Kudō Suketsune

Kudō Suketsune (Japanese: 工藤 祐経; 1147 – June 28, 1193) was a samurai and gokenin in the late Heian and early Kamakura period. He is known for having been assassinated during the Revenge of the Soga Brothers incident.

In this Japanese name, the surname is Kudō.
Kudō Suketsune
工藤祐経
Born1147 (1147)
DiedJuly 28, 1193(1193-07-28) (aged 45–46)
NationalityJapanese
Occupationsamurai
SpouseMangō Gozen
ChildrenItō Suketoki
Parent

Life
Kudō Suketsune's grave in Kamiide, Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture

Suketsune was born in 1147 as the son of Kudō Suketsugu.[1]

According to Azuma Kagami, when Suketsune had his coming of age ceremony (genpuku), Suketsugu promised that Suketsune would marry Mangō Gozen, the daughter of Itō Sukechika, and Sukechika would become Suketsune's guardian.[2] However, Sukechika did not accept the fact that Suketsune, not in the lineage of the eldest son, would inherit the manor, and invaded Suketsune's territory following Suketsugu's death.[3] Sukechika also made Mangō Gozen, who was married to Suketsune, divorce him.[4][5]

Suketsune was deeply angered over these events and ordered the assassination of Sukechika. In October 1176, a group of thugs attacked Sukechika, who was hunting in Okuno, Izu Province with his son Kawazu Sukeyasu. The arrow shot at Sukechika missed, and hit Sukeyasu instead, killing him.[5]

In 1193, Suketsune participated in shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo's large-scale hunting event, Fuji no Makigari, at the foot of Mount Fuji. At midnight on June 28, the final day of the hunting event, two brothers, Soga Sukenari and Tokimune, broke into the building where Suketsune and two prostitutes were resting. The two brothers killed Suketsune as a revenge for their father's death. Ōtōnai, a shinkan of Kibitsu Shrine in Bizen Province, was also killed in the process. After this, Sukenari was killed by Suketsune's retainer Nitta Tadatsune, and Tokimune was captured by Gosho no Gorōmaru after an assassination attempt on the shogun. After the turmoil, Yoritomo, who had questioned Soga Tokimune, considered saving his life, but Suketsune's son Inubusamaru (later Itō Suketoki) cried pleading for justice, and Yoritomo changed his mind and had Tokimune executed.[6][7] This incident came to be known as the Revenge of the Soga Brothers.[4]

See also

References
  1. Hinata, Kyodokai (1932). Hinata Kyodoshi Nenpyo (日向郷土史年表) (in Japanese). Japan: Bunkadoshoten.
  2. Aida, Minoru; 会田実 (2004). "Soga monogatari" sono hyōshō to saisei (Shohan ed.). Kasama Shoin. p. 198. ISBN 4-305-70281-9. OCLC 57568033.
  3. 吉原市史. 富士市史編纂委員会. Fuji City 富士市. 1968. p. 385.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  4. Asashi Nihon rekishi jinbutsu jiten. Asahi Shinbunsha. 1994. 伊東祐親. ISBN 4-02-340052-1. OCLC 33014222.
  5. Aoki, Akira (1987). Manabon Soga Monogatari 1 (真名本曾我物語 1). Japan: Heibonsha. p. 253. ISBN 9784582804683.
  6. Sakai, Koichi (2000). Soga monogatari no shijitsu to kyokō (曾我物語の史実と虚構) (in Japanese). Japan: Yoshikawa Kobunkan.
  7. Ichiko, Teiji (1966). Soga Monogatari - Iwanami Koten Bungakutaikei 88 (曽我物語 岩波古典文学大系88) (in Japanese). Japan: Iwanami Shoten. pp. 362–363.
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