| Ishikawa Goemon | |
|---|---|
 | |
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Real Name |
Ishikawa Goemon |
|
Born |
August 24, 1558 |
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Died |
October 8, 1594 |
Origin[]
Ishikawa Goemon was a legendary Japanese outlaw hero who stole gold and other valuables to give to the poor. He and his son were boiled alive in public after their failed assassination attempt on the Sengoku period warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
here are many versions of Goemon's background and accounts of his life. According to one of them, he was born as Sanada Kuranoshin in 1558 to a samurai family in service of the powerful Miyoshi clan in Iga Province. In 1573, when his father (possibly Ishikawa Akashi) was killed by the men of Ashikaga shogunate (in some versions his mother was also killed), the 15-year-old Sanada swore revenge and began training the arts of Iga ninjutsu under Momochi Sandayu (Momochi Tamba). He was, however, forced to flee when his master discovered Sanada's romance with one of his mistresses (but not before stealing a prized sword from his teacher).
Some other sources state his name as Gorokizu and say he came from Kawachi Province and was not a nukenin (runaway ninja) at all. He then moved to the neighbouring Kansai region, where he formed and led a band of thieves and bandits as Ishikawa Goemon, robbing the rich feudal lords, merchants and clerics, and sharing the loot with the oppressed peasants. According to another version, which also attributed a failed poisoning attempt on Nobunaga's life to Goemon, he was forced to become a robber when the ninja networks were broken up.
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- Biography of Hideyoshi (1642)
Public Domain Thearical Appearances[]
- The Golden Gate and the Paulownia Crest (1778)
Public Domain Film Appearances[]
- Ishikawa Goemon Ichidaiki
- Ishikawa Goemon no Hoji