{8} SECTION II
The Tale of Genji, written by Murasaki Shikibu, the daughter of a provincial governor, provides a unique portrait of the warriors of her age. Born around the year 973, she accompanied her father, Fujiwara no Tametoki, to the province of Echizen, where he served as a provincial governor in the year 996. She was in her early twenties at the time and would have undoubtedly attracted many suitors there. Shikibu later returned to the capital and served the Empress Shōshi at the court. She wrote her famous novel around the year 1007 or 1008.
The complex world of the Heian warrior is vividly evoked in the passage reproduced below. This episode reveals that Shikibu was sensitive to the importance her audience—members of the court and the sons and daughters of provincial governors—placed on proper language and skill in poetry. It also reveals that warriors in the provinces, even powerful ones, were beholden to and enamored of courtiers.
Here, one doughty warrior, known by his title “the Commissioner,” tries to marry Tamakazura, whose mother had died and who was looked after by her mother’s nurse. The nurse pretended that the girl was the granddaughter of the Dazai Assistant. The Dazai Assistant had been appointed to an important diplomatic and administrative post in Kyushu, four hundred miles west from the capital, but his sudden death put his “granddaughter” in a precarious position. Members of his household moved to Hizen Province in Kyushu. Tamakazura’s “grandmother” (actually her mother’s nurse) had to deal with her “granddaughter’s” many suitors, including the Commissioner (who was more attracted to the girl for her status than appearance) from the neighboring province of Higo. Although the Commissioner offered to serve her half-brothers as a retainer and to treat Tamakazura as his “empress,” one can also detect his lingering resentment about the capital. Although he is mocked for his poor poetic skills, poor manners, and uncouth language, Shikibu’s narrative professes grudging admiration of his health and strength. His offer to treat the young girl well, however gallant, carries undertones of menace.
The following, contrasting passage from a court diary offers insights to a courtier’s life; the author of this text practiced martial arts, threw rocks at neighbors, and successfully established networks of patronage with provincial warriors. Nevertheless, revolts and uprisings did occur, and short accounts of two major events, the failed uprising (935–40) of Taira no Masakado and the Tale of Mutsu, whereby warriors struggled for control over a northern army in the mid-eleventh century, are here reproduced.
{9} Command of the Six-District Army of the North—whose commanders exhibited great autonomy and, simply by virtue of their location, controlled access to great wealth in the gold-rich north—was hotly contested throughout the eleventh century. Abe no Yoritoki (?–1057) was the commander of this army. But in 1051 Minamoto no Yoriyoshi (988?–1082?), a provincial governor from Mutsu, attempted to seize control of it. Yoriyoshi and his son Yoshiie (1039–1106) would eventually be remembered as important warrior leaders. From 1051 through 1063 they fought the Abe, first Yoritoki and then his son Sadatō (1019–62), in a conflict known as the “Former Nine Year’s War.” Though Yoriyoshi won the war and killed Abe no Sadatō, court officials believed that Yoriyoshi had exceeded his authority and recalled him to the capital, to which he returned yet was unrewarded for his victories. He did, however, found a shrine dedicated to Hachiman, a god of war, in what would later be the city of Kamakura. After the death of the Abe, a new family, the Kiyohara, gained control of the Six-District Army.
Yoriyoshi’s son Yoshiie was again appointed governor of Mutsu in 1083, and he fought the “Latter Three Years War,” which lasted until 1087. He successfully ousted the Kiyohara, but, like his father Yoriyoshi, he was recalled, and a new group, the Fujiwara of the north, took control of the army, albeit through the office of Military Envoy of Mutsu Province (ōryōshi). These Fujiwara founded a remarkable settlement at a place called Hiraizumi, where they built grand temples, including one coated in gold. They ruled this area for over three generations until they were destroyed by the forces of Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147–99) in 1189.
1. Excerpt from “Tamakazura,” The Tale of Genji1
Murasaki Shikibu’s father was a provincial governor, and she undoubtedly knew powerful provincial warriors. Her portrait here of the Commissioner is quite remarkable, as it shows how fawning he was in an attempt to intermarry with nobles, whom provincial warriors saw as their superiors. The Commissioner even tried to master poetry, albeit with poor effect. When he failed in his wooing of a court lady, he ominously criticizes courtiers for their arrogance.
They lived in the province of Hizen. All men of some quality living in the area desired the granddaughter of the Secretary of the Assistant Deputy of the Dazaifu {10} and pursued her unceasingly. It was a nuisance. One of these men, the Commissioner (Taifu no gen), had many relatives throughout the province of Higo. He was popular and ambitious and led a strong band of warriors. Though fierce, he was a womanizer as well, and liked to collect pretty young girls. He said about her, “Even if she is gruesome, I will ignore it and look after her.” His persistence upset the nurse, who said, “This is impossible. She cannot listen to this as she is about to become a nun.” Hearing this stirred him to action and he arrived in their province. There he told her half-brothers that if they let him have his heart’s wish, he would abide by their command, and accordingly two of them decided to help him. . . .
