| Hattori Hanzō 服部 半蔵 |
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|---|---|
Hattori Hanzō in a 17th century picture |
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| Born | ~1542 Mikawa Province |
| Died | 23 December 1596 Edo |
Hattori Hanzō (服部 半蔵, ~1542[1] – December 23, 1596), also known as Hattori Masanari (服部 正成), was a famous samurai and ninja master of the Sengoku era, credited with saving the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu and then helping him to become the ruler of united Japan.[2][3] Today, he is often a subject of modern popular culture.
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Hanzō was born as the son of Hattori Yasunaga, a minor samurai in the service of the Matsudaira (later Tokugawa) clan.[4][5] He would later earn the nickname Oni no Hanzō (鬼半蔵 Devil Hanzō)[5] because of the fearless tactics he displayed in his operations; this is to distinguish him from Watanabe Hanzo (Watanabe Moritsuna), who is nicknamed Yari no Hanzō (槍半蔵 Spear Hanzō).[6]
Though Hanzō was born and raised in Mikawa Province, he often returned to Iga Province, home of the Hattori family. He fought his first battle at the age of 16 (a night-time attack on Udo castle[4])[5] and went on to serve with distinction at the battles of Anegawa (1570) and Mikatagahara (1572).[4] His most valuable contribution came in 1582 following Oda Nobunaga's death, when he led the future shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu to safety in Mikawa Province across Iga territory with the help of remnants of the local Iga ninja clans[5][7][8] as well as their one-time rivals in Koga.[9][10] According to some sources, Hanzō also helped in rescuing the captured family of Ieyasu.[11]
Hanzō was known as an expert tactician and a master of spear fighting. Various magical tricks, such as disappearing and appearing elsewhere, psychokinesis and precognition, were also attributed to him.[5] Historical sources say he lived the last several years of his life as a monk under the name "Sainen" and built the temple, Sainenji, which was named after him. The temple was mainly built to commemorate Tokugawa Ieyasu's older son, Nobuyasu. Nobuyasu was accused of treason and conspiracy by Nobunaga Oda and was ordered to commit seppuku. Hanzo was called in to act as the Kogi Kaishunin or official second to end the latter's suffering. Hanzo hesitated and refused to deal the final blow and a bystander came in to take the mercy cut. Hanzo refused to take the sword on the blood of his own lord and Ieyasu valued his loyalty after hearing of Hanzo's ordeal. Ieyasu said, "Even a demon can shed tears". He died at the age of 55 and was also buried on the temple grounds.[4]
Hattori Hanzo was also known as one of the "Three Iga Jonin" alongside Momochi Sandayu and Fujibayashi Nagato.
After his death in the fourth day of the eleventh month of 1596, Hattori Hanzō was succeeded by his son, whose name was also Masanari, though written with different kanji. He was given the title of Iwami no Kami[12] and his men would act as guards of Edo Castle, the headquarters of the government of united Japan. There have been also as many as three other Hattori Hanzōs leading his clan at one point or another (including one before him).[5]
To this day, artifacts of Hanzō's legacy remain. The Tokyo Imperial Palace (formerly the shogun's palace) still has a gate called Hanzō's Gate (Hanzōmon), and the Hanzōmon subway line which runs from Hanzōmon Station in central Tokyo to the southwestern suburbs is named after the gate, where his house was once located.[13] Hanzō’s remains now rest in the Sainen-ji temple cemetery in Yotsuya, Tokyo. The temple also holds his favorite spear and his ceremonial battle helmet.[14] The spear, originally 14-feet long donated to the temple by Hanzō as a votive offering, had been given to him by Ieyasu and suffered damage during the bombing of Tokyo in 1945.[15][16]
As a famous historical figure in one of Japan's greatest periods of samurai culture, Hattori Hanzō has significant cultural resonance among admirers of that culture, both within Japan and abroad. In the modern popular culture he is most often portrayed as involved with the Iga ninja clansmen. According to a legend, the ninja Fūma Kotarō killed Hanzō in sea combat during their raid against the Tokugawa forces in the Inland Sea.[17]
Many films, specials and series on the life and times of Tokugawa Ieyasu depict the events mentioned above. For example, Hattori Hanzō appears in the novel Fukurō no Shiro (Owl's Castle), later made into two feature films (including Owls' Castle, played by Jinpachi Nezu). The actor Sonny Chiba played his role in the series Kage no Gundan (Shadow Warriors). In the film Goemon, Hanzō appears as a legendary shinobi and has a significant supporting role (played by Susumu Terajima). The life of Hanzō and his service to Tokugawa Ieyasu is fictionalised in the manga series Path of the Assassin. Hanzō also appears in the manga and anime series Gin Tama, Samurai Deeper Kyo and, together with his clan, in Tail of the Moon. In the manga Tenka Musō, the young Hanzō is the main character. He was also featured as Ninja Master Hattori Hanzo in the American TV show Deadliest Warrior.
Hattori Hanzō appears as a recurring character in the Samurai Shodown video game series, appearing in every game in the series (along with the anime film and some guest apparances in the KOF series).[18] In World Heroes, another SNK video game series, Hanzō serves as one of the main characters, and is portrayed as rivals with Fūma Kotarō, also featured in the games.[19] In video game series Samurai Warriors, he is portrayed as a highly skilled ninja, highly loyal to Tokugawa Ieyasu and attributed to the death of many of Ieyasu's rivals, including Imagawa Yoshimoto, Takeda Shingen, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Sanada Yukimura, and having an extremely fierce rivalry with Fūma Kotarō.[20] Hanzō is also featured in the video games such as Taikou Risshiden V (as one of the main characters), Kessen III, Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword (as one of the Great Spies) and Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes. In the limited edition of Total War: Shogun 2, he is daimyo of the Hattori Clan, one of the factions fighting for supremacy in this game.[21]
In the light novel and anime series Hyakka Ryōran Samurai Girls, taking place in an alternate-history Japan, Hanzō Hattori is a female ninja character. The anime series Sengoku Otome: Momoiro Paradox also features him as a female ninja.
In the film Kill Bill, Sonny Chiba (Hanzō in Shadow Warriors) returns to reprise his role through playing Hattori Hanzō, a master swordsmith who is called upon to create a special katana sword for the film's protagonist. In the film The Machine Girl, the yakuza villains state that Hattori Hanzō is their family's name. The novel The Kouga Ninja Scrolls as well as its adaptations (the manga and anime series Basilisk and the live-action film Shinobi: Heart Under Blade) feature the four Hattori Hanzos serving as ninja leaders under the rule of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Another Hanzō clan's descendant, private investigator Hanpei "Hanpen" Hattori, appears in Android Kikaider. In the video games Kessen and Kessen III, the ninja girl Okatsu is also rumoured to be his descendant.[22] Hattori Hanzo also has a character in the Naruto series named after him called Hanzo of the Salamander.