{ is a series of popular historical novels written by

Shōtarō Ikenami was a Japanese author. He wrote a number of historical novels. He won the Naoki Award for popular literature in 1960. Many of his historical novels were adapted for TV and cinema. Early life Born on January 25, 1923 in Sintencho, Asakusa-ku, ...

and one of the representative novels of Ikenami along with '' Onihei Hankachō'' and ''Shikakenin Fujieda Baian''. The stories were originally serialized in the Shōsetsu Shinchō between 1972 and 1989. Sixteen full-length novels were published from

Shinchosha is a publisher founded in 1896 in Japan and headquartered in Yaraichō, Shinjuku, Tokyo. Shinchosha is one of the sponsors of the Japan Fantasy Novel Award. Books * Haruki Murakami: '' Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World'' (19 ...

between 1973 and 1989. Kenkaku Shōbai was also adapted into TV programs and manga series.

Characters

* : Akiyama Kohei : The main character Akiyama Kohei is a master of

Mugai ryu or "Outer Nothingness School" is a Japanese '' koryū'' martial art school founded by on 23 June 1680. Its formal name is Mugai Shinden Kenpō (無外真伝剣法). History The founder of Mugai-ryū, Tsuji Gettan Sukemochi (辻月丹資茂) ...

but he is spending retired life. Though Kohei is old, he is still a skilled swordsman. * : Kohei's son who manages school of swordplay. * : Kohei's wife. She is 40 years younger than Kohei. * *

Novels

* (1973) * (1973) * (1973) * (1974) * (1975) * (1976) * (1976) * (1977) * (1978) * (1978) * (1979) * (1980) * (1983) * (1985) * (1987) * (1989)

Manga

Adaptation

Television

* ''Kenkaku Shōbai'' (1973), a

Fuji TV JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as and colloquially known as CX, is a Japanese television station based in Odaiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Owned and operated by the it is the key station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network S ...

production, Isao Yamagata as Akiyama Kohei and

Gō Katō was a Japanese entertainer and actor. Katō starred in the long-running TV series ''Ōoka Echizen'' (1970~2006). Overviews The son of an elementary school principal, Katō studied literature and theatre. As an actor, he made his film debut in ...

as Akiyama Daijirō. * ''Kenkaku Shōbai'' (1998–2010) a Fuji TV production,

Makoto Fujita , born Makoto Harada (April 13, 1933 – February 17, 2010), was a Japanese actor. He was born in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, the son of silent-film actor Rintarō Fujima, and started his career as a comedian in 1952. Acting Roles Fujita appeared in ...

played the role of Akiyama Kohei * ''Kenkaku Shōbai'' (2012), a Fuji TV production,

Kin'ya Kitaōji is a Japanese actor. Biography Early life He was born in Kyoto, son of ''jidaigeki'' film star Ichikawa Utaemon, and graduated from Waseda University School of Letters, Arts and Sciences II in Tokyo. Acting career Kin'ya made his debut with ...

played the role of Akiyama Kohei

Manga

* ''Professional Swordsmen of the Edo Era'' (1998–1999), Illustrated by

Takao Saito was a Japanese manga artist, although he rejected the term and considered his work gekiga. He was best known for '' Golgo 13'', which has been serialized in '' Big Comic'' since 1968, making it the oldest manga still in publication. ''Golg ...

* ''Kenkaku Shōbai'' (2008–2021), Illustrated by Yasuichi Oshima

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kenkaku Shobai Fictional samurai Japanese novels Japanese historical novels Samurai in anime and manga Television shows based on Japanese novels Historical anime and manga Jidaigeki television series Takao Saito