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, – 13 June 1645 was a Japanese people swordsman, strategist, artist, and writer who became renowned through stories of his unique double-bladed swordsmanship and undefeated record in his 62 duels. Musashi is considered a kensei (sword saint) of Japan. He was the founder of the Niten Ichi-ryū (or Nito Ichi-ryū) style of swordsmanship. In his final years, Musashi authored Go Rin No Sho and Dokkōdō (獨行道, The Path of Aloneness).
Both documents were bequeathed to Terao Magonojō, Musashi's most important student, seven days before Musashi's death. The Book of Five Rings focuses on the character of his Niten Ichi-ryū school in a concrete sense; his own practical martial art and its generic significance. On the other hand, The Path of Aloneness deals with the ideas that lie behind it, as well as his life's philosophy in a few short aphoristic sentences.
It is believed that Musashi was a friend of Mizuno Katsunari, a Tokugawa shogunate general. As part of the Tokugawa Army, they fought together in the Battle of Sekigahara, Siege of Osaka, and Shimabara Rebellion .
The Miyamoto Musashi Budokan training center in Ōhara-chō (Mimasaka), Okayama Prefecture, Japan, was erected in his honour.
Musashi gives his full name and title in The Book of Five Rings as Shinmen Musashi-no-Kami Fujiwara no Harunobu (新免武蔵守藤原玄信) . His father, Shinmen Munisai (新免無二斎) was an accomplished martial artist, master of the sword, and jutte (also jitte). Munisai, in turn, was the son of Hirata Shōgen (平田将監), a vassal of Shinmen Iga no Kami, the lord of Takayama Castle in the Yoshino district of Mimasaka Province. Hirata was relied upon by Lord Shinmen and so was allowed to use the Shinmen name. "Fujiwara clan" was the lineage from which Musashi claimed descent. Other names of his include Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke, and Niten Dōraku (his Buddhist name). Hirata's wife was Omasa. She died as a result of giving birth to Musashi.
Musashi developed eczema during infancy, which had an adverse effect on his appearance. Another story claims that he never bathed himself because he did not want to be surprised unarmed. Historian Kamiko writes, "For his entire life, Musashi never took a wife, cut his hair, or entered a bath."
According to The Book of Five Rings, Musashi testified that his first duel occurred when he was still 12–13 years old. His opponent was a Arima Kihei, a swordsman who practised Kashima Shintō-ryū martial arts, which were created by Tsukahara Bokuden. Musashi was victorious. The second duel happened when Musashi was 16 years old, when he won another victory against Tadashima Akiyama, a swordsman who was native to Tajima Province. Musashi's third duel, at age 21 was in Kyoto, where he defeated several students of a famous sword fighting school.
In 1599, Musashi left his village at age 15 or 16.
For a long time, the popular theory stated that Musashi participated in the Battle of Sekigahara on the Western Army side due to the fact that Shinmen clan was a longtime vassal to the Ukita clan. However, recent research by modern Japanese historians challenged the theory, as they asserted that Musashi and his father, Shinmen Munisai, actually sided with The Eastern Army. This stemmed from historical records that Munisai no longer served the Ukita clan during that time, and the clan records of Kuroda clan, ally of Tokugawa Ieyasu during the war, had recorded the name of Shinmen Munisai among their vassals who participated in the war. Historians quoted The Transmission of Military Art to Master Bushu Genshin, the record from Tachibana Mineki; vassal of Kuroda clan, and the "Matsui Clan record", rejecting that the theory that Musashi fought on the side of Western Army, both in Sekigahara and in Osaka siege 14 years later. Historian Masahide Fukuda has determined that the name of Munisai appeared in Kuroda clan record under the category of Kogofudai, or Kuroda clan who had entered service before 1586. Owing to this fact, Fukuda concluded it was natural that Munisai and Musashi were on the Tokugawa side during the war.
Nevertheless, while Japanese historians generally agree that Musashi favoured the Eastern Army, it remains a matter of debate whether he saw action at Sekigahara or Ishigakihara. Japanese history novelist Kengo Tominaga proposed a theory that Musashi during the Sekigahara Campaign did not fight in the main battle of Sekigahara, rather he fought under Kuroda Yoshitaka against Ishida Mitsunari loyalists from the western provinces in the battle of Ishigakihara, Ōita Prefecture.
