Shinmen Munisai
Encyclopedia
, also called Hirata Munisai, was a martial artist, expert in using the sword and the jutte. He was also the father of the samurai named Miyamoto Musashi
. He was the son of Hirata Shōgen 平田将監, a vassal of Shinmen Iga no Kami, the lord of Takayama Castle
in the Yoshino district of Mimasaka Province. Munisai was relied upon by Lord Shinmen Sokan
,the head of the Shinmen clan
and so was allowed to use the Shinmen name. He was one of the few to have obtained the title of "Unrivaled Under The Sun", title offered to him by the Shogun Ashikaga.
became the Shogun, he started in Kyoto a comparison duel between Munisai, who was still called Hirata at the time, and the founder of the Yoshioka-ryū
school of sword-fighting: Yoshioka Kenpo (who was also the sword instructor of the Ashikaga). Kenpo won the first match, while Munisai won the other two. This event later started a feud between Munisai's son Miyamoto Musashi
and the following generation of the Yoshioka family. Munisai having won the match, the shogun gave him the title of "Unrivaled Under The Sun".
, Shinmen Sokan
, recruited Munisai as instructor of his troops. During these years at Sokan's services, Munisai married a woman named Yoshiko, who gave him two children: a girl, Ogin, and a boy, Takezo (who would later be known as Miyamoto Musashi
). More or less five years later, he divorced with Yoshiko, keeping custody of his children, forbidding Takezo to go and search for his mother.
In 1589, for unknown reasons, Sokan ordered Munisai to kill his student Honiden Gekinosuke. After this event, he started training Takezo in the ways of the sword and of the jutte, but it didn't last long since the inhabitants of Miyamoto
village, displeased with Gekinosuke's death, forced him to move away in the village of Kawakami.
He died in 1592, surely due to the amount of stress caused by the fact that many swordsmen wanted to claim his title afterwards.
Munisai was haunted by his title, was slowly becoming mad, and thought that just because it was written on a piece of paper, he really was unrivaled under the sun; he didn't know that even if he had won his duel against Kenpo, many people had forgotten him and remembered the head of the Yoshioka.
According to a legend that seems unfounded, Takezo would have laughed at his father's fencing and would have made him angry. So, one day in which Munisai was busy carving a toothpick he furiously threw the knife towards his son, who dodged it with his head. Even more furious, Munisai launched a second time his knife towards his son. But Musashi was able to dodge it again. Munisai chased Musashi away from his home, sending Musashi to live with an uncle of his, who had become a monk.
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...
. He was the son of Hirata Shōgen 平田将監, a vassal of Shinmen Iga no Kami, the lord of Takayama Castle
Takayama Castle
is a castle located in the city of Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. The castle was built on a mountain nearly in height and had many typical castle features, including a stone base, earthen walls and a surrounding moat. In spite of its defensive appearance, however, the castle was not built for...
in the Yoshino district of Mimasaka Province. Munisai was relied upon by Lord Shinmen Sokan
Shinmen Sokan
Shinmen Sokan was a Japanese lord, daimyo of the during the middle of the Sengoku period. Sokan was known as a rather petty daimyo in the mountainous regions of Sakushu, which was west of Kyoto. Even though this was so, the Shinmen clan had very good ties with that of the Hirata family, leading...
,the head of the Shinmen clan
Shinmen clan
The ' was a Japanese clan that flourished during the 15th–16th and 17th centuries of Japan. The clan resided in Western Kyoto.-History:...
and so was allowed to use the Shinmen name. He was one of the few to have obtained the title of "Unrivaled Under The Sun", title offered to him by the Shogun Ashikaga.
Munisai's birth date
Because of the uncertainty centering on Munisai (when he died, whether he was truly Musashi's father, etc.), Musashi's mother is known with even less confidence. Here are a few possibilities:- Munisai's tomb was correct. He died in 1580, leaving two daughters; his wife adopted a recently born child, from the Akamatsu clanAkamatsu clanThe was a Japanese samurai family of direct descent from Minamoto no Morifusa. They were prominent shugo-daimyō in Harima during the Sengoku period.-Select members of the clan:* Akamatsu Norimura .* Akamatsu Norisuke ....
, intended to succeed Munisai at his jitte school. Omasa, Munisai's widow, was not truly Musashi's mother. - The tomb was wrong. Munisai lived a good deal longer, later than 1590 possibly. Musashi, then, was born to Munisai's first wife, Yoshiko (daughter to Bessho Shigeharu, who formerly controlled Hirafuku village until he lost a battle in 1578 to Yamanaka Shikanosuke). Munisai divorced her after Musashi's birth, whereupon she decamped for her father's house, leaving Musashi with Munisai. Musashi grew up treating Munisai's second wife, Omasa (daughter to Lord Shinmen) as his mother. This second scenario is laid out in an entry to the Tasumi family's genealogy. The daughter of Bessho Shigeharu first married Hirata Muni and was divorced from him a few years later. After that she married Tasumi Masahisa. The second wife of Tasumi Masahisa was the mother of Miyamoto Musashi. Musashi's childhood name was Hirata Den. He later became famous on account of his swordsmanship. During his childhood, he went to Hirafuku to find his real mother. He moved in with the Tasumi family.
