Hattori Hanzo

A subordinate of Tokugawa Ieyasu. His name was Masanari and Iwami no Kami. He led the Iga ninjas and was feared by the nickname Oni Hanzo. His father, Yasunaga, was from Hattori-go, Ahe County, Iga Province (Mie Prefecture), and first served Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiharu, but later came to Mikawa Province (Aichi Prefecture), where he served Matsudaira Kiyoyasu, Hirotada (Ieyasu's father), and Ieyasu, and died in Mikawa. Hanzo Masanari was the fifth son of Yasunaga and was born in Mikawa. At the age of 16, he made his debut in a night raid on Uto Castle in Mikawa, leading 60-70 Iga ninjas to infiltrate the castle, where he was awarded Ieyasu's spear (7.8 cm long). He went on to perform remarkable feats in various battles, including the battles of Anegawa, Takatenjin, and Mikatagahara. In particular, during the Honnoji Incident in 1582 (Tensho 10), he escorted Ieyasu, who was staying in Sakai, Senshu, and guided him safely back to Mikawa by crossing the Kabuto Pass in Iga. Due to these achievements, he was promoted to the rank of Monogashira and was given a stipend of 8,000 koku in Totomi Province (Shizuoka Prefecture). After Ieyasu entered the Kanto region, he was bestowed with a group residence outside the Kojimachi Gate of Edo Castle (commonly known as the Hanzomon Gate).

[Ichiro Watanabe]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

徳川家康の部将。名は正成(まさなり)、石見守(いわみのかみ)。伊賀者(いがもの)を統率して活躍し、鬼半蔵(おにはんぞう)の異名で恐れられた。父の保長(やすなが)は伊賀国（三重県）阿拝(あへ)郡服部郷(はっとりごう)の出身で、初め将軍足利義晴(あしかがよしはる)に仕えたが、のち三河国（愛知県）に来(きた)り、松平清康(きよやす)・広忠(ひろただ)（家康の父）・家康に歴仕し、三河で没した。半蔵正成は保長の五男で三河に生まれ、16歳のとき三河の宇土(うど)城の夜討ちに初陣し、伊賀の忍びの者60～70人を率いて城内に潜入し、武功をたて家康の持槍(もちやり)（長さ7寸8分）を拝賜したのをはじめ、姉川(あねがわ)、高天神(たかてんじん)、三方ヶ原(みかたがはら)の戦いなど、諸所において目覚ましい働きをみせた。とくに1582年（天正10）本能寺の変に際しては、おりから泉州堺(せんしゅうさかい)に滞在中の家康を護衛して、伊賀の加太(かぶと)峠越えに、無事三河へ帰還させた。これらの功によって物頭(ものがしら)に進み、遠州（静岡県）に8000石を領し、家康の関東入国後は、江戸城麹町口(こうじまちぐち)門（俗に半蔵門とよぶ）外に組屋敷(くみやしき)を拝領した。

［渡邉一郎］

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