was the name adopted by the leader of the
ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enem ...
during the
Sengoku
The was a period in Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615.
The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the feudal system of Japan under the Ashikaga shogunate. Various s ...
era of
feudal Japan
The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to Japanese Paleolithic, prehistoric times around 30,000 BC. The Jōmon period, named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period in the first millenni ...
. He was retainer of
Later Hōjō clan
The was one of the most powerful samurai families in Japan in the Sengoku period and held domains primarily in the Kantō region. Their last name was simply Hōjō (北条) but in order to differentiate between the earlier Hōjō clan with the ...
. According to some records, his name was originally Kazama Kotarō (風間 小太郎).
The Fūma clan and Fūma Kotarō
The clan was based in
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-densest at . Its geographic area of makes it fifth-smallest. Kana ...
, specializing in horseback
guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare in which small groups of combatants, such as paramilitary personnel, armed civilians, or Irregular military, irregulars, use military tactics including ambushes, sabotage, Raid (military), raids ...
and naval
espionage
Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangibl ...
.
Donn F. Draeger
Donald Frederick "Donn" Draeger (April 15, 1922 – October 20, 1982) was an internationally known teacher and practitioner of Japanese martial arts. He was the author of several important books on Asian martial arts,Modern Bujutsu & Budo: M ...
, ''Ninjutsu: The Art of Invisibility'', p.129-130. According to some sources, the family has roots in the 10th century when they served
Taira no Masakado
was a Heian period provincial magnate (''gōzoku'') and samurai based in eastern Japan, notable for leading the first recorded uprising against the central government in Kyōto.
Early life
Masakado was one of the sons of Taira no Yoshimasa ...
in his revolt against the
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
government. The use of the name started with the first leader (''jonin'') of the clan: originally surnamed "風間" (Fūma), with a different
kanji
are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...
, it was later changed to
homophone
A homophone () is a word that is pronounced the same (to varying extent) as another word but differs in meaning. A ''homophone'' may also differ in spelling. The two words may be spelled the same, for example ''rose'' (flower) and ''rose'' (p ...
風魔. Each subsequent leader of the school adopted the same name as its founder, making it difficult to identify them individually. This
school
A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...
was in the service of the
Hōjō clan
The was a Japanese samurai family who controlled the hereditary title of ''shikken'' (regent) of the Kamakura shogunate between 1203 and 1333. Despite the title, in practice the family wielded actual political power in Japan during this period ...
of
Odawara
is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 188,482 and a population density of 1,700 persons per km2. The total area of the city is .
Geography
Odawara lies in the Ashigara Plains, in the far western por ...
.
Fūma Kotarō was the fifth and the best known of the Fūma clan leaders. Born in
Sagami Province
was a province of Japan located in what is today the central and western Kanagawa Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Kanagawa''" at . Sagami Province bordered the provinces of Izu, Musashi, and Suruga. It had access to the Paci ...
(modern
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-densest at . Its geographic area of makes it fifth-smallest. Kana ...
) on an unknown date, he became notorious as the leader of a band of 200 ''Rappa'' "battle disrupters", divided into four groups: brigands, pirates, burglars and thieves. Kotarō served under
Hōjō Ujimasa
was the fourth head of the later Hōjō clan, and ''daimyō'' of Odawara. Ujimasa succeeded the territory expansion policy from his father, Hojo Ujiyasu, and achieved the biggest territory in the clan's history.
Early life and rise
In 1538, Uj ...
and
Hōjō Ujinao
Hōjō Ujinao (北条 氏直: 1562 – December 19, 1591) was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the late Sengoku period, and the final head of the Later Hōjō clan. An important figure in the history of Azuchi-Momoyama politics, he lost his entire d ...
. His biggest achievement came in 1580 at
Battle of Omosu
The 1580 was one of many battles fought between the Hōjō and Takeda clans during Japan's Sengoku period. It is distinguished, however, as one of the very few naval battles to be fought in pre-modern Japan.
The battle took place off the coast ...
, when the Fūma ninja covertly infiltrated and attacked a camp of the
Takeda clan
The was a Japanese samurai clan active from the late Heian period until the late 16th century. The clan was historically based in Kai Province in present-day Yamanashi Prefecture. The clan reached its greatest influence under the rule of Taked ...
forces under
Takeda Katsuyori
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period, who was famed as the head of the Takeda clan and the successor to the legendary warlord Takeda Shingen. He was son in law of Hojo Ujiyasu.
