Watanabe no Tsuna
Watanabe no Tsuna (渡辺 綱) (953-1025) was a Japanese samurai, a retainer of Minamoto no Yorimitsu (also known as Raikō), one of the earliest samurai to be famed for his military exploits.
In Legend
Watanabe features in many of Yorimitsu's legendary adventures, and aids him in fighting many monsters, beasts and demons.
In one such tale, Tsuna accompanies Raikō to the hut of Yamamba, a man-eating hag. There they find a boy known as Kaidomaru, who had been brought up among animals and endowed with superhuman strength. The boy requests that Raikō allow him to become one of his retainers, and Raikō accepts, giving the boy the name Sakata no Kintoki, often shortened to Kintoki.
Some of Watanabe no Tsuna's other comrades in legend are Urabe no Suetake and Usui Sadamitsu. Together, the four are collectively known as the Four Guardian Kings, an allusion to the Buddhist Shitennō.
Watanabe is also said to have assisted Raikō in slaying Shuten Doji, the demonic ground spider. His most famous feat is most likely the defeat of the demon Ibaraki Oni, the principal follower of Shutendoji. He fought Ibaraki single-handedly at the Rashomon gate at the southern end of Suzaku-oji, the central North-South street in the old capital Heian-kyo (now Kyoto).
At the end of the intense battle Watanabe no Tsuna cut off the demon's arm before it fled. Tsuna put the demon's arm away in a Chinese case (唐櫃). The demon later returned to claim the lost arm, and tricked Tsuna to release the arm. This legend is continued in a Japanese tale known as Ooeyama.
Tsuna and the Demon Ibaraki
According to legend in the late 10th century of Heian Period Japan, Ibaraki, a notorious Oni, resided at Rashomon Gate in Kyoto. Ibaraki harassed people who tried to pass through to Rashomon Gate until a heroic samurai named Watanabe no Tsuna, a loyal retainer of Minamoto no Raiko, went to subdue the cruel Ibaraki. When Tsuna arrived in Rashomon Gate he was attacked by Ibaraki. However, Tsuna was a strong and valiant swordsman who was able to defend himself against the ferocious attack by the oni Ibaraki. The battle raged on until Tsuna drew his katana and severed the arm of the demon. Screaming in pain Ibaraki ran away from Tsuna, leaving his severed arm at the Rashomon Gate. Tsuna swept up Ibaraki's arm as a trophy. When he arrived home at his mansion he wrapped up the severed arm and locked it away in a chest.
A few days later, an elderly woman appearing to be Tsuna's Aunt Mashiba, came to visit Tsuna. During the conversation, Tsuna's aunt asked her nephew to tell how he fought with the demon, and when Tsuna mentioned that he had the severed arm in his possession his aunt was curious and asked to see it. The unsuspecting Tsuna, brought out the chest with Ibaraki's arm inside and when he removed the arm from the chest, his aunt revealed herself as being Ibaraki in disguise, grabbed the arm and escaped from Tsuna's mansion. Tsuna was astonished that Ibaraki had posed as his elderly aunt Mashiba and did not give chase. However, even after retrieving his arm, Ibaraki never returned to dwell at Rashomon Gate again.
In popular culture
- The 1985 historical fantasy novel Teito Monogatari contains a climactic scene which directly references Watanabe no Tsuna's encounter at Modoribashi bridge. In the story, Meiji era writer Koda Rohan makes a dash to stop the protagonist, the oni Yasunori Kato, from flying away. He grabs Kato by the legs, but is lifted up into the air with him. Desperate to free himself, Rohan attacks Kato with his short sword and drops to the ground, holding Kato's severed hand. Before Kato disappears into the air, his face turns into a demonic countenance revealing his true nature.
- Watanabe no Tsuna, is a character in the anime Otogi Zoshi.
- Watanabe, along with Raikō, Usui Sadamitsu, Sakata no Kintoki, Urabe no Suetake, Abe no Seimei, and several other well known figures in Japanese history, is featured in the Xbox video game, Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors. In the game, he has a wolf-like appearance and wields a dual-sided curved sword.
- The main character of Ogre Slayer, a manga by Kei Kusunoki, is believed to be Watanabe no Tsuna.
In netsuke
Exciting myth about Watanabe no Tsuna was perpetuated not only in written works, but in art and sculpture. The image of Watanabe no Tsuna taking his sword to beat demon’s attack off became iconographical.
There is the netsuke, made of famous carver of the 19th century Otoman - Watanabe no Tsuna and Demon of Rashomon. This work is based little-known legend about the struggle of famous samurai with demon that turned into a young girl.
One day the chief sent samurai Watanabe no Tsuna to some village with the task. Fulfilling the task Tsuna decided to return to the city as soon as possible. It was already getting dark when he approached the bridge and saw a pretty girl who asked the gallant samurai to take her home at such a late hour. He put a girl on his back and was about to move on. Suddenly the girl became a terrible devil, who grabbed Tsuna's hair and whispered: 'My house is located on Mount Atago'. Samurai did not loose his courage, he quickly drew his sword and cut off the devil’s paw. The monster disappeared in the darkness wailing. Tsuna picked up the trophy, but lost it on his way back home.
The carver skillfully reflected this subject in presented netsuke. Sudden devil’s attack did not take brave warrior unexpected. With his one hand he is firmly holding the devil's wrist, and with the other hand he is pulling his sword from its sheath. The temptress’s face and body has changed beyond recognition, and only flirtatious gesture-holding to the edge of the cloak-speaks about its feminine essence.
The presented work is really unique. This is the only netsuke in the world that has master’s signature with kakihan. The story of this figure’s appearance at antique market is very interesting. In 1983 German collector Klauss Reiss purchased this netsuke as okimono (!) for 2500 Deutche marks in antique saloon of Munich. The seller said that he exchanged this okimono for bronze Japanese statues. Coming home Klauss Reiss unexpectedly discovered that support of the purchased okimono could be separated from the figure. After tearing it off the collector discovered himotoshi and Otomon’s signature!
When another collector Barry Davis saw this netsuke he proposed Klauss a good sum of money. The sum of the deal is not disclosed. Later the figure changed its owners several times before it got to the Ukrainian collector Boris Filatov [1]. As of 2009 this work is the most expensive netsuke at world antique market.
External links
- Legend and History of Shutendoji
- International Netsuke Society, official website
- Boris Filatov's Private Collection of Netsuke