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Hattori Hanzō (服部 半蔵, ~1542 – 1596), also known as Hattori Masanari (服部 正成), was a famous samurai of the Sengoku era. Hanzō was born as the son of Hattori Yasunaga, a minor samurai in the service of the Matsudaira (later Tokugawa) clan. He would later earn the nickname Oni no Hanzō (鬼半蔵, Devil Hanzō) because of the fearless tactics he displayed in his operations; this is to distinguish him from Watanabe Hanzo, who is nicknamed Yari no Hanzō (槍半蔵, Spear Hanzō).
Biography
Though Hanzō was born and raised in Mikawa Province, he often returned to Iga Province, home of the Hattori family. He fought his first battle at the age of 16 (a night-time attack on Udo castle) and went on to serve at the battles of Anegawa (1570) and Mikatagahara (1572), In 1579, Tokugawa Ieyasu's eldest son, Matsudaira Nobuyasu, was convicted of treason against Oda Nobunaga and ordered to commit seppuku. Masanari was ordered to be his second in the ritual (where he would mercifully decapitate the one cutting his stomach). However, once he was brought to the appointed site at Futamata Castle, Masanari burst into tears and cried, "I cannot turn my blade against my lord's own blood!" Once Ieyasu learned that Masanari was unable to bring his sword down on his son, he exclaimed, "Even Demon Hanzō is unable to strike the head of his master's child!"
After Akechi Mitsuhide slain Nobunaga at Honnoji in 1582, he set his sights on Ieyasu. At the time, Ieyasu was at a port in Osaka and was surrounded by only ten subordinates. He was forced to flee to his homeland but had to pass through Iga, which was known for its treacherous terrain. Masanari was principle for serving as Ieyasu's guide and commanded 300 ninja guards to ensure his lord's safe passage to Mikawa. Masanari continued to serve his lord at Komaki-Nagakute with 100 men under his command. He served during the siege of Odawara and was awarded 8,000 koku. By the time Ieyasu entered Kantō, he was awarded an additional 8,000 koku and had 30 yoriki and 200 public officials for his services. He died on December 23, 1596 due to natural causes. According to a popular fictitious legend, the ninja of Fūma Kotarō killed Hanzō in sea combat during their raid against the Tokugawa forces in the Inland Sea.
Legacy
Hattori Hanzō was succeeded by his 18-year-old son, whose name was also Masanari, though written with different kanji. He was given the title of Iwami no Kami and his men would act as guards of Edo Castle, the headquarters of the government of united Japan. There have been also as many as three other Hattori Hanzōs leading his clan at one point or another (including one before him).
To this day, artifacts of Hanzō's legacy remain; the Tokyo Imperial Palace (formerly the shogun's palace) still has a gate called Hanzō's Gate (Hanzōmon), and the Hanzōmon subway line which runs from central Tokyo to the southwestern suburbs is named after the gate. Hanzō’s remains now rest in the Sainen-ji temple cemetery in Yotsuya, Tokyo. The temple also holds his favorite spear and his ceremonial battle helmet. The spear, donated to the temple by Hanzō as a votive offering, was originally given to him by Ieyasu and suffered damage during the bombing of Tokyo in 1945.
In popular culture
As a famous historical figure in one of Japan's greatest periods of samurai culture, Hattori Hanzō has significant cultural resonance among admirers of that culture, both within Japan and abroad. In the modern popular culture he is most often portrayed as involved with the Iga ninja clans.
Many films, specials and series on the life and times of Tokugawa Ieyasu depict the events mentioned above. For example, Hattori Hanzō appears in the novel Fukurō no Shiro (Owl's Castle), later made into two feature films (including Owls' Castle, where he is portrayed by Jinpachi Nezu). The actor Sonny Chiba played his role in the V-Cinema series Kage no Gundan (Shadow Warriors). In the film Goemon, Hanzō appears as a legendary shinobi and has a significant supporting role (played by Susumu Terajima). The life of Hanzō and his service to Tokugawa Ieyasu is fictionalised in the manga series Path of the Assassin. Hanzō also appears in the manga and anime series Gin Tama, Samurai Deeper Kyo and, together with his clan, in Tail of the Moon. In the manga Tenka Musō, the young Hanzō is the main character. He was also featured in the show Deadliest Warrior.