Early life
He was the son of Shingen by the daughter ...
at night, succeeding in causing severe chaos in the camp, which resulted in massive casualties among the disoriented enemies as they attacked each other.
[ Later In 1590, at Siege of Odawara, when ]Toyotomi Hideyoshi
, otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cour ...
laid siege to Odawara Castle
is a landmark in the city of Odawara in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
History
Odawara was a stronghold of the Doi clan during the Kamakura period, and a fortified residence built by their collateral branch, the Kobayakawa clan, stood on the ...
, which eventually fell, and the Hōjō clan was forced to surrender.
When the Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...
came to power, the remnants of Fūma-ryū were reduced to a band of brigands operating in and around Edo
Edo ( ja, , , "bay-entrance" or "estuary"), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo.
Edo, formerly a ''jōkamachi'' (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the ''de facto'' capital of ...
. A popular but fictional story says that in 1596, Kotarō was responsible for the death of Hattori Hanzō
or ''Second Hanzō'', nicknamed , was a famous Ninja of the Sengoku era, who served the Tokugawa clan as a ninja, credited with saving the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu and then helping him to become the ruler of united Japan. He is often a subjec ...
, a famous ninja in the service of Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fellow ...
, who had tracked him down in the Inland Sea
An inland sea (also known as an epeiric sea or an epicontinental sea) is a continental body of water which is very large and is either completely surrounded by dry land or connected to an ocean by a river, strait, or "arm of the sea". An inland se ...
, but Kotarō has succeeded in luring him into a small channel, where a tide trapped the Tokugawa gunboats and his men then set fire to the channel with oil.[
Kotarō was eventually caught by the Tokugawa shogunate's special law-enforcement force, guided by his rival and a former Takeda ninja ]Kōsaka Jinnai and are two separate Japanese surnames, distinguished by the length of the vowel in the first syllable of each surname. They are sometimes spelled identically in romanisation due to omission of the macron in the latter surname. Notable people wi ...
(高坂甚内), and executed through beheading
Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the i ...
by an order of Ieyasu in 1603.
In folklore and popular culture
In a folk legend, he is often an inhuman figure: a supposedly part-oni
An is a kind of ''yōkai'', demon, orc, ogre, or troll in Japanese folklore. Oni are mostly known for their fierce and evil nature manifested in their propensity for murder and cannibalism. Notwithstanding their evil reputation, oni possess i ...
monstrous giant (over 2 meters tall) with inverted eyes.[Joel Levy, ''Ninja: The Shadow Warrior'', p.165-166.] In fiction portrayals, Fūma Kotarō is often depicted as Hattori Hanzō's arch-rival. As the name Fūma literally means "wind demon", Fūma Kotarō's depiction is frequently more flamboyant, fantastical, and sometimes even demonic. In contrast, Hanzō is usually rendered with a relatively subdued appearance.
Kotarō is a player character in the video game '' Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny'' as a young ninja in the service of the Hōjō clan, also returning in the spin-offs '' Onimusha Tactics'' and ''Onimusha Soul''. He is also a main character in the ''World Heroes
is a series of four fighting games created originally by ADK with assistance from SNK for the Neo Geo family of arcade and home consoles.
Over the years, the games have been ported to various non-SNK platforms as well including the Super NE ...
'' fighting game series (as "Fuuma"), also featured in ''Neo Geo Battle Coliseum
, abbreviated ''NGBC'' or ''NBC'', is a 2-on-2 tag team fighting game designed for the Atomiswave arcade board developed and released by SNK in 2005. The game features characters from several SNK and ADK titles. Subsequently, a PlayStation 2 vers ...
'' together with his main rival Hanzo. In the video game ''Samurai Warriors 2
is a sequel to the original ''Samurai Warriors'', created by Koei and Omega Force. The game was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, and ported to Microsoft Windows in 2008. Like the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, an ''Empires'' e ...
'' and its sequels along with its spin-off series ''Warriors Orochi
is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, developed by Koei and Omega Force. It is a crossover of two of Koei's popular video game series, ''Dynasty Warriors'' and ''Samurai Warriors'' (specifically ''Dynasty Warriors 5'' an ...
'', he is Hanzō's foe, who, despite serving the Hōjō clan, prefers chaos and continually makes trouble for many factions. He also appears in several other video games such as ''Fate/Grand Order
is a free-to-play Japanese mobile game, developed by Lasengle (formerly Delightworks) using Unity, and published by Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The game is based on Type-Moon's ''Fate/stay night'' franchise, and ...
