Benkei of Japan: And His Master, A Warrior Prince - Paperback

by Mitsuo Ogata (Editor), Margaret W. Smith (Editor), Arthur R. Smith (Author)

Born in 1155 in warring Japan, Benkei was a tall and massive monk warrior who became a protector of his master, Yoshitsune Minamoto, and died violently in battle in 1189. Riddled with spears and arrows, his dead body stood erect, still holding his bloody halberd and terrifying his enemies who thought that he was still alive. The heroic and tragic legacy became part of Japanese folklore, epitomizing the simple and pure virtues of feudal culture: honor, courage, and loyalty.

Arthur R. Smith, an enthusiastic teacher of Japanese history, wrote this book half a century ago for American high school students, hoping to provide them an opening into a distant country's culture. While today a lot of students are aware of Ninjas, monks and Samurai figures through such media as Anime and Manga, much of the historical information about the folklore still remains in the background. For that reason, the author's hope for better understanding of medieval Japanese culture, especially its moral and cultural concepts, is even more relevant now.