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Sugitani Zenjūbō

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Revision as of 18:04, 26 October 2025 by imported>Soranin (→‎Biography)
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"Sugitani Zenjubo. He taught me the teppo."
―Katsuhime describing Zenjubo to Naoe, 1582.[src]-[m]

Sugitani Zenjūbō (杉谷 善住坊, died 1573) was a Japanese marksman who was known for his assassination attempt on Oda Nobunaga in 1570.[1]

Biography

Zenjubo's early life is large unknown, with different theories about his origin. Some believed he was a ninja of the Sugitani family that was one of the Fifty-Three Families of Kōga, while others believed he was a lord, a sōhei, or a bounty hunter. What was known, however, was that he was an exceptional gunner[1] and once trained Katsuhime of the Rokkaku Katsuhime in the use of teppo.[2]

In 1570, Zenjūbō was hired by Katsuhime's father Shōtei to assassinate, an attempt which he failed.[3] Zenjubo subsequently went into hiding but was eventually captured in 1573 by Isono Kazumasa, who served under Nobunaga. He was buried by the road with only his head and neck exposed and was later executed.[1] Meanwhile, his wife Sada and son were secretly hidden away by Shōtei and Katsuhime, who moved them to a village in Wakasa.[3]

Legacy

Zenjubo's remains were subsequently buried in a grave on Mount Mikami near Koga. His student Katsuhime would visit his grave over the years, and make offerings of sake to him.[2] In 1582, Zenjūbō's family was kidnapped by a group of pirates, but was subsequently rescued by Katsuhime and her associate Fujibayashi Naoe.[3]

Appearances

References