Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi (宮本 武蔵; c. 1584 – June 13, 1645) was a legendary Japanese swordsman, military strategist, artist, and philosopher whose fame spread through accounts of his distinctive two-sword fighting technique and perfect victory record across 62 duels. Japan honors him as a kensei (sword saint). He established the Niten Ichi-ryū (also called Nito Ichi-ryū) school of swordsmanship and, near the end of his life, wrote two seminal works: The Book of Five Rings (五輪の書, Go Rin No Sho) and The Path of Aloneness (獨行道, Dokkōdō).

Musashi entrusted both texts to his principal disciple, Terao Magonojō, just one week before his death. The Book of Five Rings presents the principles and techniques of his Niten Ichi-ryū school, detailing both his practical combat methods and their broader martial significance. The Path of Aloneness, by contrast, captures his personal philosophy through a series of brief, aphoristic maxims that reveal the deeper thinking underlying his approach to both combat and life.

According to Furuhashi Sōzaemon, one of Musashi's students, there were reports that Musashi intended to have his writings destroyed, reportedly declaring, "There are no written works in my school." This has led to speculation that both texts were originally destined for the flames, though the circumstances remain unclear.

Historical accounts suggest Musashi maintained a friendship with Mizuno Katsunari, a general serving the Tokugawa shogunate. The two allegedly fought alongside each other in several major conflicts—including the Battle of Sekigahara, the Siege of Osaka, and the Shimabara Rebellion—as members of the Tokugawa forces.

Today, the Miyamoto Musashi Budokan, a martial arts training facility in Ōhara-chō (Mimasaka), Okayama Prefecture, stands as a tribute to his enduring legacy.