Who is Miyamoto Musashi? His Life as a Samurai and His Artistic Side

Approximately 400 years ago, there was a master swordsman known for his ‘nitō-ryū’ two-sword style named Miyamoto Musashi. In a period of turbulence, he set off on a samurai’s quest to aim for ‘Tenka Ichi’ (the first under heaven). With his beloved sword ‘Mumei Kaneshige’ in hand, he defeated the prestigious Yoshioka Clan (founders of Yoshioka-ryū sword fighting), won against Sasaki Kojirō in Ganryūjima, and fought over 60 battles in his lifetime without losing a single one. In his later years, he showed enthusiasm towards the arts as part of his training and sublimated his experience into the mysteries of the samurai ‘Bushidō’ by putting together a book called, ‘Gorin no Sho’. Musashi’s eventful life has captivated the hearts of many, and his achievements can be seen in numerous films and T.V. series.

Who is Miyamoto Musashi?

　A great ‘nitō-ryū’ swordsman undefeated after 60 battles, as well as the founder of the school of Japanese swordsmanship, ‘Niten Ichiryū’. These are just a few of the many appealing keywords to describe Miyamoto Musashi. During his samurai’s quest, he used long spears rather than swords, defeated many masters of kusarigama (a chain-sickle), drove the Shōgun family’s group of teachers into destruction and also participated in decisive battles to demonstrate his skills as a swordsman. On the other hand, he displayed a sensitive side through his interest in paintings, literature, and zen and incorporated them into his training for sublimation. You cannot help but be drawn to his fascinating character and life, no matter what aspect of Musashi you choose to focus on. Let us introduce you to Musashi’s life in chronological order.

Miyamoto Musashi’s Life

Childhood

　According to his book, ‘Gorin no Sho’, Miyamoto Musashi was born in Harima Province (present-day Hyōgo Prefecture) towards the end of the Sengoku Period. His birthplace has been variously given with one theory claiming that he was born in Mimasaka Province (present-day Okayama Prefecture). Either way, Musashi was given up for adoption at an early age and became the son of Shinmen Muni, the unrivaled ‘nitō-ryū’ swordsman. For his exceptional skills as a swordsman, Muni was given the title of ‘Hinoshita Musō Heihojyutsusha’ (an honorable title of swordsmanship) from the Muromachi Shogunate. At the age of only 13, Musashi was strong enough to beat adults and was ready to set off on a samurai’s quest to become the very best swordsman. In a period of rivalry between numerous warlords, Musashi repeatedly fought in mortal combat until he ended his quest at the age of 29. He remained undefeated after 60 battles.

The Battle of Sekigahara

　When Musashi was 19, a large battle broke out between the Sengoku daimyos of the east and the west of Japan. It was called, ‘The Battle of Sekigahara’. Musashi fought alongside his father in the east army, and it is said that he also took part in the siege of a castle. This battle was referred to as ‘Tenka Wakeme no Tatakai’ (a decisive battle), and over 500,000 bushi warriors of the west army became unemployed after their side lost. They became rōnins and dueled amongst each other as part of the samurai’s quest, or in ‘dōjō yaburi’ where one martial arts school challenged another to fight. They also fought in official matches in the presence of daimyōs. The point of all this was to be noticed by a powerful daimyō to become employed once again. However, for Musashi, ‘battle’ was not a means to make a living but a way of polishing up his swordfighting techniques to become ‘Tenka Ichi’.

The Battle with the Yoshioka Clan

　Musashi, who had been training along with the rōnins, headed to Kyoto at the age of 21 to challenge the Yoshioka Clan. The Yoshioka Clan was a prestigious family that founded the  Yoshioka School of swordfighting and served the Shōgun family as teachers. The family is also the perennial rival of Musashi’s father, Muni, who won the title of ‘Hinoshita Musō Heihojyutsusha’. Musashi defeated the head of Yoshioka by a single blow of his wooden sword, followed by two duels in which he overwhelmed powerful members of the clan. In the end, a few hundred pupils attacked all at once with pole swords and bow and spears, however, Musashi brought up the rear and scattered them all by himself, eventually driving the clan into destruction. With this victory, he called himself ‘Tenka Ichi’, and became one of the strongest heihōka (military strategist) at the age of just 21. 

The Battle of Ganryūjima

　When Musashi was 29, a famous duel took place which was talked about by future generations. It all began when the disciples of Musashi and Sasaki Kojirō (master swordsman of Ganryū) started a quarrel leading to a duel between their masters. This is called, ‘The Battle of Ganryūjima’ after the name of its location (Ganryūjima is an uninhabited island in present-day Yamaguchi Prefecture Shimonoseki City Kanmon Strait and its official name is ‘Funashima’). Kojirō’s weapon was a 3-meter-long sword and Musashi’s weapon was a handmade wooden sword made out of a ship’s oar with a length of approximately 127 centimeters. With a single blow as fast as lightning, Musashi defeated Kojirō. Although Musashi had chosen a wooden weapon to avoid unnecessary killing and it was decided beforehand that this battle will be fought in single combat, Musashi’s disciples beat the passed-out Kojirō to death after Musashi left. This occurrence continues to be passed down to new generations through its appearance in jōruri, kabuki, novels and numerous works of entertainment. However, details are not written in ‘Gorin no Sho’, hence the reason why people came up with fictional versions of the story such as an episode in which Musashi arrived late on purpose to infuriate Kojirō.

