(A Collection of Tales of Times Now Past; vol. 25, sec. 3) is the oldest full account of such a battle known in Japan.
BATTLES OF ANY AGE, in any place, are mostly messy affairs. But in the old idealized form, in Japan and elsewhere, the two commanders of the
opposing armies would sometimes engage in combat to decide the outcome of the battle between themselves. The following story,
from the Konjaku Monogatari Sh (A Collection of Tales of Times Now Past; vol. 25, sec. 3) is the oldest full account of such a battle known in Japan.
The exact birth and death dates of the two men in the story are unknown. However, it is known that Taira no Yoshifumi was a nephew of Masakado (d. 940), the rebel warrior who proclaimed himself emperor.
In the brief but fascinating passage describing the exchange of messengers before battle a lacuna in the original text leaves us unsure what the messengers do or don’t do with their horses. I have opted for the possibility that they don’t break into a gallop, rather than that they don’t ride their horses.
In the East there were once two warriors, Minamoto no Mitsuru and Taira no Yoshifumi. Mitsuru was commonly known as Minota
no Genni and Yoshifumi as Muraoka no Gor
.
Both worked hard at the way of the warrior. But as they did so, they grew resentful of each other. This was because some men were busybodies and told one boss what the other said about him. Some would tell Yoshifumi, “Mitsuru is saying about you, sir, ‘He can’t challenge me, but contradicts me in everything. That’s disgusting.’“
Hearing this, Yoshifumi would say, “How can he say something like that? I know quite well his ability, his way of thinking, everything. I say to him, ‘If that’s what you really think of me, come out onto a suitable field to fight me.’” Such a remark would duly be conveyed to Mitsuru.
Even though the two men had stout minds and were wise, as some people kept egging them on, they eventually erupted in anger and sent word to each other: “We can’t go on saying such things about each other. We will set a date, go onto a suitably large field, and fight each other to see who is the better.” So by letter they picked a field and set a date. From then on, each man’s army prepared for battle.
When the promised day arrived, each army marched to the specified field around ten in the morning. Each army had five to six hundred soldiers, every one of them ready to give up his life and working up his nerve. The two sides were about a hundred yards apart, each with shields lined up at the front.
Soon each side sent out to the other a warrior to carry a formal letter declaring war. As the warrior returned to his camp, the other side, as set by the rule, shot arrows at him. Not to bolt at that moment or turn to look but to return calmly to his camp was valued as a sign of bravery.
After this the two sides moved their shields forward and were readying themselves to shoot, when Yoshifumi had his side tell Mitsuru: “In today’s battle it wouldn’t be interesting if we had our armies shoot at each other. You and I simply wanted to know what each has to show the other, did we not? If that’s the case, we won’t allow your army and mine to engage in shooting matches. Instead, I think only the two of us should run out and shoot at each other to the best of our abilities. What do you think?”
When he heard this, Mitsuru sent this word out: “That’s exactly what I had wanted. I will come out at once.”
He then detached himself from the shields, alone on horseback, and stood, with a fork-tipped arrow ready on his bow.
Yoshifumi was pleased with this response and told his soldiers, “I want to have a shooting match with him, alone, using all the skills I have. Leave the matter to me and watch. If I get shot down, then retrieve my body and bury me.”
He then walked his horse out past the shields, alone.
The two men started galloping toward each other, arrows ready on their bows, and made the first shots. Hoping to shoot the enemy down with the second arrow, each drew the string and shot as they galloped past each other. When they had run past each other, they turned their horses around and galloped back.
Again each drew his string but this time they galloped back toward each other without shooting. When they had run past each other, they again turned their horses around and galloped back. Again they drew the strings and took aim. Yoshifumi took aim at the center of Mitsuru’s body and shot. But because Mitsuru jerked himself side-wise, almost falling off his horse, to avoid the shot, the arrow hit the cover of his sword hilt.
Mitsuru himself turned back and shot at the center of Yoshifumi’s body, but Yoshifumi twisted himself to avoid the shot and the arrow hit his sword belt.
When the two of them galloped toward each other, Yoshifumi called out to Mitsuru, “Both of us shoot at the center of the body. We now know what we have to show to each other, and it isn’t too bad. As you know, we are not old enemies, so now let’s stop. We simply wanted to challenge each other. We didn’t want to kill each other, did we?”
“I agree,” Mitsuru said. “We’ve seen what we have to show each other. It’s a good thing to stop now. I’ll pull back my army.”
And each did pull back his army.
The soldiers on each side were gripped with terror each time their masters were galloping toward each other and shot, thinking, Now he’s going to be shot down! Now he’s going to be shot down! Indeed, they felt it harder to bear to see their masters fight than they would have if they themselves had shot at each other. So, the turn of events puzzled them at first, but when they heard the whole story, they rejoiced among themselves.
That’s the way warriors used to be in the old days.
After this incident, Mitsuru and Yoshifumi became fast friends who didn’t hesitate for a moment to talk to each other about anything.