The feudal history of Japan is filled with stories of revenge killings (katakiuchi), with samurai revenging their lord, father, brother… The tale of the Soga brothers took place 800 years ago, and although so much time has passed, and the samurai are now long gone, it is still one of the most famous such stories. Besides, in Hakone, close to the Hakone Shrine, there’s a small but beautiful shrine, dedicated to honoring the memory of the Soga brothers.
The story was written in the Tale of the Soga Brothers (Soga Monogatari), and in short it goes like this:
In order to get an inheritance, Kudo Saemon Suketsune killed his cousin, Kozu Saburo Sukemichi. 18 years later, the two sons of Sukemichi, Juro and Goro, avenged the death of their father by killing Suketsune during a hunting party.
Juro was killed during the fight while Goro was condemned and executed.
EXIF Info:
|
Yesterday’s Japan Photo:Japanese signs, Post Office |