is a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

epic novel written by

Eiji Yoshikawa was a Japanese historical novelist. Among his best-known novels are revisions of older classics. He was mainly influenced by classics such as '' The Tale of the Heike'', ''Tale of Genji'', ''Water Margin'' and ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', ...

, about the life and deeds of legendary Japanese swordsman

Miyamoto Musashi , also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was a Japanese swordsman, philosopher, strategist, writer and rōnin, who became renowned through stories of his unique double-bladed swordsmanship a ...

. The book follows Shinmen Takezō starting after the Battle of Sekigahara. It follows his life after the monk

Takuan ''Takuan'' (; also spelled ''takuwan''), or ''takuan-zuke'' (; 'pickled takuan'), known as ''danmuji'' () in the context of Korean cuisine, is a pickled preparation of daikon radish. As a popular part of traditional Japanese cuisine, ''takuan ...

forces him to reinvent himself as Miyamoto Musashi. He wanders around Japan training young pupils, getting involved in feuds with samurai and martial arts schools, and finding his way through his romantic life. It was originally released as a serial in the Japanese newspaper ''

Asahi Shimbun is one of the four largest newspapers in Japan. Founded in 1879, it is also one of the oldest newspapers in Japan and Asia, and is considered a newspaper of record for Japan. Its circulation, which was 4.57 million for its morning edition a ...

'', between 1935 and 1939. It has been re-released in book format, most of which are collections of several volumes, which compile the many newspaper strips. With an estimated 120 million copies sold, it is one of the best-selling book series in history.

Introduction

It is a fictionalized account of the life of

, author of ''

The Book of Five Rings is a text on ''kenjutsu'' and the martial arts in general, written by the Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi around 1645. Many translations have been made, and it enjoys an audience considerably broader than other martial artists and people ac ...

'' and arguably the most renowned Japanese swordsman who ever lived. The novel has been translated into English by Charles S. Terry, with a foreword by Edwin O. Reischauer, published by Kodansha International under . The long epic (over 900 pages, abridged, in the English version) comprises seven "books" detailing the exploits of Miyamoto Musashi, beginning just after the battle of Sekigahara, following his journeys and the many people who become important in his life, and leading up to his climactic duel with

Sasaki Kojiro Sasaki () is the 13th most common Japanese surname. Less common variants are 佐咲, 佐佐木 and 笹木. Notable people with the surname include: Overview *, Japanese figure skater *, Japanese alpine skier *, Japanese idol and singer *, Japane ...

on Ganryujima (Ganryu or Funa Island). Kojiro's cruelty contrasts with Musashi's reflective and selfless nature. Musashi becomes famous during the course of the novel as he searches for both perfection in swordsmanship and in consciousness. Innovating Japanese swordsmanship, he invents the style of simultaneously wielding both the

katana A is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed later than the '' tachi'', it was used by samurai in feudal Japan and worn with the edge f ...

and the

wakizashi The is one of the traditionally made Japanese swords (''nihontō'') worn by the samurai in feudal Japan. History and use The production of swords in Japan is divided into specific time periods:

, something unheard of at that time in Japanese history. Chance, as well as the characters' very different life decisions, give to the book a philosophical dimension that is revealed in its ending.

Table of Contents (Abridged Edition)

Chapters per book

Book 1 — Earth

* The Little Bell * The Comb * The Flower Festival * The Dowager's Wrath * The Art of War * The Old Cryptomeria Tree * The Rock and the Tree * The Birth of Musashi

Book 2 — Water

* The Yoshioka School * The Wheel of Fortune * Encounter and Retreat * The Water Sprite * A Spring Breeze * The Hōzōin * Hannya Plain * The Koyagyū Fief * The Peony * Jōtarō's Revenge * The Nightingales

Book 3 — Fire

* Sasaki Kojirō * Reunion in Osaka * The Handsome Young Man * The Seashell of Forgetfulness * A Hero's Passing * The Drying Pole * Eagle Mountain * The Mayfly in Winter * The Pinwheel * The Flying Horse * The Butterfly in Winter * The Announcement * The Great Bridge at Gojō Avenue

Book 4 — Wind

* The Withered Field * A Man of Parts * Too Many Kojirōs * The Younger Brother * A Mother's Love * The Urbane Craftsman * Reverberations in the Snow * The Elegant People * The Broken Lute * A Sickness of the Heart * The Scent of Aloeswood * The Gate * A Toast to the Morrow * The Death Trap * A Meeting in the Moonlight * Stray Geese * The Spreading Pine * An Offering for the Dead * A Drink of Milk * Entwining Branches * The Male and Female Waterfalls

Book 5 — Sky

* The Abduction * The Warrior of Kiso * Poisonous Fangs * A Maternal Warning * A One-Night Love Affair * A Gift of Money * A Cleansing Fire * Playing with Fire * A Cricket in the Grass * The Pioneers * Slaughter by the Riverside * Shavings * The Owl * A Plate of Loaches * Like Teacher, Like Pupil * Mountain Devils * First Planting * The Flies * The Soul Polisher * The Fox * An Urgent Letter * Filial Piety * Spring Shower in Red * A Block of Wood * The Deserted Prophet * The Talk of the Town

Book 6 — Sun and Moon

* A Chat with the Men * Buzzing Insects * The Eagle * Green Persimmons * Eyes * Four Sages with a Single Light * The Locust Tree * Tadaaki's Madness * The Poignancy of Things * Two Drumsticks * The Demon's Attendant * Brother Disciples * The Pomegranate * Land of Dreams * The Challenge * The Gateway to Glory * The Sound of Heaven

Book 7 — The Perfect Light

* The Runaway Ox * Hemp Seed * Sweepers and Salesmen * A Pear Blossom * The Port * The Writing Teacher * The Circle * Shikama Blue * The Mercy of Kannon * The Tides of Life * The Evening Boat * A Falcon and a Woman * Before the Thirteenth Day * At Daybreak * The Marriage * The Soul of the Deep

Release details

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References

{{Samurai Trilogy 1935 novels Japanese serial novels Historical novels Novels first published in serial form Works originally published in Asahi Shimbun Novels set in Japan Japanese novels adapted into films Cultural depictions of Miyamoto Musashi