In December 1608, It was reported that Musashi met with Mizuno Katsunari, a Tokugawa general. Musashi taught Katsunari the secret techniques of his sword style.『宮本武蔵奥伝（与水野日向守）』（小田原市立図書館蔵）、『兵道鏡』（高知城歴史博物館 山内文庫所蔵）
In 1611, Musashi learned zazen at Myōshin-ji, Kyūshū. Musashi introduced Nagaoka Sado to an official of daimyo (lord) named Hosokawa Tadaoki.
Musashi, it is said, deliberately arrived late. Kojirō had lost his patience while waiting, and he taunted Musashi for his late arrival, though the latter remained composed. Kojirō was known for fighting with a nodachi, a sword with a long blade. During his journey to the island by boat, Musashi had carved an oar into a bokken, or wooden practice sword. The duel ended when Musashi quickly and fatally struck Kojirō, crushing his skull with a vertical stroke.
The episode is dramatised in the 1956 Inagaki Japanese film .
In 1633, Musashi began staying with Hosokawa Tadatoshi, Daimyo of Kumamoto Castle, who had moved to the Kumamoto fief and Kokura, to train and paint. While he engaged in very few duels during this period, one occurred in 1634 at the arrangement of Lord Ogasawara, in which Musashi defeated a lance specialist named Takada Matabei. Musashi officially became the retainer of the Hosokawa lords of Kumamoto in 1640. The Niten Ki records "he received from Lord Tadatoshi: 17 retainers, a stipend of 300 koku, the rank of ōkumigashira 大組頭, and Chiba Castle in Kumamoto as his residence."Toyota, p. 250
In 1638, Musashi allegedly participated in the suppression of the Shimabara Rebellion. In the journal Munekyu (Katsunari)-sama, a collection of statements made by Katsunari Mizuno after his retirement in 1639, a story is recalled about Mizuno's army during the Shimabara Rebellion: a man named Miyamoto Musashi entered the camp of general Ogasawara Nagatsugu, and Musashi said, "Last time (at Siege of Osaka), (Mizuno Katsunari) Hyuga-no-Kamidono's clan had this, and I knew the military system very well." Musashi continued, "He is a great general that no one can match."
In 1643, he retired to a cave, Reigandō, living as a hermit to write The Book of Five Rings. He finished it in the second month of 1645. On the twelfth of the fifth month, sensing his impending death, he bequeathed his worldly possessions, after giving his manuscript to the younger brother of Terao Magonojo, his closest disciple. Musashi died around 13 June 1645 ("Shōhō 2, 19th day of the 5th month"). Sources disagree on the location of his death. The Nitenki records that he died in Reigandō cave, while the earlier Bukōden states that Lord Nagaoka Yoriyuki prevailed upon Musashi to return to his yashiki at the former grounds of Chiba Castle in Kumamoto, where he subsequently died.De Lange, William (2011). The Real Musashi: The Bukōden. Floating World Editions. .De Lange, William "Kumamoto Castle | Miyamoto Musashi". Retrieved 18 May 2026.. Allegedly, his death resulted from lung cancer. According to Hyoho senshi denki ( Anecdotes About the Deceased Master):
| 1578 | −6 | Musashi's brother, Shirota, is born. |
| 1584 | 0 | Miyamoto Musashi is born. |
| 1591 | 6–7 | Musashi is taken and raised by his uncle as a Buddhist. |
| 1596 | 11–12 | Musashi duels with Arima Kihei in Hirafuku, Hyōgo Prefecture. |
| 1599 | 14–15 | Duels with a man named Tadashima Akiyama in the northern part of Hyōgo Prefecture. |
| 1600 | 16 | Believed to have fought in the Battle of Sekigahara (21 October) as part of the Western army. However, recent researches has suggested he was on the Eastern army along with his father. Whether he actually participated in the battle is currently in doubt. |
| 1604 | 19–20 | Musashi has three matches with the Yoshioka clan in Kyoto. (1) Match with Yoshioka Seijuro in Yamashiro Province, outside the city at Rendai Moor (west of Mt. Funaoka, Kita-ku, Kyoto). (2) Match with Yoshioka Denshichiro outside the city. (3) Match with Yoshioka Matashichiro outside the city at the pine of Ichijō-ji. |
| Visits Kōfuku-ji, Nara and ends up duelling with Okuzōin Dōei, the Buddhist priest trained in the style of Hōzōin-ryū. First published in the Nara town magazine Ubusuna on 8 July 2009. | ||
| 1605–1612 | 20–28 | Begins to travel again. |
