The Lone Samurai

by William Scott Wilson

  Shioda Hamanosuke: Accomplished practitioner of the staff and of take-down techniques and a retainer of the Hosokawa clan. Defeated by Musashi in 1640. He became Musashi’s disciple and Musashi incorporated Hamanosuke’s techniques into his own style.

  Shishido: Master of the sickle and chain. Defeated and killed by Musashi in Iga Province in 1607.

  shugyosha (修業者 or 修行者): A swordsman in training who traveled the country, making his own way without money or steady employment. Exposed to heat and cold, he suffered various hardships as he disciplined himself in his art. Not a few died or were maimed in matches with other shugyosha, as they tested their own strength and technique. See also ronin.

  Shunzan: Young Zen Buddhist priest in Kumamoto with whom Musashi sat in Zen meditation.

  shuriken (手裏剣): Weapons thrown by hand. They had varying shapes: some were shaped like knives with blades on both ends, others like stars with four or five points.

  suibokuga (水墨画): Monochromatic paintings, executed with various shades of India ink wash on silk or Japanese paper.

  Sun Tzu: The fifth- or sixth-century B.C.E. Chinese author of the book by the same name, often given the English title The Art of War. This book is the first and most respected Chinese work on strategical and tactical doctrines of war, and was read by generals and warriors in both China and Japan. It emphasizes the idea that victory in combat is based on deception and flexibility.

  tachi (太刀): A Japanese sword worn hung from a belt with the sharp edge facing up. The length varied, but it was generally longer than the katana, and with a more dramatic curve.

  tairo (大老): The five highest ranking ministers, usually daimyo of great status. As he lay dying, Toyotomi Hideyoshi selected the tairo to act as regents until his young son was old enough to rule. One of these was Tokugawa Ieyasu, who betrayed this trust very quickly after Hideyoshi passed away. This eventually led to the Battle of Sekigahara and the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate.

  Taisha-ryu (タイ捨流): A style of swordsmanship founded by Marume Kurandono-suke in the latter part of the sixteenth century. There are a number of ways of writing Taisha, but the sha is generally written with the Chinese character for “throw away” or “abandon,” and this is taken to mean the throwing away of fear or doubt. Part of this school’s training consisted of cutting down, with abandon, one straw-wrapped pole after another, thus ridding the practitioner of hesitation. This style was popular in Kyushu during Musashi’s time.

  Takada Mataemon: Skilled practitioner of the Hozoin style of spear technique. Defeated by Musashi in a match arranged by Ogasawara Tadazane in Kokura in 1634.

  Takuan Soho: 1573–1645. Zen priest famous for his calligraphy, poetry, and other writings, and for the invention of the takuan pickle. Wrote The Unfettered Mind, a treatise on the relationship between swordsmanship and Zen.

  Terao Kumanosuke Nobuyuki: Terao Katsunobu’s younger brother and one of Musashi’s favorite disciples. He received The Thirty-five Articles on the Martial Arts upon Musashi’s death.

  Terao Magonojo Katsunobu: Musashi’s favorite disciple and the recipient of The Book of Five Rings upon Musashi’s death.

  Thirty-five Articles of the Martial Arts, The (Heiho Sanjugokajo; 兵法三十五ヵ条): The summation of the Niten Ichi-ryu that Musashi wrote for Hosokawa Tadatoshi. Now considered to be the prototype for The Book of Five Rings.

  Toda Seigen: Master swordsman of the sixteenth century who specialized in the short sword. Said to have been the teacher of Sasaki Kojiro.

  Toda-ryu (戸田流, 富田流). A style of swordsmanship founded by Toda Seigen and his younger brother, Kagemasa. Seigen disciplined himself in using shorter and shorter swords, and was said to have employed Sasaki Kojiro—who used a long sword—as his sparring partner. Seigen based this style on the Chujo-ryu, and emphasized timing and the distance (“interval”) between opponents. He hoped to develop a No-Sword style, but was afflicted by failing eyesight in his later years.