'' (as an assassin class servant), '' Getsu Fūma Den'', ''Kessen III
''Kessen III'' (決戦III) is the third ''Kessen'' title by Koei for PlayStation 2. The game is based on the life of Oda Nobunaga.
Historical background
The game's time frame is roughly between the years 1550 to 1590. Contrary to many stories an ...
'' (as an optional bonus character), '' Nobunaga's Ambition II'', ''Sengoku Basara 2
is a series of video games developed and published by Capcom, and a bigger media franchise based on it, including four anime shows, an anime movie, a live action show, a magazine series, a trading card game, and numerous drama CDs, light nove ...
'' (initially as a non-player character, he became playable in the ''Heroes'' edition), ''Sengoku Basara 3
''Sengoku BASARA Samurai Heroes'', known in Japan as ''Sengoku BASARA 3'', is a 2010 hack and slash, action video game developed and published by Capcom. It is the third major installment in the ''Sengoku BASARA'' game series and the second game ...
'' and ''Sengoku Basara 4
is the fourth main installment of the ''Sengoku BASARA'' video game series, developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation 3. The game was released in Japan on January 23, 2014.
An expanded version of the game for the PlayStation 3 and Pl ...
'', '' Persona 2: Eternal Punishment'' (as a summonable "persona" character), ''Pokémon Conquest
''Pokémon Conquest'', known in Japan as , is a 2012 Tactical role-playing game, tactical role-playing video game developed by Tecmo Koei, published by The Pokémon Company and distributed by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. The game is a crossover b ...
'' (as a playable sidequest character), ''Shall We Date?: Ninja Love'' (as a romance option or the player character), and '' Taikō Risshiden V'' (as an unlockable player character). He is further featured in the manga series ''Nabari no Ou
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yuhki Kamatani. It was serialized in Square Enix's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Monthly GFantasy'' from May 2004 to August 2010, with its chapters collected in 14 ''tankōbon'' volumes. ...
'', where he appears as the shape-shifting leader of the Fūma ninja village and an ally of the protagonist, and also makes an appearance in the light novel series ''Mirage of Blaze
is a 49-volume Japanese light novel series written by Mizuna Kuwabara, published under Shueisha's ''Cobalt'' label. It was partially adapted into a 13-episode anime television series directed by Susumu Kudo in 2002 and an OVA directed by Fu ...
'' during the story arc involving the Hōjō clan, and in the manga and anime series ''Samurai Deeper Kyo
is a manga series written and illustrated by Akimine Kamijyo. Set during the Edo period of Japan's history, ''Samurai Deeper Kyo'' follows , a feared samurai seeking to regain his body after his soul is sealed inside the body of his rival, ...
'', where he is Sarutobi Sasuke
is a ninja who appears in kōdan narrative art and fictional writings. The nickname is generally believed to have been concocted from Meiji to the Taishō period. Some argue he is based on real live personages, such as and . His family name, ...
's childhood friend and rival, and ''Karasu Tengu Kabuto
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Buichi Terasawa in 1987.
Plot
Those who have the blood of the Karasu Tengu (Crow Goblin) in their veins must forever fight against the powers of darkness. Along with four other holy nin ...
''. Fūma Kotarō is featured in the manga '' Hana no Keiji: Kumo no Kanata ni''; in the SNES game of the same title, he is the final opponent that Keiji Maeda has to fight against.
The anime series ''Sengoku Collection
:'' The names of characters based on historical figures are listed family name first. The names of other characters and all staff and cast members are written in standard English order.''
was a mobile social networking game created by Konami, ...
'' features a female interpretation of Kotarō, being a servant to the female version of Imagawa Yoshimoto
was a pre-eminent ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) in the Sengoku period Japan. Based in Suruga Province, he was known as . he was one of the three ''daimyōs'' that dominated the Tōkaidō region.
He died in 1560 while marching to Kyoto to become ...
. In the manga and anime series ''Laughing Under the Clouds
is a Japanese manga series by Karakara-Kemuri. The manga was serialized by Mag Garden on ''Monthly Comic Avarus'' magazine. The series has been adapted into an anime television series by Doga Kobo. The story follows Tenka Kumō, Soramaru K ...