| 1607 | 22–23 | Munisai (Musashi's father) passes his teachings onto Musashi. |
| Duels with the kusarigama expert Shishido in the western part of Mie Prefecture. | ||
| 1608 | 23–24 | Duels Musō Gonnosuke, master of the five-foot staff in Edo. |
| 1610 | 25–26 | Fights Hayashi Osedo and Tsujikaze Tenma in Edo. |
| 1611 | 26–27 | Begins practicing zazen meditation. |
| 1612 | 28 | Duel with Sasaki Kojirō takes place on 13 April, on Ganryū-jima off the coast of Shimonoseki in which Kojiro is defeated. |
| Briefly opens a fencing school. | ||
| 1614–1615 | 30–31 | Believed to have joined the troops of Tokugawa Ieyasu in the Winter and Summer campaigns, under the command of Mizuno Katsushige (8 November 1614 – 15 June 1615) at Osaka Castle, but no significant contributions are documented. |
| 1615–1621 | 30–37 | Comes into the service of Ogasawara Tadanao in Harima Province as a construction supervisor. |
| 1621 | 36–37 | Duels Miyake Gunbei in Tatsuno, Hyōgo. |
| 1622 | 37–38 | Sets up temporary residence at the castle town of Himeji, Hyōgo. |
| 1623 | 38–39 | Travels to Edo. |
| Adopts a son named Miyamoto Iori. | ||
| 1626 | 41–42 | Adopted son Mikinosuke commits seppuku following in the tradition of Junshi. |
| 1627 | 42–43 | Travels again. |
| 1628 | 43–44 | Meets with Yagyū Hyōgonosuke in Nagoya, Owari Province. |
| 1630 | 45–46 | Enters the service of Lord Hosokawa Tadatoshi. |
| 1633 | 48–49 | Begins to extensively practice the arts. |
| 1634 | 49–50 | Settles in Kokura, Fukuoka Prefecture for a short time with son Iori as a guest of Ogasawara Tadazane. |
| 1637–1638 | 53–54 | Serves a major role in the Shimabara Rebellion (17 December 1637 – 15 April 1638) and is the only documented evidence that Musashi served in battle. Was knocked off his horse by a rock thrown by one of the peasants. |
| 1641 | 56–57 | Writes Hyoho Sanju-go. |
| 1642 | 57–58 | Suffers severe attacks from neuralgia. |
| 1643 | 58–59 | Migrates into Reigandō where he lives as a hermit. |
| 1645 | 61 | Finishes Go Rin No Sho/The Book of Five Rings. Dies from what is believed to be lung cancer. Location of death disputed between primary sources.De Lange, William (2011). The Real Musashi: The Bukōden. Floating World Editions. . |
This predominant cultural view of Musashi is somewhat contradicted by old texts such as Dobo goen (1720), which relay his intimacy with the courtesan Kumoi in his middle age. The Bushu Denraiki details Musashi fathering a daughter by a courtesan. The daughter is said to have died young which caused him great grief. It is uncertain if this courtesan and Kumoi were the same person. A rumour also connected Musashi with the oiran .
The two-handed movements of temple drummers may have inspired him, although it could be that the technique was forged through Musashi's combat experience. Jitte techniques were taught to him by his father—the jitte was often used in battle paired with a sword; the jitte would parry and neutralise the weapon of the enemy while the sword struck or the practitioner grappled with the enemy. Today Musashi's style of swordsmanship is known as Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū.
Musashi was also an expert in throwing weapons. He frequently threw his short sword and instructed others at throwing shuriken. Kenji Tokitsu believes that shuriken methods for the wakizashi were the Niten Ichi Ryu's secret techniques.
However, the belief that Musashi disliked the Shinto religion is inaccurate, as he criticises the similarly worded Shintō-ryū style of swordsmanship, which is not the religion. In Musashi's Dokkōdō, his stance on religion is further elucidated: "Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help."
The inauguration of the Miyamoto Musashi Budokan perpetuated the twinning established on 4 March 1999, between the inhabitants of Ōhara-Chō (Japanese province of Mimasaka) and the inhabitants of Gleizé. It was formalised in the presence of Sensei Tadashi Chihara, guarantor and tenth in the lineage of Miyamoto Musashi carrying a mandate from the mayor of Ōhara-Chō, and in the presence of the mayor of Gleizé Élisabeth Lamure.
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