Not knowing the opposition of some in her household to the match, the Commissioner, who saw himself as being cultured, sent her many letters, written on colorful, richly perfumed Chinese paper. His handwriting was not bad at all, although he had a provincial accent. He then convinced the second eldest half-brother to escort him to her house.
He was about thirty years old and was a towering figure (jō takaku), powerfully built, and not at all ugly, but rough and intimidating. Although he was of ruddy health, his voice rasped like withered leaves, and he spoke in some impossible-to-understand dialect. . . .
Not wishing to offend him, the lady’s “grandmother”2 came out to meet him.
He spoke most fervently. “The late Secretary of the Assistant Deputy of the Dazaifu was compassionate—a shining man—and I had long looked forward to the opportunity to talk with him. I am sad that he passed before I could tell him of my wish. I would like to serve you in place of him. I feel this so strongly that I have come here today. This young princess, of exceptional lineage, is too good for me, and it pains me to make this request. I intend to make her my liege and will treat her with the greatest care. I know that this request must pain you, and, yes, I am sure that you must have heard that I have a number of unworthy women. But rest assured—they cannot ever be compared to her. She, my liege, will be like an empress to me.”
“You speak most marvelously, but how can you say such things?” the nurse replied. “She suffers because of some wrong in her past life. You should stay away from her. I find it sorrowful to see her in such despair, as she knows that because of her condition she can’t be seen by others.”
“Don’t worry about it! Even if she is totally blind, or broken legged, I will not stop serving her. I have a special connection with the Gods and Buddhas of the land. She will be healed,” he boasted. He then demanded that they set the {11} wedding day. This month is the end of the season, she said, appealing to rural customs.3
He thought that a parting poem was called for and waited for some time in thought.
For her, my lord, if I am untrue
May the Mirror God of Matsura
Reflect my pledge
“I think that poem will do!” he said, smiling to himself. He was not used to poetry.4
The nurse was at a loss, and felt quite light-headed, and her daughters, when pressed to reply in her stead, felt even more unsettled than she. Time passed; it seemed like an eternity. Finally, she responded with trembling voice:
For many years, I have prayed
And this is what I get?
I hate the Mirror God
“Wait. What was that you said?” He approached her ominously, and she blanched in fear.
One of her daughters burst out in laughter. “She’s really different, you know. Of course, it would be too bad if things don’t work out. Grandmother is doddering and really can’t come up with a good poem about gods and mirrors.”
“Oh, I get it,” he said. “What a funny way of expressing yourself. We may be described as being country bumpkins, but there is more to us than that. We are not just ‘the people’ (tami). What is it that is so wonderful about you people of the capital? I’ve got this all figured out. Don’t look down on us.” He thought about reciting another poem, but then decided against it and went on his way.
2. Excerpt from Chūyūki, the Courtier Journal of Fujiwara no Munetada, 5.20.11085
This 5.20.1108 (Kashō 3) passage from the Chūyūki, the courtier journal of Fujiwara no Munetada (1062–1141), recounts a dispute involving Fujiwara no Tsunezane and his neighbor. Tsunezane, no model of decorum, threw rocks {12} at his neighbor’s house. One can imagine the boisterous Tsunezane inviting his house warriors who would have resembled the Commissioner of the Tamakazura chapter of The Tale of Genji.
Cloudy, later rain. At the hour of the horse [11 a.m.–1 p.m.] the provisional controller Tametaka dispatched a messenger whose document read as follows: “Over the last seven or eight evenings, rocks (tsubute) have been thrown into our house. We inspected the strange circumstances and discovered that the Grand Minister Fujiwara no Tsunezane, who lived in the house to our immediate west, was responsible.” This is most unseemly! They were surprised and decided to notify me. I responded as follows: “I don’t know why Tsunezane is doing this. But it would be best to avoid your Shichijō residence. Muneyoshi, the captain of the fourth rank is a companion. Could you exchange your house with another place of his?”
That noble Tsunezane is not a first-rate person. He has absolutely no talent, but is a glutton for drink, and invites brave warriors from throughout the realm, and every day and every night they get drunk and unsheathe their swords. They cannot read even a single character. On days of public court affairs, Tsunezane claims to be ill and does not attend; and even though he had no particular reason for doing so, he throws rocks in all four directions. I have heard of these rumors, but there is no cause for enmity. It is best to avoid living near such an evil person.
3. “How Taira no Masakado Raised a Rebellion and Was Killed” and “How the Noble Minamoto no Yoriyoshi Chastised Abe no Sadatō and His Followers,” from Konjaku Monogatari6
The Konjaku Monogatari is a compilation of tales from China, India, and Japan. This text dates from the eleventh century, and although it was written by someone with ties to the court, it appeared in an accessible style and garnered wide popularity and influence. Accounts of the tenth-century rebellion by Taira no Masakado, as well as the eleventh-century “Tale of Mutsu,” are summarized and distilled here. Unlike The Tale of Genji, which mostly recounted {13} the view from the court, these tales treat warriors as protagonists in their own right. These passages are abbreviated versions of longer tales, which have been translated elsewhere.
