Iori Miyamoto: Who He Was and The Relationship with Musashi Miyamoto

Introduction

In the vast landscape of samurai legends, few tales have the ability to both enthrall and mystify like that of Iori Miyamoto. Though many are familiar with the legendary samurai Musashi Miyamoto, the captivating narrative of his adopted son remains an unexplored realm for many enthusiasts.

Therefore, Iori Miyamoto is often referred to as a mysterious figure, which makes a good context for fictional stories. For example, this name appears in many stories and game titles, including the latest Fate Series, Fate Samurai Remnant, in which the person of this name is the protagonist. It’s possible that you found this article because you wanted to know who the Iori Miyamoto was, the new protagonist of the famous game series. Or, you are just reading this article because you are an avid fan of Musashi Miyamoto and want to know about his adopted son.

Either way, this article will give you some insights into this one of the most mysterious figures in Japanese history. Now, let’s dive into the enigmatic tale of the hidden samurai.

The Success of Iori Miyamoto as Non-samurai

A large part of the story of Iori Miiyamoto remains mysterious, because we have so little information about him. Therefore, despite his relationship with Musashi Miyamoto, this character in the history of Japan is a mystery himself.

Iori, bereaved by his birth father, was adopted by Musashi Miyamoto at the age of 15. As you know, Musashi is one of the greatest and mightiest samurai, so you may well expect him to train his son to surpass what the great Musashi was. However, he didn’t train his son to be a samurai (at least, reportedly, it was not his biggest concern). Instead, the legendary samurai sent Iori to one of the most famous Daimyo and tea masters in Japan, Tadazane Ogasawara.

There he was promoted to the position of Karo, the top-ranking samurai officials and advisors in service to the Ogasawara clan, as young as 20 years old. In 1638, Iori achieved a feat in the Shimabara Rebellion and cemented his position as the most reliable samurai belonging to the Ogasawara clan. This ensured the relationship between the Miyamoto and the Ogasawara clans, and the position of Karo was succeeded by people from the Miyamotos by heredity.

In this sense, Iori was more of a shrewd bureaucrat than a samurai (although it seems that he was not poor at using a katana as he got credit in the battle in 1638); in fact, the annual income he earned at that time was worth over 300 million yen (almost 2.5 million dollars), which was certainly a large sum of money. On the other hand, Musashi Miyamoto was undoubtedly one of the most famous and honored samurai in Japan and was literally invincible, but he couldn’t make his way up the successful career ladder. So, perhaps, the reason why the great samurai sent his son off of himself was because he wished for the success of his son as a public figure, not a soldier. When we delve into the rapidly changing period and Musashi’s attitude to it, we will feel that it is the case.

Musashi Miyamoto and Changes in the Era

Musashi Miyamoto is a name that echoes with reverence in the annals of Japanese history. Born in 1584, he quickly rose to prominence as an unparalleled swordsman. His fame was not just due to his proficiency with the blade but also his unique two-sword technique, Niten Ichi-ryū, which he both perfected and propagated. As he was a much taller man for a Japanese man at the time (reportedly over 180 centimeters or 6 feet), with two swords in both hands, it is not difficult to imagine how threatening he was when facing his enemies.

Throughout his life, Musashi engaged in numerous duels, with many records suggesting that he remained undefeated. His encounters weren’t just tests of skill but were, in many ways, a pursuit of perfection, of mastering the way of the sword and the spirit.

However, the era Musashi was born in saw many changes, and he had to adapt to the changing world. For example, at that time, muskets were being imported into Japan. This modern weapon using gunpowder to shoot a fatal shot into enemies was literally a game changer, and the soldiers (samurai) had to face this reality. Therefore, the sword gradually became less of a weapon, and the use of katana was revalued as a way of self-improvement and enhancement of mentality as a samurai.

Actually, Musashi quit having a fight against other samurai before his 30s, and he was active also as a philosopher, artist, and writer. His work, “The Book of Five Rings” (Go Rin No Sho), remains a seminal text on martial arts and strategy, revered not just by warriors but also by leaders and thinkers from various fields. In it, he encapsulates his life’s learnings and his profound understanding of the way of the samurai.

If Musashi had seen through the destination of the changes in his time, it’s much more possible that he told his son, Iori, to be a public figure because he believed that it would turn out to be good fortune for him. What a great father he was! He was a legendary samurai and could have forced his adopted son to become a second Musashi the Invincible. However, he chose not to because he understood that his son’s happiness mattered most.

Respect, Filial Love or Both

The legends we know about Musashi Miyamoto, and most of the stories originate from a monument that Iori Miyamoto made on the summit of the Tamuke Mountain. This monument called Kokura-hibun (小倉碑文) in Japanese tells us what Musashi Miyamoto was and did from the perspective of his adopted son, and based on this epigraph, many biographies about Musashi were written. The battle at Ganryu-jima against Kojiro Sasaki was confirmed to be a fact by the inscription on this grand stone.

So, had it been not for this monument, perhaps we couldn’t have known about one of the greatest samurai in history. We could not tell why Iori Miyamoto established this monument by spending a great deal of his fortune, but it is possible to guess the reason. It may have been because he wanted to pay great respect to his father or wanted to show gratitude for him having adopted him. Or, it is also possible that Iori just loved his father. When you read the inscription through his filial love for Musashi Miyamoto, you may feel something beyond the legend of a figure.