'', Fuma Kotaro is a couple of twins who both rule over a falling Fuma clan. In the manga series ''Yaiba
''Yaiba'' (stylized as ''Y∀IBA'') is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Gosho Aoyama. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from September 1988 to December 1993, with its ch ...
'', he is a revenant brought back to life by Onimaru.
His 18th-century descendant Fūma Kotarō Kaneyoshi is the hero's nemesis through most of the TV series ''The Samurai
A samurai is a member of the Japanese warrior caste.
Samurai may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Samurai'' (2002 film), a 2002 Tamil-language film
* ''Le Samouraï'', a 1967 French film also known as ''The Samurai''
* ''The Samurai'' ...
''. His modern descendant is a player character in the video game ''Ninja Commando
is a vertically scrolling run and gun video game developed by Alpha Denshi and published by SNK for the Neo Geo (console), Neo Geo arcade and home systems in 1992. It was released for the Neo Geo CD in 1994.
Gameplay
The overall gameplay is ...
''. The Fūma clan are also featured in the TV series ''Shogun Iemitsu Shinobi Tabi was a pair of television ''jidaigeki'' series on TV Asahi in Japan. The first aired in 1990–1991 and the sequel in 1992–1993. Kunihiko Mitamura portrayed Tokugawa Iemitsu in both series.
The show premiered on October 13, 1990, as an off-season ...
'' and the video games and '' Inindo: Way of the Ninja''. In the ''Soul'' series of video games the female ninja Taki and several minor characters including Li Long
is a fictional character in the ''Soulcalibur'' series of video games. Created by Namco's Project Soul division, he first appeared in ''Soul Edge'', later appearing in both console and arcade versions of ''Soulcalibur III'', as well as on variou ...
's lover Chie are a part of the Fūma clan, however in this setting the clan is depicted as being from Ōmi province rather than Sagami. ''Soul''s and ''Tekken
is a Japanese Media mix, media franchise centered on a series of fighting game, fighting video and arcade games developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment (formerly Namco). The franchise also includes film and print adaptations.
The ...
''s Yoshimitsu
is a name used by three different characters who appear in the ''Tekken'' and ''Soulcalibur'' series of fighting games by Namco.
The first version of Yoshimitsu made his debut in the original ''Tekken'' in 1994. The second version of Yoshimitsu ...
, a rival of Taki's in the ''Soul series'', is a part of the fictitious Manji clan which is based in the Kantō region and is composed of brigands and bandits like the real Fūma clan. Characters who are modern-day descendants of the Fūma clan include title characters in the manga series '' Fūma no Kojirō'' and the anime film ''The Plot of the Fuma Clan
, first released in North America as ''Rupan III: The Fuma Conspiracy'', is a 1987 Japanese OVA action film based on Monkey Punch's ''Lupin III'' manga. Due to budgetary reasons, it utilized a different voice cast from previous entries, with Tosh ...
'', as well as two of the main characters in the manga '' X''. In the manga and anime series ''Naruto
''Naruto'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. T ...
'', the character Pain
Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by intense or damaging stimuli. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, ...
was revealed to have a body that originated from the Fūma clan when he kills his rival Hanzō.
A fictional weapon called the ''Fūma shuriken'' is a large collapsible shuriken
A ''shuriken'' ( ja, 手裏剣; literally: "hidden hand blade") is a Japanese concealed weapon that was used as a hidden dagger or metsubushi to distract or misdirect.
They are also known as throwing stars, or ninja stars, although they were ...
with four blades. In 2014, Makai Syojyo Ken held a professional wrestling event where several wrestlers performed as historical figures; during the event, Isami Kodaka
is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to Pro-Wrestling Basara (Basara). He originally started his career in the Kaientai Dojo (K-Dojo) promotion in July 2002, but later left the promotion to become a freelancer, before signing w ...
performed as Fūma Kotarō.
See also
*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. His legend lives ...
*Hattori Hanzo
is a Japanese surname.
Notable people
* , mathematician
*, Japanese footballer
* , Japanese samurai
* , Japanese classical composer
* , manga artist
* , Japanese classical violinist
* , Japanese racing driver and journalist
* , Japanese baske ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fuma, Kotaro
1603 deaths
16th-century Japanese people
17th-century executions by Japan
17th-century Japanese people
Japanese criminals
Japanese ninjutsu practitioners
Japanese pirates
Japanese thieves
Ninja
People executed by Japan by decapitation
Year of birth unknown
Go-Hōjō clan