  Tokugawa Ieyasu: 1542–1616. Final unifier of Japan. Took control of the country after the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and established the Tokugawa shogunate.

  Tokugawa shogunate (1603–1868): Founded by the daimyo Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542–1616), and ruled Japan from Edo (Tokyo). The last and longest of the shogunates, remarkable for its relatively lasting governmental stability.

  Tomita-ryu. See Toda-ryu.

  Tori-ryu (当理流): The swordsmanship style developed by Musashi’s father, Shinmen Munisai. It teaches the use of the sword, armor, and the jitte.

  Toyotomi Hideyoshi: 1542–98. One of the unifiers of Japan in the sixteenth century. Rose from peasant status to the very high rank of taiko, and as such was the supreme ruler of the country.

  tsubame-gaeshi (燕返し): Technique used by Sasaki Kojiro, and possibly developed by Toda Seigen. Its method is not clear, but it seems that the practitioner would bring his sword down from a jodan position and, before the stroke reached its nadir, swing the weapon back up, cutting the opponent from beneath. Said to be named after a similar motion in the flight of the swallow.

  Tsujikaze Tenma: Strong swordsman defeated by Musashi in Edo in 1610. As he attacked Musashi, he fell from the veranda, hit his back, and died.

  Tsukahara Bokuden: 1489–1571. Master swordsman of the sixteenth century.

  tsumeru (詰める): The ability to pull one’s strike with the sword, just before or just at contact.

  Two-Sword Style: See Niten Ichi-ryu.

  Ujii Yashiro: Hosokawa Tadatoshi’s instructor of the Yagyu style of swordsmanship. Had a secret demonstration bout with Musashi for Tadatoshi in 1640. The results were to be kept secret, but, afterward, Tadatoshi abandoned the Yagyu style and began to study Niten Ichi-ryu.

  Ukita Hideie: 1573–1655. Daimyo in Bizen. Defeated with the Toyotomi troops at Sekigahara. Musashi is thought to have fought under his command at that battle.

  Unfettered Mind, The (Fudochishinmyoroku; 不動智神妙録): Book relating Zen to the art of swordsmanship, written by the priest Takuan around 1832 for Yagyu Munenori.

  wakizashi (脇差): The shorter companion sword to the katana worn only by members of the warrior class.

  “Way of Walking Alone, The” (Dokko-do or Dokko no michi; 独行道): A short manuscript expounding the heart of Musashi’s philosophy. Written on 12 May 1645, just a week before Musashi passed away, it consists of twenty-one short maxims.

  Wisdom Sutras. Said to distill transcendental wisdom of Emptiness down to a few hundred Chinese characters, it is chanted everyday by millions of Buddhists, both priests and laymen.

  Yagyu Hyogonosuke Toshiyoshi: 1577–1650. Grandson of Yagyu Sekishusai. Established the Owari branch of the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu, instructing the Tokugawa line in swordsmanship at Nagoya Castle. Met Musashi in Owari in 1628.

  Yagyu Munenori: 1571–1646. Son of Yagyu Sekishusai. Established the Edo school of the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu. Was the official sword instructor to three consecutive Tokugawa shoguns, and wrote the famous sword manual, The Life-Giving Sword.

  Yagyu Muneyoshi Sekishusai: 1529–1606. Already a famous swordsman, he studied under the legendary Kamiizumi Ise no Kami Hidetsuna and established the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu.

  Yorozuya Kinnosuke. See Nakamura Kinnosuke.

  Yoshikawa Eiji: 1892–1962. Wrote the highly popular serial novel Miyamoto Musashi (serialized from 1935 through 1939 in the Asahi newspaper), interpreting Musashi as a “seeker of the Way.” His novel has heavily influenced cinematic and television treatments of Musashi. The novel remains in print to this day.

  Yoshiko: Hirata Munisai’s second wife, and most likely Musashi’s mother.

