On Mar 31, 2006, at 3:11 PM, the_jigglin_penguin wrote:
> Hanzo was a master of the spear this i know. His favorite spear is
> held in a temple in japan. I would like more info on the spear and its
> location. Thanks!
>
From Nihon no Meiso by Numata;
Once a splendid Omi-yari with a ryo-shinogi blade 3shaku 3zun 3bu in
length, copper fittings, with an oak pole 5shaku 7sun long. In it's
current state the broken blade is just 3shaku 2sun 2bu(99.4cm) and
half of the original pole is burnt away. There are three mekugi-ana
in the heavily rusted nakago and no signature is visible. Temple
records suggest that it was damaged in an earthquake sometime in the
Ansei period.
It is said he was the head of the Iga ninja clan and a splendid
warrior. There was a popular saying;
Tokugawa-dono wa hito mochi yo
Hattori Hanzo Oni Hanzo
Watanabe Hanzo Yari Hanzo
Atsumi Gengo wa Kubitori Gengo
Lord Tokugawa is a man rich with able men
Hattori Hanzo "The Demon Hanzo"
Watanabe Hanzo "Hanzo the spear"
Atsumi Gengo "The Headhunter Gengo"
The Kansei Kafu records that Hattori Hanzo was crucial in the attack
of Kakegawa-jo. His contribution was noted in the battles of Anegawa,
Ushikubo, Kozakai and Takatenjin and he earned special merit at
Mikatagahara.
At Hamamatsu-jo he was presented with a Yari, and given command of
150 Iga no mono. It is not clear if this THE spear he was presented
with. Afterward he defeated Chikuwan, a Takeda spy and took as prize
his Soshu Hiromasa Kaiken (tanto), a deed for which he was given an
Oboshi kabuto, a yoroi and a saihai.
At the time of the attack on the Honno-ji, Iyeyasu needed to return
quickly to Mikawa. It was Hattori and his Iga men that provided the
body guard on that trip. Iyeyasu rewarded him with Ishimi no mura,
with an estimated annual rice production of 8000 koku. He took up
residence within Edo castle where to this day the Hanzo gate honors
his name. Hanzo died in Keicho gannen aged 55. The original Sainen-ji
was located just outside the Hanzo-mon until it was moved to it's
present location for the expansion of Edo Castle.
There is a picture of this yari in the catalog of the Nihon no Meiso
exhibition. If I get the chance I will try to scan it in and post it
in the photo albums, though I have to say it isn't much to look at...
-t