How Taira no Masakado Raised a Rebellion and Was Killed
It is now a long time ago, in the reign of Shujaku no In,7 that there was a warrior called Taira no Masakado in the Eastern Provinces. He was the son of a man called the Chinjufu Shōgun Yoshimochi, who was the son of the Imperial Prince Takamochi, the grandson of the Kashiwabara Emperor. Masakado lived in Hitachi and Shimōsa, and he made weapons the embellishment of his person. Gathering many fierce warriors and making them his companions, he made battle his way of life.
Now at the beginning there was a man called the Vice-Governor of Shimōsa, Yoshikane, the younger brother of Masakado’s father, Yoshimochi. After Masakado’s father died, he had rather an unfortunate incident with his uncle Yoshikane and fell out with him. Then a dispute about rice lands and fields belonging to the late Yoshimochi finally reached the point of battle, but Yoshikane, being preoccupied with religion and devoted to worship of the Buddhist Law, did not particularly want to fight.
After this Masakado, along with his boon companions, invariably dealt with any matter by having recourse to battle. He burned down many men’s houses and he took many men’s lives. Because in this way he added only evil deeds to his karma, most of the people of the neighboring lands gave no heed to the cultivation of their rice lands and fields, nor was there time left for them to fulfil their taxes to the government. Thus the people of the provinces were in distress and lamented this state of affairs, and the local authorities sent a letter reporting the matter to the central government in the capital. The central government viewed this with concern and forthwith sent down a decree summoning Masakado to be examined about the matter. Masakado went up to the capital in response to the summons, and on his showing that he was without fault, it was ruled after much deliberation that he had done no wrong. After a few days he was excused and returned to his home country.
But before very long Masakado was once more making battle his main occupation and was incessantly fighting against his uncles Yoshikane and Yoshimasa, as well as against Minamoto no Mamoru and Tasuku. In addition, Taira no Sadamori, who had been in the capital serving in the central government and was a third-class {14} official in the Left Horse Bureau, planned to revenge his house because his father Kunika had been struck down by Masakado. Putting aside his duties of office, he hurried down from the capital, but since he could not cope with Masakado’s prestige and force he remained hidden in the country unable to carry out his plan.
While the incessant fighting was going on like this, a man called the Acting Governor of Musashi, Prince Okiyo, was of one mind with Masakado. He was not the legitimate provincial governor but had taken the office by force. There was a district governor in that province, but, although he said that there was no precedent for such an action, Prince Okiyo took no heed and rose up against him. Accordingly the district governor hid himself. At this juncture Minamoto no Tsunemoto, the vice-governor of that province, observed the situation and secretly rode up to the capital. He reported the matter to the central government, stating, “Masakado is already concerting with Prince Okiyo, Acting Governor of Musashi, and they mean to make a rebellion.” On hearing this the central authorities were concerned, but when enquiry was made as to the truth or falsehood of this charge, Masakado denied that there was any truth in it and produced official letters to this effect from the governments of the five provinces, Hitachi, Shimōsa, Shimotsuke, Musashi and Kazusa. The central government recognized these as correct, and Masakado, far from being blamed, received Imperial approbation.
Now there was a man called Fujiwara no Haruakira from the province of Hitachi. The governor of that province was Fujiwara no Korechika, and Haruakira was insubordinate to him and failed to forward the rice and produce taxes due to the provincial governor. The governor was incensed and tried to take him to task, but he boldly failed to comply. So Haruakira followed the lead of Masakado, joined forces with him, and drove the provincial governor out of his official mansion. Thereupon the provincial governor hid himself and disappeared.
At this time Prince Okiyo held a conference with Masakado and said, “You have certainly managed to take one province; now try taking over the whole country east of the barrier in the same way and see how it goes.”
Masakado replied, “This is my plan. I am thinking that, beginning with the Eight Eastern Provinces, I will rule over the capital itself. Indeed, I, Masakado, am the descendant in the fifth generation of the Kashiwabara Emperor. I will first seize the seals and keys of office of the various provinces and drive the provincial governors back to the capital.”
Having thus announced his plan, Masakado crossed over to the province of Shimotsuke at the head of a great army. After he had quickly arrived at the provincial headquarters, he put on a ceremonial show. At that time the provincial governor, Fujiwara no Hiromasa, the former governor Onakatomi no Muneyuki and others were in the official mansion and saw that Masakado was about to seize the {15} province. So they first made obeisance to him and then, kneeling on the ground, they offered up the seals and keys and invested him in office. After that they fled away. Masakado then moved over to the province of Kōzuke; he seized the seals and keys of office of the Vice-Governor, Fujiwara no Takanori, gave him a message and drove him back to the capital. After this Masakado held the provincial capitals and occupied the offices; he threw up fortifications and held appointment ceremonies in the various provinces. At this time there was a man who spoke in a trance, and declaring that he had a message from Hachiman Daibosatsu, he pronounced this oracle, “We confer Our Imperial Rank on Our Favored Child, Taira no Masakado. Quickly welcome him reverently with music.” On hearing this, Masakado made a double reverence, and his several war-bands all joined in greatly rejoicing. Thereupon Masakado himself made out the official memorial, naming himself New Emperor. An announcement to this effect was then made to the Noble Houses.
