match with Yoshioka Seijuro inYamashiro Province, outside the city at Rendai Moor (west of Mt. Funaoka,Kita-ku, Kyoto). (2) Match with Yoshioka Denshichiro outside the city. (3) Match with Yoshioka Matashichiro outside the city at the pine ofIchijō-ji.
VisitsKōfuku-ji,Nara and ends up dueling with Okuzōin Dōei, the Buddhist priest trained in the style ofHōzōin-ryū.[37]
1605–1612
20–28
Begins to travel again.
1607
22–23
Munisai (Musashi's father) passes his teachings onto Musashi.
Serves a major role in theShimabara Rebellion (17 December 1637 – 15 April 1638) and is the only documented evidence that Musashi served in battle. Was knocked off his horse by a rock thrown by one of the peasants.
It was said that Musashi practised the way of the warrior and warfare strategy, which entailed the mastery of many art forms beyond that of the sword, such as tea ceremony (sadō), labouring, writing, and painting, all of which Musashi pursued throughout his life.[38]
This predominant cultural view of Musashi is somewhat contradicted by old texts such asDobo goen (1720), which relay his intimacy with the courtesan Kumoi in his middle age.[39] TheBushu Denraiki details Musashi fathering a daughter by a courtesan. The daughter is said to have died young which caused him great grief. It is uncertain if this courtesan and Kumoi were the same person.[citation needed] A rumour also connected Musashi with theoiranYoshino Tayu [Ja].[40]
Musashi created and refined a two-swordkenjutsu technique calledniten'ichi (二天一, "two heavens as one") ornitōichi (二刀一, "two swords as one") orNiten Ichi-ryū[d] In this technique, the swordsman usesboth a large sword, and a "companion sword" at the same time—akatana with awakizashi.[41]
The two-handed movements of temple drummers may have inspired him, although it could be that the technique was forged through Musashi's combat experience.Jitte techniques were taught to him by his father—thejitte was often used in battle paired with a sword; thejitte would parry and neutralise the weapon of the enemy while the sword struck or the practitioner grappled with the enemy. Today Musashi's style of swordsmanship is known asHyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū.[42]
Musashi was also an expert in throwing weapons. He frequently threw his short sword and instructed others at throwingshuriken.[15]: 38 Kenji Tokitsu believes that shuriken methods for the wakizashi were the Niten Ichi Ryu's secret techniques.[citation needed]
Within the book, Musashi mentions that the use of two swords within strategy is equally beneficial to those who use the skill for individual duels or large engagements. The idea of using two hands for a sword is an idea that Musashi opposes because there is no fluidity in movement with two hands: "If you hold a sword with both hands, it is difficult to wield it freely to left and right, so my method is to carry the sword in one hand." He also disagrees with the idea of using a sword with two hands on a horse and/or riding on unstable terrain, such as muddy swamps, rice fields, or within crowds of people.
To learn the strategy of Ni-Ten Ichi Ryū, Musashi asserts that by training with two long swords, one in each hand, one will be able to overcome the cumbersome nature of using a sword in both hands. Although it is difficult, Musashi agrees that there are times in which the long sword must be used with two hands, but one skilful enough should not need it.
After using two long swords proficiently enough, mastery of a long sword, and a "companion sword", most likely a wakizashi, will be much increased: "When you become used to wielding the long sword, you will gain the power of the Way and wield the sword well."
In short, it could be seen, from the excerpts fromThe Book of Five Rings, that real strategy behind Ni-Ten No Ichi Ryu, is that there is no real iron-clad method, path, or type of weaponry specific to the style of Ni-Ten No Ichi Ryu:
You can win with a long weapon, and yet you can also win with a short weapon. In short, the Way of the Ichi school is the spirit of winning, whatever the weapon and whatever its size.