- A variant of this second theory is based on the fact that the tombstone states that Omasa gave birth to Musashi on 4 March 1584, and died of it. Munisai then remarried to Yoshiko. They divorced, as in the second theory, but Yoshiko took Musashi, who was 7 at the time, with her, and married Tasumi Masahisa.
- Kenji Tokitsu prefers to assume a birth date of 1581, which avoids the necessity of assuming the tombstone to be erroneous (although this poses the problem of from whom then Musashi received the transmission of the family martial art).
Duel against the Yoshioka
Sometime after Ashikaga YoshiteruAshikaga Yoshiteru
, also known as Yoshifushi or Yoshifuji, was the 13th shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1546 to 1565 during the late Muromachi period of Japan. He was the eldest son of the 12th shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiharu; and his mother was a daughter of Konoe Taneie...
became the Shogun, he started in Kyoto a comparison duel between Munisai, who was still called Hirata at the time, and the founder of the Yoshioka-ryū
Yoshioka-ryu
is a koryū Japanese sword-fighting martial art and is part of the Kyohachi-ryū. The Yoshioka-ryū became famous during the latter half of the 16th century when Yoshioka Kenpo was assigned to be the sword instructor of the Ashikaga shoguns in Kyoto.The Yoshioka-ryū was founded in the first half of...
school of sword-fighting: Yoshioka Kenpo (who was also the sword instructor of the Ashikaga). Kenpo won the first match, while Munisai won the other two. This event later started a feud between Munisai's son 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...
and the following generation of the Yoshioka family. Munisai having won the match, the shogun gave him the title of "Unrivaled Under The Sun".
Recruited by the Shinmen clan
Having heard about Munisai, the head of the Shinmen clanShinmen clan
The ' was a Japanese clan that flourished during the 15th–16th and 17th centuries of Japan. The clan resided in Western Kyoto.-History:...
, Shinmen Sokan
Shinmen Sokan
Shinmen Sokan was a Japanese lord, daimyo of the during the middle of the Sengoku period. Sokan was known as a rather petty daimyo in the mountainous regions of Sakushu, which was west of Kyoto. Even though this was so, the Shinmen clan had very good ties with that of the Hirata family, leading...
, recruited Munisai as instructor of his troops. During these years at Sokan's services, Munisai married a woman named Yoshiko, who gave him two children: a girl, Ogin, and a boy, Takezo (who would later be known as 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...
). More or less five years later, he divorced with Yoshiko, keeping custody of his children, forbidding Takezo to go and search for his mother.
In 1589, for unknown reasons, Sokan ordered Munisai to kill his student Honiden Gekinosuke. After this event, he started training Takezo in the ways of the sword and of the jutte, but it didn't last long since the inhabitants of Miyamoto
Miyamoto
Miyamoto is a Japanese surname.-People:*Shigeru Miyamoto, video game designer for Nintendo*Shunichi Miyamoto, musician and voice actor*Kazushi Miyamoto, professional wrestler...
village, displeased with Gekinosuke's death, forced him to move away in the village of Kawakami.
He died in 1592, surely due to the amount of stress caused by the fact that many swordsmen wanted to claim his title afterwards.
Munisai's relationship with Takezo
Having received the title of "Unrivaled Under The Sun", Munisai lived in fear: he was afraid someone would one day come to steal his title. This caused the fact that he was very violent and aggressive towards everyone, a trait that Takezo inherited. He trained his son, but during these training sessions, he shunned him, insulted him, and hit him many times to unleash his boiling anger, as a result lead to Takezo's attempt to kill his father in his sleep, a thing that failed since Munisai was on his guard.Munisai was haunted by his title, was slowly becoming mad, and thought that just because it was written on a piece of paper, he really was unrivaled under the sun; he didn't know that even if he had won his duel against Kenpo, many people had forgotten him and remembered the head of the Yoshioka.
According to a legend that seems unfounded, Takezo would have laughed at his father's fencing and would have made him angry. So, one day in which Munisai was busy carving a toothpick he furiously threw the knife towards his son, who dodged it with his head. Even more furious, Munisai launched a second time his knife towards his son. But Musashi was able to dodge it again. Munisai chased Musashi away from his home, sending Musashi to live with an uncle of his, who had become a monk.