The Flute of Ushiwaka 1. The historical Yoshitsune
Genpei War An English-language site of the Takamatsu Historical Museum, devoted to the war. Includes information on Minamoto no Yoritomo (Yoshitsune's elder brother), who may be called the first Shogun or military ruler of Japan); on Minamoto no Yoshitsune and the battles he fought in his brother's name against the Taira or Heike clan. Note: the Japanese are fond of using both Japanese and Chinese pronunciations for the characters representing a Japanese name; thus the Minamoto clan can also be referred to as a Genji clan, and the Taira as Heike.
Tale of the Heike (Heike Monogatari)--review of the translation by Helen McCullough (not online) **
Here is a page with the Japanese and an English translation and commentary on the opening lines.
Yoshitsune (Gikeiki) --review of the translation by Helen McCullough (not online) **
Gikeiki at the Kyoto University Library. This is an 8-volume 17th-century woodblock printed book, entirely online. You can select a volume, page through it, and click to enlarge the illustrations.
Artelino is a German site selling art which has hefty articles on various Japanese themes, illustrated with woodblock prints. These include: Tale (or Tales) of the Heike, Battle of Dan-no-ura, and Benkei.2. The legendary Yoshitsune (aka Ushiwaka)
Enjoying Otogi Zoshi at the Kyoto University Library--an English introduction to these illustrated storybooks which were probably the first format in which the Yoshitsune legend took shape, 700-800 years ago. You can read the Eboshi-ori zoshi ("How Ushiwaka got a man's hat and a name, and slew the robbers") in English , then click on the little link at the top to page through larger reproductions of this 2-volume book (that's why there are 2 Japanese links on the page) with its Japanese text.
A scholarly discussion of what constitutes a Zoshi or Soushi (alternate spelling)While Yoshitsune, Benkei, and the other characters of his drama were always popular, some of the most striking images come from the 19th century, when Japanese culture had to examine itself carefully under the pressure of confrontation with Western culture.
Yoshitsune risks his life in battle to recover his bow by Katsukawa Shunei, ca. 1790
Yoshitsune at the battle of Dannoura by Yoshitoshi (1888). In some stories he is said to have been able to run from ship to ship.
Arts and Designs of Japan: an 1881 woodblock print by Yoshitoshi of Benkei's fight on the bridgewith Ushiwaka.
Arts and Designs of Japan: an 1864 woodblock print by Yoshiku of Ushiwaka's education among the Tengu trolls.
An English-language site explaining Tengu, with pictures
IGS Art Gallery shows a wonderful print by Totoya Hokkei (1780 - 1850) of Benkei and Ushiwaka playing the board game Go.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: search on "Benkei" for scrolls, sword fittings, and tobacco paraphernalia (netsuke, inro, pouch), as well as postcards of satirical images.
Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco Image Database: search on "Ushiwakamaru" for a print of a legend of the boy's education (this time he is reading a scroll belonging to a warrior, but the warrior sure looks like a Tengu), and on "Benkei" and "Yoshitsune" for more woodblock print images.3. Theatrical representations of Yoshitsune.
Noh theater (No, Nou, O-No)
Artelino article on Noh
Noh theater (a Japanese site): Hashi-Benkei, with a child in the role of Ushiwaka
Funa-Benkei, in which Benkei must pray to ward off the spirits of drowned Taira warriors
A different Noh theater site (in Japanese): Kumasaka, the story of how young Ushiwaka slew a robber
Kurama- Tengu, how Ushiwaka was trained by the Tengu goblins in the mountains of Kurama; picture #2, of the child actor playing Ushiwaka
Hashi-Benkei --Benkei waiting on the bridge for passers-by from whom he can take weapons;
Funa-Benkei --the spirit of a dead Taira warrior, threatening Benkei and Yoshitsune as they try to escape to safety by boat
Another Funa-Benkei image, of Shikozu dancing on the beach as Yoshitsune sails away (I think).
A French site on Japanese cultural events includes information (in French) on the Kano troupe and a striking image of their performance of Funa-Benkei
Prints by the artist Tsukioka Kogyo (1860-1927) of Noh Plays. In a period of rapid Westernization, Kogyo took it upon himself to use the tradtional woodblock medium to record the traditional Noh plays. He made hundreds of prints showing costumes, poses, and the spiritual impact of these dramas.
Kurama Tengu, Ushiwaka and the Tengu troll or goblin who teaches him how to fight.
Kumasaka or Eboshiori, Ushiwaka and the terrible robber whom he slew in his first exploit (Scroll down to #54 and enlarge)
Ataka, the Noh dramatization of Benkei and Yoshitsune's fugitive days
Hashi-Benkei or the battle of Benkei and Ushiwaka on the bridge (I think!)
Doll theater: festival carts and Joruri puppet theater (Bunraku):
The art of making beautiful, striking, large figures, like clothed statues, and later like clothed puppets which could perform either thanks to a mechanism or to manipulation by a team of puppeteers, had developed by 1600 in Japan. These figures decorated carts or "floats" in parades on religious festivals, but also developed forms of mechanical theater and eventually the Bunraku puppet.
Artelino article on Bunraku
2004 Gion Festival carts or floats (#25 is the Hashi-Benkei story)
Karakuri in Nagoya shows a mechanical Hashi-Benkei scene, originally probably on a cart, that can be viewed in a museum.
Tonda Bunraku Puppet Troupe including a scene from Hashi-Benkei.
Bunraku Bay Japanese puppet theater in America!Kabuki theater
Kabuki was a popular theater form, and was actually to some extent based on Bunraku theater. In the 17th century Kabuki took over many Bunraku plays, including some about Yoshitsune. While Noh and Bunraku and festival puppets continued to be important, Kabuki with its powerful actors dominated the woodblock artists' choice of subject matter. Therefore we have many brilliant illustrations from the period 1700-1850 (and beyond) of actors in various roles.
Artelino article on Kabuki
Utagawa Kunisada, 1857 Yoshitsune and the 1000 Cherry Trees, a play originall written for Bunraku puppets bu here played by actors (both men) playing Shikuza Gozen, Yoshitsune's beloved dancer, and his trusty friend Tadonobu (who in this play tends to be shape-shifting as a fox).
Kuniyoshi, . 1843 shows Benkei blowing a conch with Yoshitsune and a woman (probably Shikuza). This may represent the attack on Yoshitsune in the Horikawa mansion in Kyoto.
Kuniyoshi, 1844, Benkei, Sikuza, and Yoshitsune during the night attack on the Horikawa mansion
Yoshitoshi, 1890, The actor Ichikawa Danjuro IX as Musashibo Benkei in the kabuki play Kanjincho ('The subscription record')
Tadamasa Ueno (1904-1970): scene from Kanjincho (same as Noh Ataka), with Benkei protecting Yoshitsune by "reading" from a blank scroll.
4. More recent versions of the story.
Statues of Benkei, Yoshitsune, and the barrier guardian at Komatsu city: Ataka town Ishikawa prefecture
Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail, Akira Kurosawa's 1945 film of the Ataka/Kanjincho incident
Cartoon version of Benkei and Ushiwakamaru
TV series Yoshitsune (scroll down)
Banpresto video game Yoshitsune Ki (2005)
From Software video game Yoshitsune Eiyuuden: The Story of Hero Yoshitsune
