Ginei Kenshibu and the Greatest Duel in Japanese History

 

What is Ginei?

Ginei refers to a Japanese form of poetry recitation. The poem that will be discussed in this article is a kanshi poem (Japanese term for Chinese poetry as well as Japanese poetry written in Chinese) composed by Rai San'yo and titled “Fushikian Strikes at Kizan”. Here is the poem in Japanese with a full explanation of both the contents and context provided in the sections to follow.

 

不識庵機山を撃つの図に題す

 

鞭聲粛々夜河を過る

暁に見る千兵の大牙を擁するを

遺恨十年一剣を磨き

流星光底長蛇を逸す

 

Fushikian is the posthumous Buddhist name of Uesugi Kenshin, a powerful samurai lord of a domain called Echigo in northern Japan (Today’s Niigata Prefecture). Kizan is the posthumous Buddhist name of Takeda Shingen, a powerful samurai lord of a domain called Kai in central Japan (Today’s Yamanashi Prefecture). These two heroes and their armies fought in a total of five engagements at the famous site of Kawanakajima (1553 to 1564). This poem is composed in the form of a sympathetic exploration of the state of mind of Kenshin based upon the composer’s vast knowledge of Japanese history.

 

What is Kenshibu?

Kenshibu is a traditional dance holding a sword or a fan performed to the accompaniment of Ginei. The performer is expected to exhibit the samurai mentality as well as the spirit of one who has dedicated their life to the way of the warrior – just like Kenshin.

 

Tell Me the Tale of the Greatest Duel in Japanese History!

In the dying hours of the starless night of October 18^th 1561, Uesugi Kenshin, lord of Echigo, leads a vanguard of horseback samurai warriors across the Chikuma River. With cloth tied on the bottom of their horse’s hooves and riding whips silent, they stalk through the dark like an army of northern tigers on the prowl, and their prey is Takeda Shingen, lord of Kai, camped with his army at Kawanakajima.

 

At the Takeda camp, a lookout glances an indistinct shape moving beyond a veil of mist that hangs across the damp earth of the riverbank like a curtain and he strains with all his might to determine whether it’s only his imagination or not. At that moment, dawn stretches her arm out across the horizon and through the mist, and the lookout spots the Echigo cavalry charging towards him while arrayed tightly around their general’s standard. Frantic calls to arm pull Takeda’s sleeping forces from their tents and scrambling into defensive formations.

 

The rushing waves of cavalry smash into Kai’s camp: spears snap, swords clang, and bones crack as waves of horseback samurai wash over Kai’s hastily assembled lines. From all around, Kai reinforcements let loose a savage roar of battle as they pour headlong into the fray; bloodied men fall screaming to the mud, and an all-encompassing cacophonous din of war soars into the red dawn sky.   

 

Into the very vortex of this tempest of steel, flesh, and blood rides Kenshin with such reckless abandon as to take both armies by surprise. With single-minded determination, he rushes into a breach in the enemy lines and, with enemy soldiers closing in on all sides, races for the enemy command post. Bursting into Kai’s field headquarters, he charges the last few meters separating him from Shingen who sits in his general’s chair wearing full samurai armor and a look of genuine surprise.

 

Kenshin raises his sword and summons the righteous fury of Bishamonten, the Buddhist god of war; the blade — polished to a mirror — reflects the leaping flames of the brazier to appear as if wreathed in flame. Shingen, caught completely off guard, leaps to his feet as the flaming sword streaks like a shooting star towards the root of his neck; he manages to fend off the strike with the only thing he has ready — his iron war fan. Their eyes lock: Shingen reaches for his sword as Kenshin readies a second strike, but a Takeda warrior spears Kenshin’s mount which causes it to flee.   

 

The duel ends inconclusively, but the battle rages on until the number of corpses from both armies littering the field makes any further fighting difficult. Seeing the staggering amount of death, Kenshin decides the cost of victory unacceptable and orders a retreat.

 

Later, while marching back to Echigo with his remaining warriors, the weight of regret seems to grow heavier the further he moves from the battlefield. For Kenshin, ten long years of war had culminated in that one precious opportunity to resolve his longstanding grudge against Shingen; in one brilliant flash, the chance disappeared forever.   

What Does the Poem Mean?

Kanshi poetry is difficult to accurately translate into English. Below is an approximation of the poem.

 

Fushikian Strikes at Kizan

 

Horse whips silent, river forged at night

At dawn see the General’s banner lead thousands of warriors 

A grudge of ten year’s standing to polish one sword

Brilliant as a shooting star falls harmlessly into dark