At that time a man called Masahira, the younger brother of the New Emperor, said to him, “To reach the position of Emperor is something conferred by Heaven. You had better meditate well on this.” The New Emperor replied, “The Way of the Bow and Arrow is enough for me. In these times one is sovereign because one overcomes. Why should I hold back?”
With these words he rejected Masahira’s advice and with no further ado he set about assigning the governorships of the several provinces. His younger brother Masayori was appointed governor of Shimotsuke; Taji no Tsuneaki, governor of Kōzuke; Fujiwara no Harumochi, vice-governor of Hitachi; Prince Okiyo, vice-governor of Kazusa; Fun’ya no Yoshitatsu, governor of Awa; Taira no Masafumi, vice-governor of Sagami; Taira no Masatake, governor of Izu; and Taira no Masanari, governor of Shimōsa.
He also made a plan to build a capital at Minami no Tei in Shimōsa. He considered the bridge of Ukitsu as the bridge of Yamazaki at the capital, and he looked upon Ōi no Tsu in Soma District as Ōtsu of the capital. In addition to this he decided who was to be the Great Ministers of Left and Right, the Counsellors, Consultants, the Hundred Officials, the Six Controllers and the Eight Scribes. He fixed the measurements in which the seals of the Emperor and the Great Council of State should be cast, and the standard style of Chinese characters. Yet perhaps his power did not extend to Doctors of the Calendar.
In these circumstances the imperially appointed governors of the several provinces heard of these matters as they leaked out and they all hurried back to the capital. The New Emperor went everywhere around Musashi, Sagami, and the other provinces. He took possession of the seals and keys in all of them and commanded the caretaker District Governors and others to pay him the tributary obligations of {16} government. He also announced to the Great Council of State that he was going to possess the Imperial Position. Everybody, beginning with the central government, was alarmed, and there was no end to the uproar within the Imperial Palace. The government thought it necessary to call on the power of the Buddha and obtain the help of the Gods, and many prayers in both exoteric and esoteric teachings were offered on mountains and in temples everywhere, not to mention in all the shrines.
While all this was going on, the New Emperor returned to Shimōsa from the country of Sagami, and without resting the hooves of the horses he set out for Hitachi to root out and destroy his enemies wherever they were left. Members of the Fujiwara clan there prepared a marvelous banquet at the border and offered it to the New Emperor. The New Emperor asked them where Taira no Sadamori and his men were. They replied, “Their lives, we hear, are like floating clouds, they do not fix the place where they are.”
They succeeded in capturing the wives of Sadamori, Mamoru, Tasuku and others. When he heard this, the New Emperor ordered that the women should be respected, but before his instructions were received the women were violated by warriors. Although this had happened, the New Emperor released the women and sent them all back. At this juncture he had not heard where his enemies were, although time had passed. So he sent back all the warriors of the several provinces and he was left with less than a mere thousand men. At this point Sadamori, the Sheriff Fujiwara no Hidesato and those with them heard about this and reasoned among themselves, “We should rescue the Noble Houses from shame; we should fight him without regard for our lives.” As Hidesato and his party set out against him with many warriors, the New Emperor was greatly surprised and led his soldiers to face them. Soon he came up against Hidesato’s battle line. Hidesato was wise in strategy and broke the onslaught of the New Emperor’s troops. Sadamori, Hidesato and their men clung to their rear, and the longer they pursued the more they caught up with them. The New Emperor wanted to stand up to them and fight, but he retreated because his warriors were far inferior in number. While the New Emperor was lying in hiding north of Sashima thinking to deceive his enemies, Sadamori, beginning with the dwelling of the New Emperor, burned down all the houses of his dependents and followers one by one.
The New Emperor then had only some four hundred warriors because the more than eight thousand soldiers who always followed him were not yet mustered. So he prepared a position on the North Mountain of Sashima and awaited the enemy. Sadamori, Hidesato and their men came in pursuit and engaged in battle. At first the New Emperor had the advantage and threw back the warriors of Sadamori, Hidesato and their party, but later these men in their turn won the advantage. They fought together without begrudging their lives. When the New Emperor himself {17} engaged in battle and sped on his swift horse, the Punishment of Heaven was openly revealed; his horse no longer ran, his hand lost its skill, and finally, struck by an arrow, he died in the midst of the plain. Sadamori, Hidesato, and their group rejoiced at this and ordered a fierce warrior to cut off his head. They sent it up to the capital accompanied by an official letter from the province of Shimotsuke. The scheming of Prince Okiyo and his party had been fulfilled for the New Emperor in the loss of his name and his life.
