IN THE FOLLOWING EPISODE from Konjaku Monogatari Sh
(vol. 25, sec. 5) the man mentioned at the outset, Fujiwara no Sanekata (d. 998), was of blue-blood aristocratic stock and
his appointment as Governor of Mutsu, in 995, was totally “unexpected,” according to another story in Konjaku (vol. 24, sec. 37). Mutsu to the Japanese in the central government of Kyoto in those days was what Arizona or South Dakota
might have been to the Easterners in the United States a hundred years ago: It was remote, vaguely defined, and barbarous.
And the reaction of an aristocrat to his appointment as governor of that province may have resembled to some degree that of
a Supreme Court justice of New England stock working as a circuit court judge in a Western state in America during the nineteenth
century, even though a provincial governorship at the time entailed more than legal adjudication. That may explain why Sanekata’s
appointment spawned some stories.
It is said that Sanekata’s temporary removal from the court–which was what was apparently intended though he died in his governor’s
post–was a result of his hot-tempered behavior. One day he started to argue with a fellow aristocrat, Fujiwara no Yukinari
(972-1027), snatched Yukinari’s headgear from his head, threw it into the courtyard, and stomped away. Yukinari, who would
become known as one of the three greatest calligraphers of his period, had an attendant pick up his headgear. As he calmly
dusted it and put it on, he muttered, “A nobleman with such terrible manners!”
Emperor Ichij
(980-1011), who watched all this from his seat behind a see-through blind that set him apart, decided to promote
Yukinari to Chief of the Imperial Secretariat, while appointing Sanekata Governor of Mutsu. He explained that Sanekata might
acquire a touch of courtly refinement by being stationed in Mutsu because its euphonious alternative name, Michinoku, was
an uta-makura, “poetic place name.” For a fifteen-year old emperor it was an explanation full of sophistication and irony. Many of the place names used as uta-makura were far-away places which were poetic only in the poet’s imaginings. Here is, in any event, one of the most famous poems
incorporating that place name:
Michinoku no shinobu-mojizuri
tare yue ni midaresomenishi ware naranakuni
The dye with hare’s-foot-fern, of Michinoku-
who else would have made me feel as disturbed?1
About Fujiwara no Morot little is known other than that some records list him as “General Yogo’s enemy.” However, his grandfather,
Fujiwara no Hidesato, also known as Tawara no Tta, is famous for slaughtering a monstrous centipede and, more factually,
for killing the rebel Taira no Masakado. Legend has it that when Hidesato went to see Masakado, pretending to be willing to
become his ally, an overjoyed Masakado held a feast to welcome him. During the feast, though, Masakado carelessly wiped away
the rice he had spilled on his trouser-skirt, rather than make his attendant do the job. When Hidesato saw this, he decided
that Masakado was not destined to be a great leader.
But now to the story.
When Middle Captain Sanekata became Governor of Mutsu and went to the assigned province, because he was a gentleman of noble
birth all the distinguished soldiers there feasted him and served him closely at his mansion day and night as they had never
done with any of his predecessors.
In the same province there was a man by the name of Taira no Koremochi. He was the first son of Kanetada, Governor of Kazusa,
who was a son of Shigenari, Acting Governor of Musashi, who was, in turn, the younger brother of the warrior Taira no Sadamori,
Governor of Tamba. When his grand-uncle, Sadamori, adopted all of his nephews and their sons as his sons, Koremochi was especially
young and became the fifteenth boy to be adopted, so his nickname became Master Yogo.2
There was also a man by the name of Fujiwara no Morot. He was a grandson of the warrior Tawara no Tta Hidesato. His nickname
was Sawamata no Shir.
These two men, who had a quarrel over the ownership of some negligible fields and paddies, appealed to the governor, each
with his own justification. Because each man’s justification seemed reasonable and because both were distinguished men, the
governor was unable to decide the case, when, after just three years in his post, he died. The two men’s worries and anger
did not cease, however, and they continued to regard each other with unease. Then, too, there were busybodies who kept telling
one about the other in an improper sort of way, saying terrible things. As a result, even though they were initially good
friends, their relationship simply went on worsening as each kept saying more and more frequently, “So he says that about
me,” or “How could he say that about me?” In the end, they issued an ultimatum–a serious matter.
It was decided that both would line up their soldiers and do battle. They sent a note to each other to set the date and agreed
to meet in a particular field. Koremochi assembled about 3,000 soldiers, but Morot managed only a little over 1,000, an incomparably
inferior force in number. Thereupon, Morot canceled the battle and moved over to the Province of Hitachi. When he heard this,
Koremochi said, “That’s the way it should be. He couldn’t possibly have put up a fight against me.” He remained somewhat boastful
for several days, though he kept his soldiers alert for a while. As many days passed, however, they started going home, each
saying, “I have something to do.”
