The Japanese Samurai Case

The Warriors of ancient Japanese legend have transcended the traditional image of war-tales and myths. For Japanese culture, the men who are regarded as one of the three types of heroes in Paul Varley's book, Warriors of Japan: As Portrayed in the War Tales, have proven to be much more than the subject of a bedtime story, but rather a national treasure in which Japanese culture and wisdom is portray through. It is the victories, and failures of these heroes that teach the world of Japanese traditions and honor. However, these men were not created for the education of the world, but rather for the centuries of Japanese people whom these figures represent. Warrior tales of Minamoto no Tametomo, Minamoto no Yoshitomo, Minamoto no Yoshinaka, and Minamoto no Yoshitsune have a greater purpose than to provide entertainment to the people of Japan, these men provide a Japanese education on personality, values, morals, and Japanese customs. The three types of heroes that Varley examines in his book differ from each other slightly, but contribute greatly to the history of Japan in an exciting narrative of the honor and customs of the ancient Japanese warrior.

The greatest loser-hero in Hōgen Monogatari is Minamoto no Tametomo (Varley, 56). A real life Japanese warrior, Minatomo was contributed with a number of attributes that are believed to have been not true in the effort to immortalize him as a warrior. Said to have stood two feet taller than the normal Japanese man, and endowed with a left arm six inches longer than the other - making his ability to shoot a bow an amazing and powerful feat - Tametomo was a grand character of Japanese imagination. His ability to wage battle made him an esteemed Japanese warrior, and this is important in regards to Japanese war customs in which many times the most elite warrior of each side would battle each other mano a mano (Varley, 54). Tametomo was a great warrior, and was also not the reason for his own demise. Never objecting to authority, his destiny is brought to an end by everyone other than himself. Tametomo, after much abuse and a number of odds stack against him, he is the first instance in the war tales of a Japanese warrior to commit suicide via hara o kiru, or to "cut the belly" (Varley, 65). This tragic loser hero has come to an end.

The tragic hero in Japanese history is one who is revered and distinguished on the battlefield, yet lacks a certain aesthetic in the public spotlight during this medieval age of Japanese history. Contrary to the loser-hero, the tragic-hero is a failed statesmen or politician which is solely responsible for their demise. Of the many tragic-heroes, three of whom stand out greatly: Yoshitomo; Yoshinaka; and Yoshitsune (Varley, 58). Yoshitomo was a Bandō warrior who had a reputation for military excellence (Varley, 71). Older brother of Tametomo, he differed from him in the fact that he specialized in mounted warfare as opposed to his brother whom excelled at hand to hand combat. Yoshitomo was a great warrior, but was "handicapped in the Heiji Conflict" due to reinforcements not materializing and him foolishly expelling his companions, thus his power base was absent and he would become forever known as politically inept - transforming him into a tragic loser-hero. Yoshitsune, son of Yoshitomo and cousin to Yoshinaka, is a "vigorous commander" (Varley, 155). However, Yoshitsune, much like his direct relatives, becomes bewildered in the