Words of the Samurai - Episode 9

An unusual quote for this series

This week’s quote stands out for two reasons: it was not spoken by a samurai, and it belongs to the category of jisei (辞世) – phrases or poems uttered before death.
Yet, in its clarity and strength, the jisei of Ishikawa Goemon, a legendary thief from the late Sengoku period, reflects a determination and awareness of fate that rivals the spirit of the bushi.
Ishikawa Goemon (?-1594) was a real historical figure.
Though today remembered as a Japanese Robin Hood, historical sources portray a more ambiguous image: Goemon was likely a clever, feared outlaw.

His grave is located at the Daiunin temple in Kyoto, where he was posthumously given the high-ranking name Yūsen’in Ryōgaku Jukan Zenjōmon—perhaps a tribute to the myth surrounding him.

The Last Words of Ishikawa Goemon

“Even if the grains of sand on the shores of Ishikawa and Hama disappear, thieves will never vanish from this world.”

A defiant and self-aware phrase, traditionally attributed to Goemon, underlining how transgression has always been part of human nature.

Historical accounts are scarce and intertwined with legend. One of the most iconic images of Goemon comes from the kabuki play Sanmon Gosan no Kiri, where he gazes at cherry blossoms from the Nanzen-ji temple gate and declares:

“What a view! What a view! A spring evening is worth a thousand ryō? How cheap, how cheap!”

Here, Goemon mocks Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the era’s ruler, embodying the rebellious spirit loved by commoners.

Many theories exist about his origins: some say he was a fallen noble from Tango province, others suggest he was a defector from the Iga ninja school after a forbidden affair. None have been proven historically.

The image of a “hero of the poor” belongs more to Edo-period literature and theatre than documented fact. According to contemporary sources, Goemon exploited the absence of troops during Hideyoshi’s military campaigns to loot urban centers.

He is also linked to a plot: Toyotomi Hidetsugu, Hideyoshi’s nephew and designated heir, is said to have hired Goemon to assassinate his uncle. The attempt failed, and the network of conspirators was uncovered.

For this assassination attempt, Hideyoshi had Goemon executed alongside his mother and son in the public square of Sanjōgawara in Kyoto, turning the punishment into a public spectacle.
The sentence was exemplary and helped cement Goemon’s legend as the man who dared to challenge the highest authority of his time.

Goemon today: between pop culture and collective memory

Despite his tragic end, the name Ishikawa Goemon lives on in legend.
Beyond classical theatre, he inspired iconic figures in Japanese pop culture, such as Goemon Ishikawa XIII, the silent, stoic swordsman from the Lupin III series.
Dressed in traditional attire and wielding a deadly shirasaya, this character embodies the ideal legacy of a timeless samurai: elegant, determined, bound to a personal code.

In him lives on Goemon: a rebel, perhaps a hero—undoubtedly a symbol.