Also, some of the busybodies, especially those who wanted to go home without any mishap, tried to comfort Yogo, saying things
like:
“Master Sawamata wouldn’t have wanted to carry out a useless battle because of what busybodies said. Besides, the number of
his soldiers was no match for yours.”
“The whole argument between the two of you was groundless, if we may say so, sir.”
“People are saying, ‘Master Sawamata is going about in Hitachi and Shimotsuke.’”
Finding these words persuasive, Yogo let all his soldiers go home and relaxed his guard.
But on the first of the tenth month, about two o’clock in the morning, Yogo was startled out of his sleep by the sudden commotion
of the waterfowl in the large pond in front of his house. Yogo immediately called out to his soldier-servants:
“The enemy soldiers must have come! The birds are making a lot of noise!
“Men, put on your bows and arrows!
“Saddle the horses!
“Send someone up the lookout tower!”
Then he put a man on a horse and said, “Run ahead and see what’s going on!”
The man galloped back almost at once. “Sir, in the field to the south, I can’t tell how many, but black figures of soldiers
are scattered all about for four or five hundred yards!”
Yogo said, “This surprise attack means I’m finished, but I’ll make my last stand.”
He made several groups, each consisting of four or five men on horseback, position themselves with their shields up on the
road by which the enemies were expected to come. In the house there were altogether only about twenty men equipped with bows
and arrows, regardless of their rank.
He must have heard that I’d relaxed my guard, so he’s given this surprise attack. There’s no way I can survive this, Yogo
thought, and sent his wife, a few of the maids, and an infant child to the hill behind the house to hide. The infant grew
up to be Saemon no Tay
Shigesada.
Having sent them away, Yogo felt at ease and, running around, gave orders. The enemy soldiers, now near the house, encircled
it and attacked. Yogo’s men fought back, but there were too few of them to make an effective force.
Sawamata’s men set fire to the house to burn it down. When someone came out, a great many men shot at him, so most people
stayed put, wriggling like worms.
In time the day broke and everything became visible. Sawamata’s men wouldn’t allow a single person to escape. They kept everybody
in the house and shot some to death, burned others to death. When finally the fire died down, they went inside and counted
a total of eighty-odd men and children burned to death. They searched for Yogo’s corpse, repeatedly turning over many of the dead bodies, but all the corpses were charred black, some
so completely burned that there was little left recognizable as human beings.
Well, Sawamata thought, we killed all of them, without even letting a dog out alive. I’m sure Yogo’s dead. Relieved by this
thought, he began to withdraw. On his side, too, there were twenty to thirty casualties, some wounded, others killed. Some
of them had to be carried back on horseback.
On his way back, he stopped by the house of the man known as Great Prince. A son of Fujiwara no Koremichi, Governor of Noto,
Great Prince was a wise, brave warrior who was so considerate and wily that he had no enemy and was respected by everyone.
Sawamata, who was married to a sister of Great Prince, stopped by in the hope of feeding his soldiers and giving them sake
as they had fought a fierce battle all night.
When Great Prince greeted Sawamata, he spoke: “I’m impressed that you killed Yogo in so brilliant a fashion. He was extremely
clever, a man of such energy and ferocity that I wouldn’t have expected you to shut him up in his house and kill him. Well,
now I trust you made sure to cut off his head and bring it here with you, tied to your saddle. Let me see it.”
“You say a silly thing, sir, if I may say such a thing,” Sawamata responded. “We forced him to stay within his compound to
fight, and he did fight, giving loud orders, running about on his horse. When the day broke, we could easily have seen anybody
who’d tried to escape, but we didn’t allow a single fly to get away. Some of the survivors we shot to death instantly, the
others we shut up in the house and burned. Afterward we burned to death every one of those who even managed to whimper. Why
should I have brought with me a burned head, such a disgusting thing to carry? There shouldn’t be any doubt that we killed
him, sir.”
He said this with a triumphant air, his hands ostentatiously placed on his chest.
“Yes, I understand why you say that,” Great Prince said. “But the way this old man thinks, I would feel a lot more relaxed
about you if you had Yogo’s head tied to your saddle just in case it revived. Otherwise you don’t know what might happen.
I say this because I know very well how his mind works. If you stayed here even for a while, I’d feel terrible. It would be
very terrible indeed to have to fight for someone as unreasonable as you at my old age. All these years I’ve met many people but shrewdly managed not to get involved in a fight like this. And now this! Leave these premises at once!”