The Court expressed approval and rejoiced at these events, and an Edict of Council was sent to the provinces of the East Sea and East Mountain Circuits ordering that all the brothers, dependents and followers of Masakado should be hunted down and arrested; it also offered rewards to those who killed these dependents and followers. The Generalissimo Consultant and Director of Palace Repairs, Colonel of Right Guards Fujiwara no Tadafumi was commissioned and dispatched to the Eight Provinces, accompanied by Senior Assistant Minister of Justice Fujiwara no Tadanobu and others, and they killed Masakado’s older brother, Masatoshi, Harumochi and others in Sagami province. Prince Okiyo was killed in Kazusa; Sakanoue no Katsutaka, Fujiwara no Haruakira and others were cut down in Hitachi. Also, while they were searching out and destroying the rebels, Masakado’s seven or eight younger brothers either took the tonsure and went deep in the mountains, or left their families and roamed the wilderness. And so reward was bestowed on Tsunemoto, Sadamori, Hidesato and others. Tsunemoto was promoted to Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade; Hidesato, to Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade; Sadamori, to Junior Fifth Rank, Upper Grade. It has been related and handed down that Masakado afterward appeared in the dream of a certain man and uttered this oracle, “While I was living, I did evil and not one single good deed; it is impossible to bear alone the suffering for this karma I have made.”
How the Noble Minamoto no Yoriyoshi Chastised Abe no Sadatō and His Followers
Now, a long time ago, in the reign of Go-Reizei no In (1048–68), there was a man called Abe no Yoriyoshi living in the Six Districts of the Deep North. His father was called Tadayoshi, and he was Chief of District Chiefs, succeeding him in his generation from his grandfather. His power and prestige were so great that there was no one who did not submit to him. His relatives and friends were spread all over the country, even as far as beyond Koromogawa. They did not fulfil their tax and other dues to the Central Government and provincial governors, one after another in turn, were unable to bring them under control.
{18} And so in the Eishō era (1046–53) the provincial governor, a man named Fujiwara no Naritō, called up many warriors and tried to bring pressure to bear on these people. But Yoriyoshi, along with his subordinate chiefs, held back the governor’s troops, fought them and threw them back, and there were many who perished. When the Central Administration heard this, it forthwith sent down a decree to wipe out Yoriyoshi. The decree was addressed to the Noble Minamoto no Yoriyoshi and commissioned him to undertake this task. Having been appointed General of Pacification Headquarters, Yoriyoshi, accompanied by his eldest son Yoshiie, his second son Yoshitsuna, and many warriors, immediately went down to the province of Mutsu in order to destroy Abe no Yoriyoshi.
But a General Amnesty was suddenly issued and so Abe no Yoriyoshi was pardoned; he was greatly delighted and changed his name to Yoritoki. Another reason for this change was the taboo against having the same name as the governor. And so as Yoritoki submitted to the governor, there were no incidents during one term of office. In the final year of his term of office the governor entered the Pacification Headquarters to deal with various matters, and for a month or so there was no end to Yoritoki’s bowing his head and obsequiously performing services to him; he also gave him gold and other precious gifts, as well as a fast horse.
But on his way back to his official mansion, while his men were encamped on the road near the Akurigawa, someone fired arrows into the camp of Mitsusada and Motosada, the sons of the Deputy Governor Fujiwara no Tokisada, and some men and horses were killed. No one knew who was responsible for this. When it became light, the governor heard about the matter and summoned Mitsusada and questioned him about suspects. Mitsusada answered, “Last year Yoritoki’s son Sadatō said he would like to take my younger sister as his wife. But we didn’t accept this as his house is inferior. Sadatō deeply felt that this was a disgrace. You can draw your conclusions from this—the shooting was certainly Sadatō’s doing. Apart from him, there is no other enemy.”
The governor was greatly incensed at this and said, “This was not shooting at Mitsusada—it was shooting at me.” And so he summoned Sadatō and intended to accuse him of the incident. But Yoritoki spoke to Sadatō on this matter and told him, “The concerns of a man in this world are all for his wife and children. You are my son and it is impossible for me to abandon you. I could not see you killed and remain in this world. So it is better to close and guard the gates rather than hear what the governor has to say. And furthermore, he has already fulfilled his term of office and the day of his return to the capital is near. Even though he feels angry, he cannot come himself to call us to account. In any case we are strong enough to beat them back. You need not feel anxious.”
{19} He then fortified and garrisoned the Koromogawa barrier, closed the road and let no one pass. The governor was even more angry when this happened, and he called up many warriors and came to attack. Everything was in tumult within the province and there was not a single case of [anyone]8 opposing the governor. Yoritoki’s sons-in-law, San’i Fujiwara no Tsunekiyo and Taira no Nagahira, and their followers all turned against their father-in-law and adhered to the governor. Nagahira, clad in silver armor, served in the ranks of the army, but a certain man reported to the governor, “As Nagahira is Yoritoki’s son-in-law, he is loyal on the outside, but on the inside he has treacherous intentions. It is certain that he will try to send a messenger secretly through the lines and report the situation of our army. Also, the armor he’s wearing is not the same as his companions. This must be to mark him out in battle.” When the governor heard this, he seized Nagahira and four of his male relatives, and cut their heads off.
