Warriors of Japan as Portrayed in the War TalesThe war tales (gunki-mono) of Japan recount the stories of warriors and their battles from the tenth century, when a warrior class first emerged in the provinces of Japan, until the seventeenth century. A blend of history and fiction, the war tales are one of the most important sources of knowledge about Japan's premodern warriors. In Warriors of Japan a leading cultural historian of premodern Japan draws a rich portrait of warrior life and society in ancient and early medieval times. Through this study, the reader enters the lives of the warriors, observing how they fought, what they believed, what their weapons, armor, and other battle accoutrements were, what customs and personal relationships governed their lives, who their heroes were. Although many of the major war tales have been translated into English, Warriors of Japan is the first book-length study of the tales and their place in Japanese history. It is a major contribution to the cultural history of the ancient and medieval periods, revealing much about the medieval psyche and the evolving perceptions of warriors, warfare, and warrior customs. Readable as well as scholarly, Warriors of Japan will appeal to the general reader with an interest in Japan as well as to Japan specialists, teachers, and students. |
Contents
THE ANCIENT WAR TALES | 9 |
Hōgen and Heiji | 46 |
The Tale of the Heike | 78 |
Copyright | |
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armor army arrows Ashikaga Atsumori attack Azuma Kagami band Bandō Battle of Ichinotani brother Buddhist century chapter chieftain commander courtier Dannoura death defeat eastern warriors enemy example fighting force fortress Fuji River Fujiwara Gempei Seisui Gempei War Gikeiki Godaigo Goshirakawa Gotō and Kamada Heiji Conflict Heike Monogatari Heike's helmet heroes Högen Hōgen Conflict Hōgen Monogatari Hōjō horse Ibid imperial Ise Taira Japan Japanese Kagetoki Kajiwara Kamakura Bakufu Kantō Kawachi Kemmu Restoration killed Kiyomori Konjaku Kusunoki Masashige Kyoto Kyushu Later Three leader lord loyalist mappō Masakado Masashige's Masatsura military Minamoto no Yoshitomo Minamoto no Yoshitsune Minatogawa Moriyoshi Moronao Mutsu Waki Nagazumi and Shimada name-announcing Naozane Nitta Yoshisada Noriyori Ōshū Palace retired emperor riors rufubon Shigehira Shirakawa Shōmonki story Sueshige suicide Sutoku sword Tadanori Taiheiki Takagi Takauji tale singers Tametomo temple Tokyo tomo vassals victory warfare Yashima Yoritomo Yoshi Yoshihira Yoshimori Yoshinaka Yoshitomo Yoshitsune's