With these words Great Prince pitilessly tried to chase Sawamata away. Sawamata was in the habit of deferring to Great Prince
as if he were his father, so he prepared to leave as he was told to.
“I’ll have everything you need readied at once,” said Great Prince. “For now, just leave this place right away. Don’t tarry
to think of anything.”
“Pity. Wise old man he is, indeed,” Sawamata said to himself, secretly sneering, but rode away with all his men.
When they had gone several hundred yards, they came upon a hillock in the field with a stream flowing beyond, to the west.
They all stopped by the stream and dismounted, saying, “Let’s have a rest here.”
They were removing their bows, arrows, and everything, when the servants dispatched by Great Prince brought ten large kegs
of sake, several tubs of sushi, plus a quantity of carp and birds, everything down to vinegar and salt. So first they heated
sake and drank it, each with his own cup. Because they had begun preparing for the fight the previous evening and had fought
until late that morning, they were extremely tired. When they drank several cups quickly to slake their thirst and on empty
stomachs besides, they all became seriously drunk and lay down to sleep as if dead. Great Prince had also sent a quantity
of dry grass, fodder, and soybeans for the horses. So they took down the saddles, removed the bridles, and let the horses
free on tethers. The horses, too, ate to painful excess and lay about stretched out.
Yogo had run about in his house till daybreak, giving orders and shooting down many enemies, until he ran out of his arrows
and his men were reduced to only a few. He had then decided it would be useless to fight any longer. He ripped an outer garment
off a dead woman, put it on, and mussed up his hair to make himself look like a lowly maid. With only his sword held under
his clothes, he leapt out in the middle of smoldering smoke into the deep part of the stream to the west. Then he cautiously
paddled to a growth of reeds farther off and stayed still, holding onto the roots of a weeping willow.
After his house burned down, Sawamata’s soldiers surged into it and counted the number of those who were shot or burned to
death. Yogo could hear a fellow asking aloud, “Where the hell is Yogo’s head?” and a couple of men saying, “Here it is!” or
“No, here it is!” After a while they all left.
When he thought they had gone a couple of miles, thirty to forty of his own soldiers who had been away returned at a gallop.
Thinking their master was among those burned to death, they all wept aloud.
When he saw a total of fifty to sixty men on horseback had returned, Yogo cried out, “I’m right here!”
His men tumbled off their horses when they heard this and wept aloud in sheer happiness–no less loudly than they had at first.
When he climbed up on land, his men sent their attendants running home– some bringing back clothes, some food, some bows,
arrows, and army canes, some horses and saddles.
Yogo put on proper clothes, ate some food, and said, “When I was attacked last night, I first thought of running away into
the hills to save my life. But I decided not to leave my name as a fellow who ran away, so I ended up going through all this.
Now what do you think is our next step?”
“They have a much greater force, with four to five hundred men,” they said. “And we have only fifty to sixty men. With this
small number, sir, you wouldn’t be able to do anything immediately. You should put together an army at a later date, then
go out to fight, sir.”
“What you men say is quite right,” Yogo said. “But here’s what I think. If I had stayed inside the house and been burned to
death, I wouldn’t be kicking around like this now. Instead, I deliberately fled, so I don’t regard myself as quite alive.
If I showed myself to you like this for another day, that would be a damnable shame to me. I don’t give a damn about my life.
“Now you men get together to make an army and fight later. As for me, I’ll go to his house all alone, show him I’m alive when
he assumes I was burned to death, and give him at least one shot before I die.
“That’s what I think. If I didn’t do what I said I would, wouldn’t I be a damnable embarrassment to my descendants far into
the future? I wouldn’t think of raising an army to kill him later–that wouldn’t do. If you men don’t want to risk your lives,
don’t come. I’ll go alone.”
This said, Yogo started riding out, all by himself.
When he did, even those of his men who suggested fighting later said, “He’s quite right. There’s nothing more to be said about
it. Let’s follow him right away.”
“I can assure you of one thing,” Yogo said. “Those bastards are all exhausted after fighting all night and have to be lying
dead asleep by a stream or on the sunny side of a hillock or else in some forest of oak trees near here. Their horses, too, must be having a rest, their bridles removed and full of food. The bows must be all
unstrung. If we assaulted them with great shouts, even a thousand of them wouldn’t be able to do anything. If we don’t do
it today, there’ll be no other day.
“Those of you who don’t want to risk your lives, don’t hesitate, just stay behind!”