At this Tsunekiyo was intimidated and greatly afraid, and he secretly said to someone who was on friendly terms with him, “I also will be put to death before long.” The man replied, “Even though you serve the governor with all your might, there are bound to be slanders against you. Without a doubt you will be killed. So quickly make your escape and attach yourself to the Fifth Rank Abe [Yoritoki].” Tsunekiyo believed this and decided to leave. And so he addressed these false words to the troops of the army, “Yoritoki’s army has come out by a shortcut, attacked the provincial capital and is about to take the governor’s northern flank.” When they heard this, the troops of the governor’s army rose in confusion. Taking advantage of this disorder, Tsunekiyo, accompanied by more than eight hundred of his own warriors, turned himself over to Yoritoki.
Meanwhile, Yoriyoshi had finished his term of office and a new governor, Takashina no Tsuneshige, had been appointed. But when the latter heard reports of war, he resigned his office and did not go down to the province. As a result of this, Yoriyoshi was appointed again for the purpose of having him destroy Yoritoki. Yoriyoshi therefore sent an official letter from the province and made this proposal. “We should, through Kogane no Tametoki and Okishige, the governor of Shimotsuke, and their party, persuade the chiefs of the Mutsu area and bring them to our side, and then destroy Yoritoki.” Thereupon the Central Government sent down a decree to this effect, and the chiefs of the three districts of Kanaya, Nitoroshi and Usori made Abe no Tomitada their leader and attacked Yoritoki with many warriors. Mustering his strength, Yoritoki fought and held them in check for two days, but finally, hit by a stray arrow, he died at the Tori no Umi palisade.
{20} Accompanied by an army of about thirty-one hundred men, the governor then tried to destroy Sadatō and his group. But Sadatō, with more than four thousand troops, held them in check and the governor’s army was broken, and many men were killed. Now the governor’s son Yoshiie excelled other men in feats of daring. No arrow that he fired was wasted, but enemy arrows fired against him were all to no avail. The barbarians yielded and ran before him, and there was none bold enough to face him. They called him Hachiman Tarō.
Meanwhile the governor’s troops either ran away or were killed, and he had only six mounted warriors left. These were his son Yoshiie, Shuri no Shōjō, Fujiwara no Kagemichi, Ōyake no Mitsutō, Kiyowara no Sadayasu, Fujiwara no Norisue and Noriaki of the same family name. The enemy numbered more than two hundred mounted men. They surrounded them and pressed in on left and right, and the flying arrows were like rain. The horse ridden by the governor was hit by an arrow and toppled over. Kagemichi got another horse and gave it to him. Yoshiie’s horse also was hit by an arrow and died. Noriaki took a horse by force from one of the enemy and had Yoshiie mount it. As things were going like this, it was almost impossible to escape. But Yoshiie again and again shot enemy warriors to death while Mitsutō and the others also fought with the strength of a death-resolve. At length the enemy pulled back and withdrew.
Now at that time the governor had a follower, San’i Saeki no Tsunenori, a man of Sagami province, on whom he relied completely. When the army was broken, Tsunenori was not surrounded and barely managed to get away. He did not know where the governor {21} had gone, and when he enquired from the scattered men, they answered, “The governor has been surrounded by the enemy and hasn’t got many warriors with him. In such a situation it will certainly be hard for him to get away.” Tsunenori then said, “This year I have at last reached my old age in the service of the governor. The governor also is not all that young. Now that I have reached the end of my time, why shouldn’t I die with him?” His two or three retainers also said, “Lord, you are about to enter the enemy lines to die with the governor. How could we live on alone?” With this they entered the enemy lines together and fought. They shot and killed more than ten men before they themselves were shot and killed before the enemy.
Fujiwara no Kagesue, the son of Kagemichi, some twenty years old, also galloped into the enemy lines seven or eight times, shooting enemies to death before returning. But finally his horse fell over in the enemy lines. Having noted Kagesue’s prowess and valor, the enemy admired him, but as he was a warrior cherished by the governor, they killed him. Performing in this manner, the followers close to the governor all fought their utmost, but many indeed were killed by the enemy.
Fujiwara no Shigeyori was a man who was on close terms with the governor. After the army was broken, for several days he did not know where the governor had gone. Thinking that he had been struck down by the enemy, he wept continuously and said, “I will search out his corpse and perform the obsequies. But it will be impossible to enter among the enemy without being a monk,” and so he forthwith shaved his head and became a monk. When he met the governor as he travelled along the road toward the area of the fighting, he rejoiced and sorrowed by turns, and then went back with the governor.
Meanwhile Sadatō and his followers made their power felt more and more, going to various districts and placing levies on the common people. Accompanied by many warriors, Tsunekiyo came out at the Koromogawa barrier and sent emissaries to the districts to collect the rice and produce taxes due to the government. They announced, “White collection tallies are to be used; red tallies are not acceptable.” Now the white tallies were Tsunekiyo’s private tax-collection tallies and were called white because they did not bear the impression of a seal; the so-called red tallies were those of the provincial governor, and they were called red because they bore the provincial seal. The governor was unable to control or stop this.