  Yoshioka Denshichiro: Younger brother and successor to Yoshioka Seijuro. Was defeated and killed by Musashi in a match outside Kyoto temple in 1604.

  Yoshioka Kenpo (Naomoto): A textile dyer in Kyoto who originated the Yoshioka style of swordsmanship. He became sword instructor to the twelfth Ashikaga shogun Yoshiharu, establishing a generational
teacher-student relationship between the Yoshioka family and the Ashikaga clan.

  Yoshioka Matashichiro: Nephew to Yoshioka Seijuro and titular head of the Yoshioka school after the death of Denshichiro. Killed in Musashi’s “battle” with the Yoshioka disciples near the Spreading Pine at Ichijoji in 1604.

  Yoshioka Seijuro: Master swordsman and head of the Yoshioka family and school during Musashi’s time. He was defeated and maimed by Musashi in a match at the Rendai Moor in 1604, and afterward became a priest.

  BIBLIOGRAPHY

  Works in English

  Awakawa, Yasuichi. Zen Painting. Tokyo: Kodansha International Ltd., 1970.

  Ch’uang T’zu. The Complete Works of Ch’uang T’zu. Translated by Burton Watson. New York: Columbia University Press, 1968.

  Compton, Dr. Walter A., et al. Nippon-to: Art Swords of Japan. Tokyo: Japan Society, Inc., 1976.

  Dening, Walter. Japan in Days of Yore: The Life of Miyamoto Musashi. London: Griffith, Farran, & Co., 1887. Reprint, London: Fine Books Ltd., 1976.

  Fischer, Felice. The Arts of Hon’ami Koetsu, Japanese Renaissance Master. Philadelphia: Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2000.

  Friday, Karl F., with Humitake Seki. Legacies of the Sword: The Kashima-Shinryu and Samurai Martial Culture. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1997.

  Hakeda, Yoshito. Kukai: Major Works. New York: Columbia University Press, 1972.

  Kiyota, Minoru. The Shambhala Guide to Kendo: Its Philosophy, History and Spiritual Dimension. Boston: Shambhala, 2002.

  Kapp, Leon, Hiroko Kapp, and Yoshihara Yoshindo. The Craft of the Japanese Sword. Tokyo: Kodansha International Ltd., 1987.

  Leach, Bernard. Kenzan and His Tradition. New York: Transatlantic Arts, 1967.

  Lowry, Dave. Bokken: The Art of the Japanese Sword. Santa Clarita, California: Ohara Publications, 1986.

  Lubarsky, Jared. Noble Heritage: Five Centuries of Portraits from the Hosokawa Family. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, 1992.

  Miyamoto Musashi. The Book of Five Rings. Translated by William Scott Wilson. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2012.

  Nagayama, Kokan. The Connoisseur’s Book of Japanese Swords. Tokyo: Kodansha International Ltd., 1997.

  Nitobe, Inazo. Bushido: The Soul of Japan. Tokyo: Kodansha International Ltd., 2002.

  Reps, Paul. Zen Flesh, Zen Bones. Rutland, Charles E. Tuttle, 1967.

  Richie, Donald. A Hundred Years of Japanese Film. Tokyo: Kodansha International Ltd., 2002.

  Sansom, George. A History of Japan, 1615–1867. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1963.

  Skoss, Diane, ed. Koryu Bujutsu: Classical Warrior Traditions of Japan. Berkeley Heights, New Jersey: Koryu Books, 1997.

  Sonobe, Koichiro. A Field Guide to the Birds of Japan. Tokyo: Kodansha International Ltd., 1982.

  Sugawara, Makoto. Lives of the Master Swordsmen. Tokyo: The East Publications, 1985.

  Takuan Soho. The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman. Translated by William Scott Wilson. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2012.

  Tanaka, Fumon. Samurai Fighting Arts: The Spirit and Practice. Tokyo: Kodansha International Ltd., 2003.

