Gojö Bridge in Kyoto Where Benkei Killed a Thousand People

Catalog note / 解説

This print provides another depiction of the battle between the famous general Yoshitsune and the warrior monk Benkei, who would become his most loyal retainer (see also Ushiwakamaru and Benkei on display nearby). Benkei famously resolved to defeat one thousand samurai of the ruling Heike clan and steal their swords, and succeeded in killing nine hundred and ninety nine on Gojö Bridge in the capital city of Kyoto before encountering the young Yoshitsune, who defeated him and took him into his service. In this legend Benkei is imagined as a commoner and gruff ruffian who is able to best decadent samurai at their own game. This characterization made him a popular figure among the urban common…