He wore an indigo jacket over a yellow shirt and had on chaps made of summer deer skin and a hunter’s hat made of rush. He
carried on his back a quiver filled with about thirty battle arrows and adorned with an arrowhead setter and a fork-tipped
arrowhead and, in his hand, a thick bow which was partly wrapped in leather. The sword he carried was brand-new, and the horse
he rode was a “seven-incher”3 with a chestnut belly, an excellent steed that could move forward or backward at will.
He counted his men: there were seventy-odd warriors on horseback and thirty-odd on foot, an assembly of more than a hundred.
This must have happened because those who lived close by had quickly heard the news and run to this place. Those who lived
at a distance hadn’t heard the news yet and would come later.
They began tracking down Sawamata, and they pressed forward steadily. When they were passing by Great Prince’s house, Yogo
sent in a warning: “Taira no Koremochi was attacked last night but managed to escape.”
Great Prince, who had thought this a likely possibility, had kept two dozen soldiers in his house, a couple of them on the
lookout tower, with the gate bolted tightly. Because he had given the order not to respond, Yogo’s messenger simply went away
after delivering the warning.
Great Prince called down one of the lookouts and asked, “Tell me what you saw. Did you look carefully?”
“Yes, sir, I did. About a hundred yards out on the road, about a hundred soldiers were hurrying their horses. They practically
flew away, sir. One of them was riding a large horse, wearing an indigo jacket over a yellow shirt, with a hunter’s hat, and
chaps made of summer deer skin. He looked quite outstanding, and I guessed he was the master of the group, sir.”
“That must be Yogo himself,” said Great Prince. “The horse must be the big one he has. I’ve heard that’s an excellent steed.
If he attacked riding on that one, who could resist him? Sawamata’s going to die a miserable death. He thought what I told
him was silly; he clearly showed he thought he’d done just fine. He must be lying somewhere near a hill, exhausted from the
fight. If Yogo sets upon him, all his men will be shot to death. You listen–I can assure you of that. Keep the gate bolted
tight, and don’t you ever, ever make any noise. You just go on back up the tower and watch out for what happens in the distance.”
Yogo sent a man running ahead of the group with instructions to check out closely where Sawamata was. The man ran back and
said, “In the marshy field on the south side of the hill near here, they’re eating or drinking, some lying down, some looking
ill.”
Yogo was pleased to hear this. Giving the order to attack at once, he galloped ahead as if flying. He rode up the north side
of the hill; then from the top he dashed down the steep south slope. Despite the downhill run the field seemed like a riding
ground. Shouting at the top of their lungs and whipping their horses as in a kasagake,4 fifty to sixty men charged.
It was at this moment that Sawamata no Shir and his soldiers rose to their feet and saw this. Some tried to put on their
bows and arrows, some their armor. Some tried to bridle their horses. Some stumbled and fell in confusion. Some tried to run,
abandoning their bows and arrows. Some grabbed their shields and tried to fight. The horses, alarmed and upset, ran about,
whinnying, so no one could get hold of them to put on their bridles. Some horses kicked their attendants and galloped away.
During this confusion thirty to forty soldiers were shot to death. Some of the men fled, without even thinking of mounting
a horse to fight.
Sawamata was shot and his head was cut off.
Afterward, Yogo led his men to Sawamata’s house. Sawamata’s people, who thought their master had returned after winning the
fight, happily started to bring out food, when Yogo’s soldiers forced themselves in, set fire to the house, and shot anyone who tried to resist. However, Yogo sent in some of his men to bring
Sawamata’s wife out along with her maid. He then put her on a horse and had her wear an ichimegasa5 so that she might be not be exposed unnecessarily. Her maid was made to attire herself similarly. Both stayed close to Yogo
on horseback as he ordered his men to set fire to all the houses.
“Don’t touch any woman, high or low,” he told his soldiers. “But men–well, shoot to death anyone you see.”
This was done as every man was shot on sight. At times, some of the men shot would suddenly jump up and run.
By evening all the houses were burned down and Yogo withdrew. On his way back, he went up close to Great Prince’s gate and
sent in this message: “I will not come in. However, I have done nothing to embarrass Master Sawamata’s lady. In due respect
to the fact that she is your honor’s sister, I wished to make certain to send her to you.”
Great Prince was pleased to hear this, opened the gate, and received his sister, Sawamata’s wife. He then sent out word that
she was definitely with him. When the messenger came back with this message, Yogo headed toward his own place.
It was probably after this incident that Yogo’s reputation rose in the eight provinces of the East and people began to say
he was an incomparable warrior. The descendants of his son, Saemon no Tay Shigesada, now have the honor of serving the government.