The Ten Braves of Sanada

The name refers to ten men who were retainers of the wise general Sanada Yukimura on the Toyotomi side: Sarutobi Sasuke, Kirigakure Saizō, Miyoshi Seikai Nyūdō, Miyoshi Isan Nyūdō, Anayama Kosuke, Yuri Kamanosuke, Nezu Jinpachi, Kakei Jūzō, Unno Rokurō, and Mochizuki Rokurō. The names of Anayama, Yuri, and Unno are clearly stated in the Sanada Sandai-ki, written in the mid-Edo period, but the Ten Braves were not established and became popular until they were created in the Tachikawa Bunko, published from the end of the Meiji period to the beginning of the Taisho period. Starting with the 40th book, Sarutobi Sasuke (1914), created by the duo Tamada Gyokusyusai and Yamada Suijin of the same library, which became a big hit, the 55th book was Kirigakure, the 60th book was Miyoshi Seikai Nyudo, the 62nd book was Yuri, and so on, along with the Six Brave Warriors. The heroic exploits of Sasuke and Kirigakure's ninjutsu, the powerful brothers Seikai and Isan Nyudo, and Yuri with his kusarigama (sickle and chain), all using their specialty martial arts to take on the Tokugawa forces, gained explosive popularity.

[Musashino Jiro]

"Tachikawa Bunko Masterpiece Selection" (Special issue of History and Travel, July 1981, Akita Shoten)" ▽ "Sengoku Shidan (Sengoku History) by Tadachika Kuwata (Ushio Bunko)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

豊臣(とよとみ)方の知将真田幸村(ゆきむら)の家来、猿飛佐助(さるとびさすけ)、霧隠才蔵(きりがくれさいぞう)、三好清海入道(みよしせいかいにゅうどう)、三好伊三入道(いさにゅうどう)、穴山小助(あなやまこすけ)、由利鎌之助(ゆりかまのすけ)、根津甚八(ねづじんぱち)、筧十蔵(かけいじゅうぞう)、海野六郎(うんのろくろう)、望月六郎(もちづきろくろう)の10人をいう。江戸時代中期に書かれた『真田三代記』には穴山、由利、海野ら3人の名は明記されているが、十勇士が成立して人気を得たのは、明治末から大正初期にかけて発行された「立川(たちかわ)文庫」で創作されてからである。同文庫の玉田玉秀斎、山田酔神のコンビがつくった40冊目の『猿飛佐助』（1914）が大当りしたのを皮切りに、55冊目に霧隠、60冊目に三好清海入道、62冊目に由利、以下六勇士がつくられた。佐助と霧隠の忍術、怪力の清海・伊三入道兄弟、鎖鎌(くさりがま)の由利と、それぞれ得意の武芸で徳川勢を相手にした獅子(しし)奮迅の活躍が爆発的な人気を得た。

［武蔵野次郎］

『『立川文庫傑作選』（『歴史と旅』臨時増刊・1981.7・秋田書店）』▽『桑田忠親著『戦国史談』（潮文庫）』

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