Battle of Iwo Jima Date 19 February – 26 March 1945 (1 month and 1 week) Location Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, Japan Result American victory USAAF fighter aircraft able to escort B-29's on missions to Japan. Americans gain an emergency landing base for damaged aircraft returning from missions on Japan. Belligerents United States Japan Commanders and leaders U.S. Navy: Chester W. Nimitz Raymond A. Spruance Marc A. Mitscher William H. P. Blandy U.S. Marine Corps: Holland M. Smith Harry Schmidt Graves B. Erskine Clifton B. Cates Keller E. Rockey Tadamichi Kuribayashi † Takeichi Nishi † Sadasue Senda † Rinosuke Ichimaru † Units involved American: Ground units: V Amphibious Corps 3rd Marine Division 4th Marine Division 5th Marine Division 147th Infantry Regiment (separate) Aerial units: Seventh Air Force Naval units: 5th Fleet Joint Expeditionary Force (TF 51) Amphibious Support Force (TF 52) Attack Force (TF 53) Expeditionary Troops (TF 56) Fast Carrier Force (T...
Miyamoto Musashi
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| Utagawa Kuniyoshi: woodcut of Miyamoto Musashi |
Born
Shinmen Bennosuke
1584, Harima Province or Mimasaka Province, Japan
Died
13 June 1645 (aged 60–61)
Higo Province, Japan
Native name
宮本武蔵
Other names
Niten Dōraku; Shinmen Musashi no Kami Fujiwara no Wezou
Residence
Japan
Style
Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū Kenjutsu (二天一流), Enmei-ryu (圓明流), (二天流)
Children
Mikinosuke (adopted)
Kurōtarō (adopted)
Iori (adopted)
Yoemon (adopted)
Daughter of unknown name
Notable students
Takemura Yoemon; Terao Magonojō; Terao Motomenosuke; Furuhashi Sōzaemon
Japanese name
Kanji 宮本 武蔵
Hiragana みやもと むさし
Katakana ミヤモト ムサシ
Transcriptions
Romanization Miyamoto Musashi
Miyamoto Musashi, original name Miyamoto Masana, artistic name Niten, (born 1584, Mimasaka or Harima, Japan—died June 13, 1645, Higo), famous Japanese soldier-artist of the early Edo (Tokugawa) period (1603–1867).
Musashi began his career as a fighter early in life when, at age 13, he killed a man in single combat. In 1600 he was on the losing side of the Battle of Sekigahara (which paved the way for establishing the Tokugawa shogunate), becoming one of the rōnin (masterless samurai). In time he set out on a personal quest to develop perfect sword technique. He invented the nitō ichi-ryū, the style of fencing with two swords, and is often referred to today as kensai (‘‘sword saint’’). Musashi claimed to have fought in more than 60 individual sword fights, many of which were to the death and all of which he won.
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| Man holding up a magnifying glass for a better look at the samurai swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, woodblock print by Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi |
Musashi’s most famous encounter took place in 1612, against his arch rival Sasaki Kojirō, a swordsman whose skill was reported to be equal to his own. The contest took place on a small island off the coast of Japan. While being rowed out to the dueling site, Musashi fashioned a wooden sword out of an oar. When the two enemies finally met on the beach, Musashi quickly dispatched Kojirō with a well-placed blow to the head using his wooden sword. After that, feeling that he had reached his peak as a swordsman, Musashi retired from the dueling life, though he trained some students and helped to suppress the Shimabara Rebellion in 1637.
According to legend, Musashi wrote his famous work on strategy—Gorin no sho (The Book of Five Rings), which dealt with the martial experience both individually and militarily—on his deathbed. Following its first English translation in 1974, the book was seriously studied by executives in the West in order to better understand Japanese management techniques and strategies.
An artist of suiboku-ga, or sumi-e, (monochrome ink painting), Musashi painted in a powerful and direct style with an amazing economy of strokes. He is particularly remembered for his paintings of birds, such as Koboku meikakuzu (“Shrike Perched in a Dead Tree”) and Rozanzu (“Wild Geese Among Reeds”).
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