Taira no Kagekiyo

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Taira no Kagekiyo (平景清)(d. 1185), also known as Kazusa no Shichirō, was a samurai of the Taira clan who took part in the Genpei War of Japan, against the Minamoto clan.

The son by birth of Fujiwara no Tadakiyo, he was adopted by the Taira, and served them loyally the rest of his life. In 1156, he played a role in confirming Emperor Go-Shirakawa on the throne, and later, during the Genpei War, sought unsuccessfully to have the head of the Minamoto clan, Minamoto no Yoritomo, assassinated. Captured at the battle of Dan-no-ura in 1185, Kagekiyo allowed himself to starve to death.

Kagekiyo is perhaps most famous for his appearance in the eleventh chapter of the fictionalized epic Heike Monogatari (The Tale of Heike), in the section called "The Dropped Bow" (弓流). He grasps the neckguard of Minamoto warrior Mionoya no Jūrō in order to prevent his escape; Mionoya does escape Kagekiyo's grasp, hiding from battle behind a friendly mount. Then, Kagekiyo, leaning on his spear, exclaims "You must have heard of me long ago. See me now with your own eyes! I am the man known to the young city toughs as Akushichibyōe Kagekiyo of Kazusa!"^[1] Kagekiyo then retires from battle, and is followed by his fellow Taira warriors, who seek to protect him.

[edit] Traditional drama and popular culture

Taira no Kagekiyo, like most figures in the supremely famous and popular Heike Monogatari, features in a number of traditional dramas, and in modern pop culture as well. In addition to the Noh play Daibutsu-kuyō, he is featured in performances and plays called Kagekiyo, which differ across a variety of disciplines, including kabuki, kyōgen and kōwakamai.

A number of jōruri puppet plays feature Kagekiyo, including Shusse Kagekiyo by Chikamatsu Monzaemon.

Kagekiyo features as the main character in the Namco videogame Genpei ToumaDen, as well as appearing in Namco x Capcom and Genji: Dawn of the Samurai.

[edit] Reference

Some of the information presented here derives from the corresponding article on the Japanese Wikipedia.
Frederic, Louis (2002). "Japan Encyclopedia." Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
Turnbull, Stephen (1998). 'The Samurai Sourcebook'. London: Cassell & Co.