Even from an early age, Musashi separated his religion from his involvement in swordsmanship. Excerpts such as the one below, fromThe Book of Five Rings, demonstrate a philosophy that is thought to have stayed with him throughout his life:
There are many ways:Confucianism,Buddhism, the ways of elegance, rice-planting, or dance; these things are not to be found in the way of the warrior.[6]: 57
However, the belief that Musashi dislikedShinto the religion is inaccurate, as he criticises the similarly wordedShintō-ryū style of swordsmanship, which is not the religion. In Musashi'sDokkōdō, his stance on religion is further elucidated: "RespectBuddha and the gods without counting on their help."[43]
In his later years, Musashi said in hisThe Book of Five Rings: "When I apply the principle of strategy to the ways of different arts and crafts, I no longer have need for a teacher in any domain." He proved this by creating recognised masterpieces ofcalligraphy and classicink painting. His paintings are characterised bysumi-e, skilled use ofink washes and an economy of brush stroke. He especially mastered the "broken ink" school of landscapes, applying it to other subjects, such as hisKobokumeikakuzu (Shrike Perched on a Withered Branch;[e][44] part of atriptych whose other two members wereHotei Walking andSparrow on Bamboo), hisHotei Watching a Cockfight, and hisRozanzu (Wild Geese Among Reeds, 魯山図).[45]The Book of Five Rings advocates involvement in calligraphy and other arts as a means of training in the art of war.[46]
Bird on Branch, by Miyamoto MusashiHotei Watching a Cockfight, by Miyamoto Musashi
On 20 May 2000, at the initiative of Sensei Tadashi Chihara[48] theMiyamoto Musashi Budokan[49] was inaugurated.[2] It was built inŌhara-Cho in theprovince of Mimasaka, the birthplace of thesamurai. Inside the building, the life and journey of Miyamoto Musashi are remembered everywhere. Dedicated to martial arts, the Budokan is the source for all of Japan's official traditional sabre andkendo schools. Practically, historically and culturally it is a junction for martial disciplines in the heart of traditional Japan dedicated to Musashi.
The inauguration of the Miyamoto Musashi Budokan perpetuated the twinning established on 4 March 1999, between the inhabitants of Ōhara-Chō (Japanese province of Mimasaka) and the inhabitants ofGleizé. It was formalised in the presence of Sensei Tadashi Chihara, guarantor and tenth in the lineage of Miyamoto Musashi carrying a mandate from the mayor of Ōhara-Chō, and in the presence of the mayor of GleizéÉlisabeth Lamure.[50][51] This event was extended during the mandate of the new mayor of Ōhara-Chō Fukuda Yoshiaki, by official invitation from Japan and the consequent visit of the mayor of Gleizé for the inauguration of the Miyamoto Musashi Budokan on 10 May 2000, in the presence of personalities and Japanese authorities.
In Musashi's time, there were fictional texts resembling comic books[citation needed] and it is difficult to separate fact from fiction when discussing his life. There have been numerous later works of fiction made about or featuring Musashi, including novels, manga, film, anime, and video games.
Eiji Yoshikawa's novelMusashi (originally a 1930s daily newspaper serial) has greatly influenced successive fictional depictions and is often mistaken for a factual account of Musashi's life.
Miyamoto Musashi in his prime, wielding two bokken (wooden quarterstaves)
Miyamoto Musashi, by Yoshitaki Tsunejiro, 1855
Miyamoto Musashi slashing a Tengu, by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, 8/1865
"Miyamoto Musashi on the banks of the Isagawa in Kawachi Province meets a remarkable man who shows him a magnifying glass", from a series Thirty-six Famous Battles byUtagawa Kuniyoshi, 1847
Miyamoto Musashi (centre), surrounded by smoke, bursting out of the bath-house, to the consternation of Shirakura Gengoemon (left), his wife, and his followers, who had intended to boil him alive there, by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, mid 19th century
Miyamoto Musashi stepping on the head of a crocodile-like creature (Yamazame), by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, 1843
"The swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, armed with two wooden swords, sparring with the old master Tsukahara Bokuden, who defends himself using two wooden pot-lids" by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, c. 1845-46
“Miyamoto Musashi (centre) armed with a broken beam by a mill-stream, when attacked by Shirakura Dengoemon (left) and his men, who tried to boil him alive” by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, 1846
“Miyamoto Musashi suspended over a chasm in a primitive cable car, raises his sword to strike an enormous bat” by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, 1852
^abTokitsu, Kenji (1998).Miyamoto Musashi : maître de sabre japonais du XVIIe siècle : l'homme et l'œuvre, mythe et réalité [Miyamoto Musashi: 17th century Japanese saber master: man and work, myth and reality] (in French). Editions désiris. pp. 19, 20.ISBN978-2907653541.OCLC41259596.
