Hattori Hanzō

Long ago, a man named Hanzō lived in Japan.

He was a brave samurai. He served a leader named Ieyasu.

Hanzō was very good at fighting. He used a long spear to protect his people. One time, he helped Ieyasu stay safe on a hard trip. He also rescued Ieyasu's family from a castle. Because he was so brave, people gave him a special name. Hanzō worked very hard for his clan. He was a great leader in many battles.

Hattori Hanzō was a famous samurai in Japan.

He served a leader named Tokugawa Ieyasu. Hanzō was a master of sword fighting. He was also a great leader of troops.

Hanzō did many brave things for Ieyasu. In 1562, he rescued Ieyasu's wife and son. He saved them from a castle. Later, he fought in many big battles. At the Battle of Mikatagahara, he was very skilled. He earned the nickname "Oni no Hanzō." This means "Hanzō the demon."

In 1582, Ieyasu had to go on a dangerous trip. He had to travel through Iga Province. Hanzō helped protect him from outlaws. This trip was very hard. Many people were hurt by bandits during the march.

Because of his hard work, Ieyasu gave Hanzō land. Hanzō became a high official. He died in 1597 from an illness. Today, his grave is at Sainen-ji temple.

The temple also has his favorite spear.

Hattori Hanzō was a famous samurai during the Sengoku era in Japan.

He served the Tokugawa clan as a brave general. Hanzō was known as a master of sword fighting. He was also a very smart tactician.

Because of his great skill, he was named one of the sixteen divine generals for the Tokugawa. People often called him the Second Hanzō. This helped people tell him apart from another general named Watanabe Hanzō. Hanzō was born in Mikawa Province. His father was also a samurai named Hattori Masanari.

Hanzō proved his bravery in many different battles. His first battle was a nighttime attack in 1557. In 1561, he helped Tokugawa Ieyasu rise to power. Hanzō helped defeat the Imagawa clan during this time. In 1562, he performed a successful rescue of Ieyasu's wife and son. They were being held as hostages at Kaminogo castle. Later, in 1563, he showed great loyalty to the Tokugawa clan. Even though many others joined a rebellion, Hanzō stayed faithful to Ieyasu. He fought against the rebels to protect his leader.

During the battles of Anegawa and Mikatagahara, Hanzō became very famous.

At the Battle of Mikatagahara, he led a unit of one hundred fifty men. He even captured a spy named Chikuan. During a conflict at the Tenryū River, Hanzō fought with only thirty warriors. He was very skilled with a spear. This skill earned him the nickname "Oni no Hanzō," which means "Hanzō the demon." Another general named Watanabe Moritsuna also used a spear very well. He was called "Yari no Hanzō," or "Spear Hanzō." Hanzō married the daughter of Nagasaka Nobumasa in 1575.

In 1582, Hanzō helped Ieyasu during a very dangerous journey. Ieyasu had to escape from Sakai to avoid being captured. The group had to travel through Iga Province to find the shortest path. This trip was hard because of groups called "samurai hunting" gangs. These outlaws attacked the travelers many times. Some records say about 200 people were hurt or killed during these raids. Hanzō and other loyal followers helped protect Ieyasu during the march. Eventually, the group reached safety in Mikawa Province. This journey was a key part of Hanzō's history.

Hanzō continued to serve the Tokugawa clan for many years. In 1590, he led a group of fifty mercenaries during the Odawara campaign. For his help, Ieyasu gave him a large area of land in Totomi Province. This land was worth 8,000 koku. Hanzō died on January 2, 1597, from an illness.

His remains are at the Sainen-ji temple in Tokyo. The temple also keeps his favorite spear. This spear was a gift from Ieyasu. It was very long and heavy. It was once used in many great battles.

Hattori Hanzō was a legendary samurai of Japan's Sengoku era.

He served as a general for the Tokugawa clan. His leadership helped Tokugawa Ieyasu become the ruler of a united Japan. Hanzō was a master of sword fighting and a brilliant tactician. Because of his skill, he was named one of the sixteen divine generals of the Tokugawa.

To distinguish him from another general named Watanabe Hanzō, people called him the "Second Hanzō." He was born in Mikawa Province to a minor samurai named Hattori Masanari. Although he was born in Mikawa, he often visited Iga Province, which was the home of the Hattori clan.

Hanzō's military career began at a very young age. In 1557, he participated in his first battle during a nighttime attack at Uto castle. By 1561, he was serving Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was then known as Matsudaira Motoyasu. Hanzō played a major role in Ieyasu's rise to power by helping to defeat the Imagawa clan. In 1562, he performed a vital mission by rescuing Ieyasu's wife and son. They had been held as hostages at Kaminogo castle. Hanzō's success in this rescue proved his value to the future shogun.

In 1563, Hanzō demonstrated intense loyalty during a major rebellion. Many of the Tokugawa clan's vassals joined the Ikkō-ikki followers to fight against Ieyasu. Even though Hanzō himself was a follower of the Ikkō sect, he chose to stay loyal to the Tokugawa clan. He fought alongside Ieyasu against the rebels. Later, between 1570 and 1573, he fought in the battles of Anegawa and Mikatagahara. During the Battle of Mikatagahara, he commanded an Iga unit of 150 men. He even captured a Takeda spy named Chikuan.

Hanzō earned a fearsome nickname during these conflicts. At the Tenryū River, he led only 30 warriors in a counterattack against Takeda troops. He and Watanabe Moritsuna both showed exceptional skill with their spears. While Moritsuna was called "Spear Hanzō," the legendary Hattori Hanzō was called "Oni no Hanzō," or "Hanzō the Demon." This nickname reflected his fierce reputation on the battlefield. In 1575, he married the daughter of a fellow commander named Nagasaka Nobumasa. They had a son about a year later.

One of Hanzō's most famous moments occurred in June 1582. Tokugawa Ieyasu had to escape from Sakai to avoid being captured by Akechi Mitsuhide. Ieyasu traveled with only 34 companions, including Hanzō. The group faced dangerous "samurai hunting" gangs known as ochimusha-gari. They chose a risky route through Iga Province to reach Mikawa Province quickly. Some historians debate the exact path they took. However, most agree the journey ended at Kada pass.

During this trek, the group suffered about 200 casualties from bandit raids. Hanzō and other high-ranking vassals helped protect Ieyasu throughout the march.

Hanzō continued to lead important military campaigns for many years. In 1582, he participated in the Tenshō-Jingo war. He deployed forces in the Kofu basin and led Iga warriors to capture several castles. He successfully launched a night attack on Egusuku castle during heavy rain. In 1584, he served at the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute. He led 100 Iga and Kōka ninja warriors to reinforce Matsugashima Castle. In 1590, he led 50 Negoro-shū mercenaries during the Odawara campaign. For his many services, Ieyasu awarded Hanzō a domain in Totomi Province worth 8,000 koku.

Hattori Hanzō died on January 2, 1597, from an unspecified illness.

His remains are buried at the Sainen-ji temple in Tokyo. The temple also preserves his favorite spear, which was a gift from Ieyasu. This yari, or Japanese spear, was originally 14 shaku, or about 424 centimeters, long. It weighed 7.5 kilograms and featured a black-lacquered wooden handle. Though the spear was damaged during the 1945 bombing of Tokyo, it remains a significant historical object. Hanzō's life is remembered as a story of extreme loyalty and military skill.