Ikezuki (池月)is the name of a white horse that belonged to Shōgun Yoritomo and also makes an appearance in the

Tale of Heike is an epic poetry, epic account compiled prior to 1330 of the struggle between the Taira clan and Minamoto clan for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War (1180–1185). It has been translated into English at least ...

, being ridden by

Sasaki Takatsuna was a Japanese samurai commander in the Genpei War, the great conflict between the Minamoto and Taira clans.Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric ''et al'' (2005). "Sasaki Takatsuna" in An infant at the time of the Heiji Rebellion (1159–1160), Tak ...

, as well as other appearances throughout the

Genpei War The was a national civil war between the Taira clan, Taira and Minamoto clan, Minamoto clans during the late Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the downfall of the Taira and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto no Yori ...

. Ikezuki was well known for his ability to swim and bite. He was believed to be a messenger of

Hachiman In Japanese religion, ''Yahata'' (八幡神, ancient Shinto pronunciation) formerly in Shinto and later commonly known as Hachiman (八幡神, Japanese Buddhist pronunciation) is the syncretic divinity of archery and war, incorporating elements f ...

. Today, the name Ikezuki is used as the name for a park in Mima City, the name of a station in Miyagi Prefecture ( Ikezuki Station), and as the name of a sake maker.

History

Ikezuki is believed to have been born in what is now Mima Town, Mima City,

Tokushima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Tokushima Prefecture has a population of 682,439 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,146 Square kilometre, km2 (1,601 sq mi). Tokushima Prefecture b ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. His mother was a captive horse from Mima and his father was a wild horse from Mount Tsurugi, south of the

Yoshino River The Yoshino River (吉野川 ''Yoshino-gawa'') is a river on the island of Shikoku, Japan. It is long and has a watershed of . It is the second longest river in Shikoku (slightly shorter than the Shimanto), and is the only river whose watershe ...

. Ikezuki's father taught him to swim in the strong currents of the Yoshino River. He grew up to be very strong. One day, his mother fell into a marshy pond and died. He stood at the bank of the pond and caught a glimpse of her (failing to realize that it was actually his own reflection). He jumped after her many times. Villagers saw the image of him jumping over and over again into the pond (ike 池) with a beautiful moon (tsuki/zuki 月) behind him and therefore named him "Ikezuki".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ikezuki (Horse) Genpei War Individual male horses Individual animals in Japan