Hattori Hanzō appears as a recurring character in the Samurai Shodown video game series, appearing in every game in the series (along with the anime film and some guest apparances in the KOF series). In World Heroes, another SNK series, Hanzō serves as one of the main characters, and is portrayed as rivals with Fūma Kotarō, also featured in the games (their rivalry is based upon the legend surrounding Hanzō's death). In video game series Samurai Warriors, he is portrayed as a highly skilled ninja, highly loyal to Tokugawa Ieyasu and attributed to the death of many of Ieyasu's rivals, including Imagawa Yoshimoto, Takeda Shingen, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Sanada Yukimura, and having an extremely fierce rivalry with Fūma Kotarō. Hanzō is also featured in the games Taikou Risshiden V (as one of the main characters) and Kessen III, and in a minor roles in Aika and Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword. In the light novel and anime series Hyakka Ryōran Samurai Girls, taking place in an alternate-history Japan, Hanzō Hattori is represented as a female ninja.
In the film Kill Bill, Sonny Chiba (Hanzō in Shadow Warriors) plays Hattori Hanzō, a master swordsmith who is called upon to create a special katana sword for the film's protagonist; it has been implied that this character is a descendant of the historical figure. In the film The Machine Girl, the yakuza villains state that Hattori Hanzō is their family's name. The novel The Kouga Ninja Scrolls as well as its adaptation (the manga and anime series Basilisk and the live-action film Shinobi: Heart Under Blade) feature a character named Hattori Kyohachiro as an attendant to the shogun; he the son of the second Hattori Hanzō and adopted son of the fourth Hanzō. Another Hanzō clan's descendant, private investigator Hanpei "Hanpen" Hattori, appears in Android Kikaider. In the games Kessen and Kessen III the ninja girl Okatsu is also rumoured to be his descendant.
There are also many shoutouts: for example, in the franchise Ninja Hattori-kun, the main character Kanzo Hattori's name is a pun on Hanzō (his younger brother's name is Shinzo Hattori); in the video game series Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters, Mai Shiranui's grandfather is the ninja master Hanzo Shiranui; in the Mortal Kombat series, Scorpion's real name is Hanzo Hasashi; and in the first two games of the fantasy series Gensou Suikoden, a character named Hanzo is the leader of a hidden ninja village.
See also
References
- Alternative birth dates according to various sources are 1541, 1542 or 1543.
- ^ Stephen Turnbull, Ninja AD 1460-1650 (2003), p. 12
- ^ Joel Levy, Ninja: The Shadow Warrior (2008), p. 157-158
- Stephen K. Hayes, The Mystic Arts of the Ninja (1985)
- Donn F. Draeger, Ninjutsu: The Art of Invisibility (2008), p. 129-131
- Sengoku Era Ranks and Titles
- The Spear of Hattori Hanzo, Bujinkan
- Stephen Turnbull, The Samurai Swordsman: Master of War (2008), p. 53
- Ninja Master Hattori Hanzo (Character)
- Hanzo Hattori - SNK Wiki
- Hattori Hanzo - The Fighters Generation
- Hanzo (World Heroes) - SNK Wiki
- Hanzo Hattori - Samurai Games Wiki
- Hanzō Hattori - The Koei Wiki
- Hattori Hanzo - Aika Wiki
- List of historical figures in Civilization IV - Civilization
- Hattori Hanzo - The Quentin Tarantino Archives
- Okatsu - The Koei Wiki
- Hanzo - Suikoden Wikia
External links
- Hattori Hanzô (Character) at the Internet Movie Database
- Template:Tvtropes
- Hattori Hanzo - Vintage Ninja
- Badass of the Week: Hattori Hanzo