^Musashi, Miyamoto (2018).Complete Musashi : the Definitive Translations of the Complete Writings of Miyamoto Musashi – Japan's Greatest Samurai. Alexander Bennett. La Vergne: Tuttle Publishing.ISBN978-1-4629-2027-3.OCLC1076236783.
^Musashi, Miyamoto (2006). Rosemary Brant (ed.).The Book of Five Rings: the classic text of Samurai sword strategy. Translated by Ashikaga Yoshiharu (2006 ed.). New York: Barnes & Noble.ISBN978-0-7607-8457-0.
^Musashi, Miyamoto.A Book of Five Rings. Translated by Victor Harris. Woodstock, New York: The Overlook Press (1974 ed.). London:Allison & Busby.
^Tosakushi [The Registry of the Sakushu Region] (in Japanese).
^Orpianesi, Jorge (2022).Along the Samurai's Route. Editorial Autores de Argentina. p. 47.ISBN9789878720210., quotingTanji Hokin Hikki. Japan. 1727.
^abcdTokitsu, Kenji (2006).Miyamoto Musashi: His Life and Writings. Shambhala Publications.ISBN9780834824881.
^abTakashi Uozumi (19 December 2008),宮本武蔵―「兵法の道」を生きる― [Miyamoto Musashi: Living the Way of Military Art], 岩波新書, 岩波書店, pp. 31–32,ISBN978-4-00-431167-6
^abRyuji Okura (10 February 2015).宮本武蔵 [Miyamoto Musashi]. 人物叢書279. 吉川弘文館. pp. 34–37.ISBN978-4-642-05272-6.
^abcDaimon, Watanabe (2023)."牢人・宮本武蔵の関ヶ原合戦事情…東軍西軍のどちらに属し、主君は存在したのか" [Prisoner Miyamoto Musashi's Battle of Sekigahara...Which side did he belong to, East or West, and did he have a master?].sengoku-his.com (in Japanese). Retrieved26 May 2024.Yumekashi Harada,The True Story of Miyamoto Musashi (Ashi Shobo, 1984); Masahide FukudaMiyamoto Musashi's Summer Siege (Rekishi Kenkyu No. 400, 1994); Masahide Fukuda,Proof of Musashi's Sekigahara Eastern Army (Miyamoto Musashi Research Paper Collection, Rekiken, 2003); Eiji Yoshikawa,Miyamoto Musashi, 6 volumes (Dainippon Yubenkai Kodansha, 1936–39)
^Daimon, Watanabe."宮本武蔵に関する史料は、なぜ極端に少ないのか。その理由を考える" [Why are there so few historical documents about Miyamoto Musashi? Consider the reasons].yahoo.co.jp/expert (in Japanese). 渡邊大門 無断転載を禁じます。 LY Corporation. Retrieved2 June 2024.
^abTominaga, Kengo (1972).忠実宮本武蔵 [Faithful Miyamoto Musashi] (in Japanese). Baiquan Study. p. 29. Retrieved10 June 2024.
^"獨行道" [Lonely Road].kumamoto.jp (in Japanese). Kumamoto Prefectural Government. 12 September 2003. Archived fromthe original on 18 December 2008. Retrieved16 April 2025.
^"枯木鳴鵙図" [Shrike Perched in a Dead Tree].ikm-art.jp (in Japanese). デジタルミュージアム. Retrieved12 March 2025.
Iwami Toshio Harukatsu soke (11th successor to Miyamoto Musashi), "Musashi's principles"Archived 20 July 2011 at theWayback Machine,Dragon n°13, January 2006, ed. Mathis; French original text:Les principes de MusashiArchived 20 July 2011 at theWayback Machine
Go Rin No Sho (The Book of Five Rings) Translated into English by Victor Harris asA Book of Five Rings, London:Allison & Busby, 1974; Woodstock, New York: The Overlook Press.
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