Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2025
Keywords
Takizawa Bakin, yomihon, kingdom of Ryukyu, Chinsetsu Yumiharizuki, heroization, Minamoto no Tametomo
Abstract
This study examines Takizawa Bakin's (1767-1848) novel Chinsetsu Yumiharizuki in terms of its importance, both among his prodigious works and among Japanese early modern historical romances. It analyzes his use of sources and discusses the role this novel played in popular perceptions of Ryukyu among Edo-period Japanese, as well as in the persistent belief in the historicity of legends that Minamoto no Tametomo (1139-1170) actually visited that southern island kingdom.
Recommended Citation
Roger K. Thomas, "Nine Lives of a Hero: Chinsetsu Yumiharizuki and the Idolization of Minamoto no Tametomo"