Thus the governor was always proposing to Kiyowara no Mitsuyori, the master of the Ainu to the north of the mountains of Dewa province, and to his younger brother Takenori, that they should join forces. While Mitsuyori and his group were pondering on the pros and cons of this proposal, the governor repeatedly sent them precious and attractive gifts. He continued to persuade them with all courtesy, and finally Mitsuyori and Takenori and their group made up their minds and agreed to join forces with the governor. After that the governor repeatedly appealed to Mitsuyori and Takenori for troops. And so, calling up his sons and younger brothers and more than ten thousand warriors, Takenori came crossing into Mutsu province and sent ahead word of his coming. The governor was greatly pleased and went to meet them with more than three thousand warriors. The governor met Takenori at Tamurooka in Kurihara district and they discussed their plans. Next they fixed upon the commanders of the various battle positions; each was a son or relative of Takenori.
Takenori bowed to the distant capital and took an oath, saying, “I have already called up my sons, younger brothers, relatives, and companions, and I submit to the orders of the shogun. The thought of death does not worry us. We earnestly beg the gods enshrined as The Three Aspects of Hachiman to look with favor upon our sincerity. I do not hold my life precious beyond this.” On hearing these words, his many warriors were all at once inspired to follow his example. At the same time doves flew over the army, and the governor and all his subordinates together bowed low.
Thereupon they set out on the Matsuyama road and camped at Ōkazesawa by Nakayama in Iwai district. Next day they reached Hagi no Baba in the same district. This place was more than six hundred yards from the Komatsu palisade of {22} Munetō’s uncle, the monk Yoshiteru, but as the day was inauspicious and it was getting on toward evening, they did not press an attack. As Takenori’s sons went up close to spy out the strength of the forces on the other side, foot-soldiers burned down the shelters outside the palisade. Just then there was the sound of shouting from within the citadel and the soldiers were bombarded with stones. Thereupon the governor said to Takenori, “I planned the battle for tomorrow, but this disorder has broken out of its own accord. So we can’t pick the day.” Takenori agreed.
Thereupon two men called Fukae no Korenori and Ōtomo no Kazuhide, at the head of some twenty fierce warriors, dug away the river bank with their swords and, using their spears as climbing staffs, they scaled the rocks. Cutting and breaking away the bottom of the palisade, they suddenly burst into the citadel, and crossed swords and exchanged blows with the defenders. Within the citadel all was in confusion and everyone was bewildered. Munetō, leading more than eight hundred mounted warriors, fought outside the citadel, but the governor, together with many fierce warriors sent as reinforcements, set upon him and broke up his forces. So Munetō’s army abandoned the citadel and fled, whereupon the governor’s troops burned down the palisade.
The governor wanted to rest his men and so did not press on to attack. In this way they passed eighteen long rainy days, and during this time their provisions ran out and there was nothing to eat. So the governor despatched many warriors to various places with orders to forage for food. Sadatō and his group heard rumors about this and awaited their opportunity. Then, at the head of many warriors, Sadatō led an attack, whereupon the governor, Yoshiie, Yoshitsuna, Takenori, and the others mobilised their men and advanced with a great army. They fought without regard for their lives and the Sadatō group finally gave up and fled. The governor and Takenori pressed on in pursuit until they caught up with them and fought at Sadatō’s Takanashi camp and the Ishizaka palisade. Sadatō’s army was again broken there, and abandoning their palisades, they fell back and entered at the Koromogawa barrier. Thereupon, the governor’s troops pressed in upon the Koromogawa. Now the barrier passage was naturally very steep, and moreover trees increasingly blocked the road. Dividing his forces under three commanders, the governor pressed on the attack.
Takenori dismounted and went around to observe the vicinity of the riverbanks. Then he summoned a warrior called Hisakiyo and said to him, “There are trees bent over on both banks, and their branches cover the surface of the river. You are light on your feet and like to jump over things. Cross over to the other bank and pass secretly through the enemy lines and set fire to the base of their palisade. They will be terrified by the fire, and then I will break the barrier without fail.”
In accordance with these orders Hisakiyo reached the bent trees on the other bank like a monkey, fastened a rope, and then by means of this some thirty warriors {23} crossed over. They stealthily crept up to the palisade of Fujiwara no Narimichi, set it afire and burned it down. When they saw this, Sadatō’s troops were greatly surprised and confused, and pulling out and fleeing without fighting, they retired to the palisade of Tori no Umi.
After reducing Narimichi’s palisade, the governor and Takenori and his forces invested the palisade of Tori no Umi. Munetō, Tsunekiyo and their followers abandoned the citadel and fled before the army came up, and retired to the palisade of Kuriyagawa. The governor entered the palisade of Tori no Umi and while he was resting his troops a great deal of sake was found in one of the buildings. The foot soldiers were delighted to see this and hurried up and were about to drink it. But the governor restrained them, saying, “This is surely poisoned sake. It is not to be drunk.” However, when one or two among the menials drank it, they suffered no harm, and so everybody in the army without exception drank it.
