Horibe Yasubei
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- In this Japanese name, the family name is Horibe.
Horibe Yasubei Taketsune (堀部武庸安兵衛?) was a samurai in Japan. He is best known as the top swordsman of the Forty-seven Ronin; however, he was already a popular hero from Takadanobaba before entering the service of the Akō Domain. Yasubei was born in 1670 as the son of Shibata han (present day Niigata Prefecture) samurai Nakayama Yajiemon. When Yasubei was 13, his father lost his position and became a ronin. Soon afterwards, Yajiemon died, and with Yasubei's mother having died shortly after giving birth to Yasubei, Yasubei was orphaned. Eventually, Yasubei ended up in Edo and became successful as a master swordsman at the dojo.
In 1694, Yasubei came to the aid of his dojo mate and pledged uncle in a duel at Takadanobaba in Edo, killing three opponents. He received acclaim for his role, and Horibe Yahei asked Yasubei to become an adopted son of the Horibe family by marry his daughter. Yahei was so impressed with Yasubei that he pleaded to his liege, Asano Naganori of the Akō Domain, to allow Yasubei to keep his Nakayama surname while marrying into the Horibe family. Yasubei eventually took on the Horibe surname and became a successful retainer of the Akō Domain.
In 1701, Asano Naganori was sentenced to commit seppuku as a result of an attack on Kira Yoshinaka. The Asano family was discontinued, and Yasubei once again became a ronin. In 1702, Yasubei and Yahei were among the Forty-seven Ronin who attacked and killed Kira, avenging their late lord's death. Yasubei surrendered to the authorities and was placed in the custody of Matsudaira Oki no Kami Sadanao. On March 20, 1703 (Gregorian calendar), he was sentenced to commit seppuku.
Horibe Yasubei has a prominent role in plays, films, and television depictions of Chūshingura, the fictionalized account of the Forty-seven Ronin.
