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Samurai Nicknames, Monikers, Aliases, and Pseudonyms

posted by  banzaitokyo | 7 years, 10 months ago

When I studied abroad in Japan I was not the only Adam in my program, so in an effort to differentiate my friends dubbed me “Megane,” due to my spectacular specs. Nicknames are quite common in English speaking countries, and Japan is no different – well, maybe a little different. Nicknames may be big in Japan, but verbal irony is not, so you’re not likely to have a portly pal named Slim, a big buddy named Tiny, or an unfortunate uncle named Lucky. Still, Japan has a long history of nicknames, and some of the coolest were given to various samurai over the centuries. This article will look at a few of the most interesting samurai nicknames, and examine their origins and significance.

God of War, Dragon of Echigo


Let’s begin with a warlord of the Sengoku period (1467-1603), a century of samurai civil war. Uesugi Kenshin (1530-1578), was lord of Echigo in northwestern Honshu (Japan’s largest island). He was born into a vassal family of the Uesugi as Nagao Kagetora, but several battles and name changes later he had become Uesugi Kenshin, head of the clan.



Photo by Wally Gobetz

In fact, taking the name Kenshin was a religious move: sometime around 1559, he took Buddhist vows and the new name as well. This hardly meant a retirement from the battlefield, despite Buddhism’s prohibitions against violence – there were many samurai like Kenshin, who became lay priests and carried on fighting as usual. Befitting a warrior such as himself, Kenshin was a devotee of the war god, Bishamonten. He even put the first character of the god’s name on his war standard. Not only is Bishamonten a god of war, but he’s also one of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune. Why would war be associated with good luck? Well, you’re lucky if you win the battle, and perhaps lucky if Bishamonten meted out justice in your favor, for he also punished evildoers. Uesugi Kenshin’s devotion and martial prowess was such that some thought him an avatar of Bishamon and gave him the nickname gunjin ?? “God of War.”

Speaking of those battlefield skills, they also garnered Kenshin another nickname: Echigo no ry? ???? “the Dragon of Echigo.” Dragons were also seen as guardians of wisdom, so perhaps Kenshin’s spiritual side had something to do with it. There is another point of significance to the dragon. More on that to follow.

The Tiger of Kai


Takeda Shingen (1521-1573) was lord of Kai (roughly corresponding to modern Yamanashi Prefecture). Shingen’s ferocity on the battlefield earned him the epithet Kai no tora ???? “the Tiger of Kai,” but there’s more to the story than that. After Shingen conquered Shinano Province, which separated his home of Kai and Echigo, the former lords of Shinano went to the aforementioned Uesugi Kenshin for help. What followed was a series of battles, most famously the five Battles of Kawanakajima, in 1553, 1554, 1557, 1561, and 1564. One of the most iconic stories of the Sengoku period took place during the fourth battle, when Kenshin managed to burst into Shingen’s headquarters, but the Tiger manged to fend off the Dragon’s attack with his iron war fan long enough for a vassal to injure Kenshin’s horse and drive him away.


These frequent clashes were significant for the nicknames of the two warlords, and not only because they showcased their martial prowess, which are symbolically reflected in the dragon and tiger individually. In a tradition tracing back to China, the dragon and tiger paired together were a symbol of eternal rivalry. What better nicknames for two samurai who were always fighting without a decisive victor? And the Chinese connection was all the more apt because both Kenshin and Shingen were avid readers of Chinese texts on strategy.


The Monkey, The Bald Rat


When I stated in the introduction that Japan is not big on ironic nicknames, I didn’t mean that they are all positive. Most of these warrior nicknames are in some way expressions of badassitude – but not so for the names Kinoshita Tokichiro got stuck with.


Who is Kinoshita Tokichiro? You might know him better as Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598), the man who basically ran Japan from 1585 to 1598. Hideyoshi was born into a common family with no surname, but as a young man took the name Kinoshita Tokichiro. Due to the chaos of war and lack of central authority, the Sengoku period was a time when even men of humble origin could rise in the ranks if they had the abilities and drive necessary. Kinoshita Tokichiro was such a man, and he literally worked his way up from the bottom – the feet, to be precise. Around 1557, he became a sandal-bearer for Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582), the young lord of Owari who would soon become one of the most powerful warlords and begin uniting Japan through conquest. Kinoshita Tokichiro later change his name to Toyoyomi Hideyoshi, but his lord liked to call him kozaru “little monkey,” because of his facial features and skinny frame.


