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was a semi-legendary Japanese outlaw hero who stole gold and valuables and gave them to the poor.〔Boye Lafayette De Mente, ''Everything Japanese'', McGraw-Hill, 1989 (p. 140)〕 Goemon is notable for being boiled alive along with his son in public after a failed assassination attempt on the civil war-era warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. His legend continues to live on in contemporary Japanese popular culture, often with greatly exaggerated ninja skills. == Biography == There is little historical information on Goemon's life, and as he has become a folk hero, his background and origins have been widely speculated upon. In his first appearance in the historical annals, in the 1642 biography of Hideyoshi, Goemon was referred to simply as a thief. As his legend became popular, various anti-authoritarian exploits were attributed to him, including a supposed assassination attempt against the Oda clan warlord Oda Nobunaga.〔Joel Levy, ''Ninja: The Shadow Warrior'', Sterling Publishing Company, 2008 (p. 172)〕〔Stephen Turnbull, ''Warriors of Medieval Japan'', Osprey Publishing, 2007 (p. 180)〕 There are many versions of Goemon's background and accounts of his life. According to one of them, he was born as Sanada Kuranoshin in 1558 to a samurai family in service of the powerful Miyoshi clan in Iga Province. In 1573, when his father (possibly Ishikawa Akashi〔Henri L. Joly, ''Legend in Japanese Art: A Description of Historical Episodes, Legendary Characters, Folk-lore Myths, Religious Symbolism'', Tuttle 1967〕) was killed by the men of Ashikaga shogunate (in some versions his mother was also killed), the 15-year-old Sanada swore revenge and began training the arts of Iga ninjutsu under Momochi Sandayu (Momochi Tamba). He was however forced to flee when his master discovered Sanada's romance with one of his mistresses (but not before stealing a prized sword from his teacher). Some other sources state his name as and say he came from Kawachi Province and was not a ''nukenin'' (runaway ninja) at all. He then moved to the neighbouring Kansai region, where he formed and led a band of thieves and bandits as Ishikawa Goemon, robbing the rich feudal lords, merchants and clerics, and sharing the loot with the oppressed peasants.〔 (Skośnoocy buntownicy (Focus.pl - Historia) )〕 According to another version, which also attributed a failed poisoning attempt on Nobunaga's life to Goemon, he was forced to become a robber when the ninja networks were broken up.〔Andrew Adams, ''Ninja: The Invisible Assassins'', Black Belt Communications, 1970 (p. 160)〕 There are also several conflicting accounts of Goemon's public execution by boiling in front of the main gate of the Buddhist temple Nanzen-ji in Kyoto, including but not limited to the following ones: *Goemon tried to assassinate Hideyoshi to avenge the death of his wife Otaki and the capture of his son, Gobei. He sneaked into Fushimi Castle and entered Hideyoshi's room but knocked a bell off a table. The noise awoke the guards and Goemon was captured. He was sentenced to death by being boiled alive in an iron cauldron along with his very young son, but was able to save his son by holding him above his head. His son was then forgiven. *Goemon wanted to kill Hideyoshi because he was a despot. When he entered Hideyoshi's room, he was detected by a mystical incense burner. He was executed on August 24 along with his whole family by being boiled alive.〔(The legend of Ishikawa Goemon ) (including several pictures)〕 *Goemon at first has tried to save his son from the heat by holding him high above, but then suddenly plunged him deep into the bottom of the cauldron to kill him as quickly as possible. Then he stood with the body of the boy held high in the air in defiance of his enemies, until he eventually succumbed to pain and injuries and sank in the pot.〔Jack Seward, ''The Japanese'', McGraw-Hill Professional, 1992 (p. 48-49)〕 Even the very date of his death is uncertain, as some records say this took place in summer, while another dates it at October 8 (that is after middle of Japanese autumn). Before he died, Goemon wrote a famous farewell poem, saying that no matter what, there always shall be thieves. A tombstone dedicated to him is located in Daiunin temple in Kyoto.〔''Outlawed!: Rebels, Revolutionaries and Bushrangers'', National Museum of Australia, 2003 (p. 32)〕 A large iron kettle-shaped bathtub is now called a ''goemonburo'' ("Goemon bath").〔(Goemonburo - Goemon-style bath )〕〔Scott Clark, ''Japan, a View from the Bath'', University of Hawaii Press, 1994 (p. 38-39)〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ishikawa Goemon」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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