Then Takenori reduced Masatō’s Kurosawajiri palisade in the same way, as well as those of Tsuruhagi and Hiyodori. Then having next reached and surrounded the palisades of Kuriyagawa and Nato, he set up battle positions and maintained a guard throughout the night. From five in the following morning they fought all day and all the next night.
Thereupon the governor dismounted and bowed to the distant capital; taking up a burning brand, he swore to the gods and said, “This is the fire of the gods,” and threw the brand. Just at that moment some doves appeared and soared above the battle positions; when the governor saw them, he was moved to tears and bowed toward them. Then a violent wind arose and buildings within the citadel all at once burst into flame. There were several thousand men and women in the citadel and they raised their voices together, wailing and shouting, while the soldiers either threw themselves in the river or crouched down facing the attack. The governor’s army crossed over the water and pressed in to attack; they surrounded the citadel and fought the enemy. The defending troops gave up hope, and swinging their swords they tried to break out of the encirclement. Takenori then issued orders to his warriors, “Open a road and let the enemy out.” They therefore opened the encirclement and the enemy escaped without fighting. The governor’s army then pursued them and killed them all.
Tsunekiyo was captured and was brought before the governor, who said, “You are a hereditary retainer of mine. But you have recently treated me with contempt and made light of the Imperial prestige and authority, and so your offense is most grave. I wonder whether your white tallies will be accepted today.” Tsunekiyo hung his head and had nothing to say. The governor, using a blunt sword, finally managed to cut off his head.
{24} Sadatō drew his sword and cut at the troops, but they stabbed him with their spears. Then they put him on a big shield and six men carried him into the presence of the governor. Sadatō’s height was more than six feet and he was seven feet five inches around the waist; he was imposing in figure and white of skin. He was forty-four years of age. The governor looked at him and was well pleased, and cut off his head. He also cut off the head of his younger brother Shigetō. But Munetō fell into deep mud, fled and escaped. Sadatō had a thirteen-year-old son called Chiyo Dōji, a handsome boy; coming out of the palisade, he had fought well. The governor took pity on him and thought to spare him, but Takenori put a stop to this and had his head cut off. At the time the palisade fell, Sadatō’s wife, holding a three-year-old child, said to her husband, “My lord, you are about to be killed. I cannot live alone, and so I will die while you watch.” At this she threw herself into the deep river while still holding the child, and so she died.
After that, Sadatō’s uncle, Abe no Tamemoto, and his younger brother Ietō soon came out and surrendered. Then, after a few days, Munetō and some others, nine men in all, came in and surrendered. They then sent an official provincial letter to the capital, reporting the persons who had given up and surrendered.
The following year they presented the three heads of Sadatō, Tsunekiyo and Shigetō to the Central Authority. On the day they entered the capital there was no end to the people, high, middle and low, who came to look at the heads and noisily chatter. While they were on their way to the capital, the Imperial Emissary had the boxes opened in Kōga district of Ōmi province, the heads were taken out and their topknots washed. Now the coolies carrying the boxes were retainers of Sadatō, men who had surrendered, and they said that there were no combs. The Emissary replied, “Then you’ll have to comb their hair with your own combs.” They therefore combed them with their own combs, weeping as they did so. On the day they brought them in, the Central Authority dispatched Imperial Police to the riverbed and took them in charge.
An Appointment Ceremony was later held, and on that occasion the merit achieved in these events was duly rewarded. The Noble Yoriyoshi was promoted to Senior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade, and appointed governor of Dewa. Jirō no Yoshitsuna was appointed Lieutenant of Left Gate Guards. Takenori was promoted to Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade, and appointed General of Pacification Headquarters. The Emissary who brought the heads, Fujiwara no Hidetoshi, was appointed Third Class Official of the Left Horse Bureau, while Mononobe no Nagayori was appointed Fourth Class Official of Mutsu province.
It has been related and handed down that when the people of that time observed the novelty of the rewards thus bestowed, all of them were indeed delighted and full of admiration.
1. Translated by Thomas Conlan.
2. Actually, her nurse, but the nurse pretended to be the young lady’s grandmother.
3. The end of the season was unsuitable for matches, according to local customs. This allowed the nurse to delay the date of the wedding.
4. Emphasizing that a god would reflect a broken pledge is an inauspicious poem.
5. Translated by Thomas Conlan. Japanese lunar months differ from Julian or Gregorian named months, and will be expressed numerically.
6. Excerpts from Wilson, “The Way of the Bow and Arrow,” “I. How Taira no Masakado Raised a Rebellion and Was Killed,” 190–95, and “XIII. How the Noble Minamoto no Yoriyoshi Chastised Abe no Sadatō and His Followers,” 222–31.
7. Emperor Suzaku (921–52), who reigned from 930–946. Wilson notes that Masakado’s rebellion began in 937, and Masakado was killed in 940. [TDC]
8. Missing word added to text. [TDC]