There’s also an extant letter from Nobunaga to Hideyoshi’s wife in which he reprimands Hideyoshi, calling him hage nezumi ???“bald rat,” which has always puzzled me a bit. In most portraits of Hideyoshi, the top of his head was shaved, in a style popular among samurai of the time. Given that many samurai had their domes shaved, it’s hard to say how Hideyoshi could have stood out as “bald.” Maybe he was losing hair around the lower-back portion of his head? It seems unlikely.


The One-Eyed Dragon


Date Masamune (1567-1636) was lord of Sendai, in the northeast of Honshu. He lost the sight in his right eye to smallpox as a child and later lost the eye itself, and though the exact circumstances are unknown, a few different stories were told. Some say he pulled it out himself when it was pointed out as a potential weak spot in a fight; other versions say a retainer gouged it out for him. In any case, as a result he became known as the “One-Eyed Dragon” (dokuganry? ???). All of this added up to a reputation of toughness, and I wouldn’t argue with that. Still, it seems that Date Masamune was at least somewhat sensitive on the subject of his missing eye, for he requested at least one portrait be done with both eyes intact.


The Dog Shogun


This case is a bit strange, for the fifth shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi (1646-1709), earned the title of “the Dog Shogun” not by showing exemplary loyalty or fierceness, but by being an animal rights advocate. That said, the name was not meant to be a compliment. Tsunayoshi took spiritual matters seriously (if not logically), and decided that because he was born in the year of the Dog, he should do something to protect his canine citizens.


He issued several edicts known as the Edicts on Compassion for Living Things (?????? Sh?ruiawareminorei) that instructed the people of Edo to protect the many stray and diseased dogs roaming the capital city. Due in part to these edicts, in 1695 there were so many strays that people noted the smell. One man was executed for hurting a dog. As a result people were not pleased with these edicts, and dubbed Tsunayoshi with the title Inu-kub? ??? “the Dog Shogun.” Ultimately, these problems were alleviated by deporting over 50,000 dogs to kennels in the suburbs – although even then, the fish and rice they were fed was paid for by tax money.


The Demon Lieutenant


Photo by Stuart Rankin

More than one Japanese general was called a demon for terrifying their enemies, but I’ve chosen to focus on a leader who earned the name by instilling just as much fear in his own men. Hijikata Toshizo (1835-1869) lived through the waning days of the Tokugawa shogunate and of the samurai class. He became the lieutenant or vice-commander (fukuch?) of the Shinsengumi, a police-like corps of samurai assigned to keep order in Kyoto on behalf of the shogun from 1864 to 1869, when some who wanted to restore the emperor to power were carrying out assassinations in the streets and plotting revolution.

Hijikata was responsible for penning the Shinsengumi’s stringent code of conduct. Under these rules, members were not allowed to leave the group, raise money for “selfish purposes,” or fight for personal reasons, among other things. Hijikata rigidly enforced these rules and the punishment for breaking them was committing ritual suicide (seppuku). For example, while visiting his mistress one member was wounded from behind by another of the woman’s lovers. He was found by a fellow Shinsengumi member who helped him back to headquarters, where he was ordered to commit seppuku. It’s no surprise that Hijikata Toshizo came to be called the “Demon Lieutenant” (oni no fukuch? ????).

A Samurai By Any Other Name


Nicknames may be seen as trivial, and perhaps they are, but they can tell us things about the person who bears them. What’s more, they can tell us things about the people and cultures from which the names spring: what they value, what they disparage, what they find funny, and what symbols are important to them. I’ve only touched on a few samurai nicknames here. There are plenty more out there. What’s your favorite samurai nickname? Do you have a Japanese nickname yourself? Let us know in the comments.

Bonus Wallpapers!


[Desktop – 5120×2880 / 1280×720] ? [Mobile 1/2]


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