(died 938) was a boy
spy
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 tangib ...
of
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. ...
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. He is known from the 10th century
military chronicle ''
Shōmonki''. Recruited to spy against his lord, the rebel
Taira no Masakado, he was ultimately discovered and killed.
Enlistment
According to the ''Shōmonki'', Masakado was embroiled in a bitter struggle with one of his uncles, Taira no Yoshikane. After suffering several defeats at Yoshikane's hands, Masakado retaliated with his own troops, forcing Yoshikane into hiding.
It was at this time that the uncle, Yoshikane, noticed the young Koharumaru, who was working as a messenger for Masakado, and who frequented the area near Yoshikane's home. Yoshikane summoned Koharumaru, and
bribed the boy with "mounds of
rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima
''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...
", clothing, and the prospect of being given a better position as a
mounted retainer. In exchange, Yoshikane asked for his cooperation in "devising a scheme to destroy Masakado", a proposal Koharumaru accepted.
Assignment
Koharumaru returned to his home, along with a farmhand Yoshikane had sent with him. Disguised as
charcoal
Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, cal ...
carriers, the two spied on Masakado's residence, collecting information on its
armory, stable, gates, and Masakado's sleeping quarters before returning to Yoshikane.
Having received this information, Yoshikane led his forces against Masakado's estate in a nighttime raid. However, their movement was picked up by one of Masakado's sentries, who warned his master beforehand. Prepared, Masakado led a successful counterattack and routed Yoshikane's troops.
Death
Koharumaru, hearing of their defeat, quickly went on the run. However, it was not two weeks until he was captured by Masakado, and
beheaded for his deeds.
See also
*
Taira no Masakado
*
Shōmonki
Notes
References
*
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hasetsukabe, Koharumaru
Japanese spies
938 deaths
Year of birth unknown