Final Years

　By the time he was in his thirties, Musashi had completed his samurai’s quest and fought in the Summer Campaign of the Siege of Osaka against the Toyotomi army as a guest military commander of the Tokugawa Family. Although his mission was to protect the warlord, he experienced this large battle through the eyes of the general which would have motivated him to pursue new military tactics of leading a large army to victory. Once Japan entered a period of peace with the reign of Tokugawa, Musashi settled as a guest of Kumamoto’s daimyō to further pursue his studies in military tactics. Concurrently, he immersed in various forms of art such as paintings, tea ceremonies, garden making, Noh　and zen, as well as practices based on philosophy, and compiled these experiences to form his own military tactics. In his final years, he secluded himself in a mountain cave called, ‘Iwato・Reigandō’ located in Kinpōsan of Kumamoto Prefecture and spent a year and a half to complete his book, ‘Gorin no Sho’. Musashi passed away at the age of 62. His life was a true example of ‘Bunbu Ryōdō’ (letters and arms) with his pursuit of Bushidō to elevate himself through training in both the military and literary arts. On a side note, he remained single throughout his life and had two apprentices named Mikinosuke and Iori.

Miyamoto Musashi as an Artist 

Musashi as a Painter 

   Musashi considered art activities such as calligraphy and paintings as part of training. In his final years, he took a brush instead of a sword and created numerous masterpieces under the pseudonym, ‘Niten’. His artworks were unbelievably good for an avocation and were left behind for posterity. Musashi’s representative work, ‘Koboku Meigeki Zu’ has been designated as an Important Cultural Property. Depicted in the renowned painting is a shrike on a thin withered branch, a delicate yet powerful scene which embodies the extremely refined senses of the master swordsman. Other paintings include ‘Shihon Bokuga Koubai Hatozu’ and ‘Shihon Bokuga Roganzu’, both of which treated wild birds as the subject matter. Additionally, when Musashi defeated the Yoshioka Clan, he took refuge in Kyoto’s Tōji Kanchiin where he painted the monochromatic ‘Washi no Zu’ (painting of eagles) and ‘Chikurin no Zu’ (painting of bamboos) on an alcove and sliding doors, respectively. 

Musashi as a Writer

　The book, ‘‘Gorin no Sho’ is a culmination of Musashi’s life. It is not merely a secret manual on the mysteries of swordsmanship, but a book to convey to his disciples the Bushidō that Musashi took a lifetime to grasp. As he passed away only 7 days after ‘‘Gorin no Sho’ was completed, it can be said that the book he staked his life on is secret teaching in its ultimate form. The book is divided into 5 chapters, ‘Earth’, ‘Water’, ‘Fire’, ‘Wind’ and ‘Void’, and each chapter preaches in a straightforward manner the fundamental principles concerning battle. They apply not only to Bushidō but also to daily life, and this is another reason why the book is still loved by many Musashi fans even today.  

　’The Earth Chapter’ … Like a bushi securing the base. Preaches the fundamentals of Bushidō and preparedness along with Musashi’s background.

　’The Water Chapter’ … Like water changing shape according to the vessel it is in. Preaches the necessity of training for style according to the situation. 

　’The Fire Chapter’ … Like a rapid spreading of small fire. Preaches how to make use of an individual’s swordfighting skills in a military force.

　’The Wind Chapter’ … Explores the teachings of various styles (wind= ‘style’ in Japanese) of different schools. Preaches their differences and failures.

　’The Void Chapter’ … LIke the void that forever expands. Preaches how to never neglect training and aim for a correct mindset. 

Miyamoto Musashi’s Beloved Swords

Mumei Kaneshige

　The most famous sword used by Musashi. It has been said that the weapon was made in the early Nanbokuchō Period (1336~1392) by Kinjyū, the founder of Seki swordsmith, however, the name is not engraved on the blade so it is called ‘Mumei’ (no inscription). It has a short blade length of 70 cm and a curvature of 1.7 cm which is rather shallow for a sword of that time. The sword was used during the battle against the Yoshioka Clan, making it Musashi’s most reliable sword and legendary weapon. 

Izuminokami Fujiwara no Kaneshige

　A masterpiece made in the Edo Period by Kazusanosuke Kaneshige, swordsmith of Musashi Province. A long sword with a blade length of approximately 83 centimeters, Musashi was quite attached to this sword and customized it to his own liking. This customization of the sword mountings is called ‘koshirae’, and the chestnut-gold sheath with red Urumi lacquer, handle wrapped in layers of cow and horsehide and a handguard with a namako sukashi were called ‘Musashi Koshirae’ and were practical for combat. 

Films and T.V. Series on Miyamoto Musashi

’Miyamoto Musashi’

　There are many works based on Musashi, and Yoshikawa Eiji’s novel ‘Miyamoto Musashi’ is one of them. This novel is the original story of the jidaigeki film with the same title starring Kitaōoji Kinya and screenplay by Hanawa Gorō. Consisting of 6 parts, the film is a mega production which spans a total of 552 minutes. The synopsis begins with Musashi’s samurai quest and ends with his duel against Kojirō. It is a must-see classic among Musashi fans because it depicts the glorious yet harsh first half of his life. Picking up where the novel and film ended, the second half of his life is depicted in the T.V. Series, ‘Further Tales of Musashi’ (1996) with the same leading actor and scriptwriter. Based on Oyama Katsukiyo’s novel with the same title, the film is an enjoyable fictional entertainment including events following the famous duel such as a mortal combat with an assassin, the conspiracy of the Yagyū Clan and bereavement of losing a lover.

Summary

　Musashi survived through the tumultuous years of the late Sengoku Period to the peaceful early Edo Period with his exceptional sword fighting skills and two swords. Tossed about by the tides of time, he was a great ‘‘nitō-ryū’ swordsman who devoted his life to training’ in the first half of his life, and ‘pursued the ideal way of Bushidō by analyzing his experiences’ to pass on to future generations in the second half before his life came to an end. No matter how hard the times, Musashi pursued Bushidō and it can be said that people living in the present have a lot to gain from his admirable attitude towards life.