  Toganoo, Shozui Makoto. “The Symbol-System of Shingon Buddhism.” In Mikkyo Bunka, Vol. 102, March 1973, 61–84.

  Wilson, William Scott. Ideals of the Samurai: Writings of Japanese Warriors. Burbank, California: Ohara Publications, Inc., 1982.

  Yagyu, Munenori. The Life-Giving Sword: Secret Teachings from the House of the Shogun. Translated by William Scott Wilson. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2012.

  Yamamoto, Tsunetomo. Hagakure. Translated by William Scott Wilson. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2012.

  Yamasaki, Taiko. Shingon: Japanese Esoteric Buddhism. Fresno, California: Shingon Buddhist International Institute, 1988.

  Yoshikawa, Eiji. Musashi. Translated by Charles S. Terry. Tokyo: Kodansha International Ltd., 1981.

  Yoshimura, Akira. Battleship Musashi: The Making and Sinking of the World’s Biggest Battleship. Tokyo: Kodansha International Ltd., 1991.

  Yumoto, John M. The Samurai Sword: A Handbook. Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle, 1958.

  Works in Japanese

  Dogen. Shobogenzo. Vol. 1. Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1990.

  Domon, Fuyuji. Miyamoto Musashi no Jinseikun. Tokyo: PHP, 2000.

  Futamaru, Nobuaki, ed. Rekishi Gunzo shirizu. Vol. 63, Miyamoto Musashi. Tokyo: Gakken, 2000.

  Ichikawa, Kakuji. Miyamoto Musashi: Niten Ichi-ryu no ken to Gorin no sho. Tokyo: Tsuchiya Shoten, 1985.

  Inoue, Takehiko. Bagabondo. 20 vols. Tokyo: Kodansha, 1999–2004.

  Isami, Tomoyuki. Yume-oi no ken. Kumamoto: Mogura Shobo, 2002.

  Kaku, Kozo. Miyamoto Musashi jiten. Tokyo: Tokyo-do Shuppan, 2001.

  Kawaguchi, Hisao. Wakanroeishu. Tokyo: Kodansha, 1982.

  Kawamura, Akira. Miyamoto Musashi: Monogatari to shiseki o tazunete. Tokyo: Seibido Shuppan, 1998.

  Kubo, Michio. Miyamoto Musashi to wa nanimono datta no ka. Tokyo: Shinchosha, 1998.

  Maruoka, Muneo, ed. Miyamoto Musashi meihin shusei. Tokyo: Kodansha, 1984.

  Miyamoto Musashi. Gorin no sho. Annotated by Nakamura Naokatsu. Tokyo Kodan sha, 1970.

  —Gorin no sho. Annotated by Watanabe Ichiro. Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1985.

  —Gorin no sho. Translated into modern Japanese by Kamata Shigeo. Tokyo: Kodansha, 1986.

  Naramoto, Tatsuya. Bushido no keifu. Tokyo: Chuokoronsha, 1973.

  Nishio, Minoru. Hojoki tsurezuregusa. Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1975.

  Okouchi, Shoji. Gorin no sho. Tokyo: Kyoikusha, 1992.

  Ozaki, Nobuo. Kojiki shinsaku. Tokyo: Kato Chudokan, 1959.

  Sagara, Toru, ed. Koyogunkan, Gorin no sho, Hagakure. Tokyo: Chikuma Shobo, 1972.

  Terayama, Tanchu. Miyamoto Musashi no ken to bi. Tokyo: Seishun Shuppansha, 2002.

  Tobe, Shinjuro. Zusetsu: Miyamoto Musashi. Tokyo: Kawade Shobo Shinsha. 2001.

  Watatani, Kiyoshi and Yamada Tadashi, eds. Bugei ryuha daijiten. Tokyo: Tokyo Kopii Shuppanbu, 1978.

  Yabushita, Hideki. Miyamoto Musashi densetsu. Tokyo: Hochosha, 2001.

