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Jura's avatar

Is there any interesting history to the Yoshimatsu’s story? When I hear “igagoe” I naturally think of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s passing through Iga (and Hattori’s involvement). The work itself is a 20th Century piece, but is there maybe any predecessor in the history of Japanese literature? Thank you.

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Rob Tuck's avatar

I'm not sure - have to look into that. I know that some recent scholarship has questioned whether the 'Passage Through Iga' (Iga no koe) actually took place or not, or at least as described in Edo-period histories - see https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/aichikenshikenkyu/9/0/9_1/_article/-char/ja/. I think a cultural history of the Passage Through Iga could be really interesting...

For those not familiar with the term, the 'Passage Through Iga' refers to Tokugawa Ieyasu's escape back to his home domains after the sudden assassination of Oda Nobunaga in the summer of 1582. Supposedly Hattori Hanzo helped Ieyasu slip away from Akechi Mitsuhide by traveling through Iga Province, which later provides an element in the 'Hattori Hanzo as ninja master' mythos. It's definitely there in the Edo period - Rai San'yo includes it in Nihon gaishi (1827).

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Jura's avatar

Thanks for pointing out the “jitsuroku” character of the 神君伊賀越え, I will take a look on the paper you suggested. If the ‘Passing Through Iga’ was created (or embellished) in the Edo period, it’s relation (of inspiration) to the Yoshihatsu’s story could be similar to the relation of all the Sarutobi Sasukes and Jiraiyas of the Edo period to the Tatsukawa/Tachikawa bunko production… Maybe :-)

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