  Yagyu, Munenori. Heiho kadensho. Annotated by Watanabe Ichiro. Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1985.

  Yamamoto Tsunetomo. Hagakure. Edited by Kurihara Arano. Kumamoto: Seichosha, 1975.

  Yoshida, Yutaka, ed. Budo hidensho. Tokyo: Tokuma Shoten, 1938.

  Yoshida, Yutaki. Buke no kakun. Tokyo: Tokuma Shoten, 1973.

  Yoshikawa, Eiji. Miyamoto Musashi. 8 vols. Tokyo: Kodansha, 1940.

  Works in English and Chinese

  Blyth, R. H. Zen and Zen Classics. Vol. 1, General Introduction: From the Upanishads to Huineng. Tokyo: Hokuseido Press, 1960.

  —Zen and Zen Classics. Vol. 4, Mumonkan. Tokyo: Hokuseido Press, 1966.

  Giles, Lionel. Sun Tzu on the Art of War. London: Luzac & Co., 1910.

  Red Pine. The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma. San Francisco: North Point Press, 1989.

  ALSO AVAILABLE FROM SHAMBHALA PUBLICATIONS

  The Book of Five Rings, by Miyamoto Musashi

  Along with The Art of War by Sun Tzu, The Book of Five Rings is widely considered to be one of the greatest masterpieces on the subtle arts of confrontation and victory to have ever emerged from Asia. Composed in 1643 by the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, The Book of Five Rings analyzes the process of struggle that underlies every level of human interaction and reveals the way to mastery over conflict. For Musashi, the way of the martial arts was not purely one of technical prowess, but first and foremost a mastery of the mind—and it is this path to mastery that shines at the core of Musashi’s teaching. William Scott Wilson’s landmark translation includes Musashi’s rarely published “The Way of Walking Alone,” an insightful introduction to Musashi’s historical context, and notes on ambiguities in the text.

  Cultivating Ch’i: A Samurai Physician’s Teachings on the Way of Health, by Kaibara Ekiken

  This acclaimed medical text from eighteenth-century Japan known as the Yoj
okun (“Lessons on Nurturing Life”) offers holistic health advice for living and long and satisfying life. Drawing from Chinese medical classics and the great philosophical traditions of East Asia, Kaibara Ekiken explains the essential principles of ch’i (vital cosmic energy) and jen (human-heartedness), and gives counsel on a wide variety of topics on medicine and healthy living for all ages, such as: diet, physical fitness, sex, mental health, and emotional well-being.

  Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai, by Yamamoto Tsunetomo

  Originally a secret text, Hagakure reveals the author’s view that bushido, the Way of the Samurai, is fundamentally the Way of death, a selfless approach to life that embraces death with courage and honor. Yet, the Way of death is also seen as a subtle concept resonant with the Zen idea of the death of the ego. William Scott Wilson’s all-new introduction gives the historical and philosophical background for the deeper, metaphorical reading of this samurai classic.

  The Life-Giving Sword: Secret Teachings from the House of the Shogun, by Yagyu Munenori

  Yagyu Munenori, the renowned seventeenth-century swordsman, presents essential teachings on Zen and the way of the sword. In The Life-Giving Sword, Munenori explores the art of No-Sword—the way to overcome opponents not with techniques of violence and cunning, but by means of spiritual preparedness and mental freedom. Through the art of No-Sword, Munenori teaches the way to win by giving life, rather than taking it.

  Master of the Three Ways: Reflections of a Chinese Sage on Living a Satisfying Life, by Hung Ying-ming

  Both witty and profound, Master of the Three Ways presents the teachings of seventeenth-century Chinese sage Hung Ying-ming on the essence of human nature and the way to live a simple yet satisfying life. Drawing on the wisdom of the “Three Ways”—Taoism, Confucianism, and Zen Buddhism—Hung Ying-ming shows an approach to everyday life that is artistic and poetic, delighting in the simple elegance and beauty of the ordinary.