Shitennō ( 四天王), a Japanese term normally referring to the

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

Four Heavenly Kings The Four Heavenly Kings are four Buddhist gods, each of whom is believed to watch over one cardinal direction of the world. In Chinese mythology, they are known collectively as the "Fēng Tiáo Yǔ Shùn" () or "Sìdà Tiānwáng" (). In th ...

, is also applied to particularly famous or loyal retainers, in groups of four, to certain of Japan's most famous legendary and historical figures. The following four are referred to in legend as the ''Shitennō'' of

Minamoto no Yorimitsu , also known as Minamoto no Raikō, served the regents of the Fujiwara clan along with his brother Yorinobu, taking the violent measures the Fujiwara were themselves unable to take. He is one of the earliest Minamoto of historical note for his mil ...

(also known as Raikō) (948–1021): * Sakata no Kintoki – known as Kaidomaru in his past. Kintoki originated from the House of Suzaku. *

Urabe no Suetake was a samurai of the Heian period (794 – 1185) in the service of Minamoto no Yorimitsu (948 – 1021), a regent of the Fujiwara clan. Suetake was formally known as , and also appears in literature as and . Suetake assisted Yorimitsu t ...

– Originated from the House of Seiryū *

Usui Sadamitsu was a warrior of the mid-Heian period. His official name was . According to Otogizōshi stories compiled several centuries later, Sadamitsu was a retainer of the Japanese legendary hero Minamoto no Raikō. Sadamitsu is known as one of The Fou ...

– Originated from the House of

Genbu Genbu may refer to: * Black Tortoise, a Chinese constellation symbol * Genbu (''YuYu Hakusho''), a fictional character in the series ''YuYu Hakusho'' * Genbu (''Fushigi Yūgi''), a fictional character in the series ''Fushigi Yūgi'' * Genbu, a fi ...

. *

Watanabe no Tsuna (953–1025) was a Japanese samurai, a companion in arms of Minamoto no Yorimitsu (also known as Raikō), one of the earliest samurai to be famed for his military exploits in a number of tales and legends. Watanabe no Tsuna was the first pers ...

– Originated from the House of

Byakko The White Tiger ( Chinese: 白虎, Pinyin: ''Báihǔ''), known in Chinese as Baihu, is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. It is sometimes called the White Tiger of the West (). It represents the west in terms of direction and ...

Minamoto no Yoshitsune was a military commander of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian and early Kamakura periods. During the Genpei War, he led a series of battles which toppled the Ise-Heishi branch of the Taira clan, helping his half-brother Yoritomo cons ...

(1159–1189) was accompanied by the following four, his so-called ''Shitennō'', who are featured in the

kabuki is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. Kabuki is thought ...

play ''

Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura ''Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura'' (義経千本桜), or ''Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees'', is a Japanese play, one of the three most popular and famous in the Kabuki repertoire. Originally written in 1747 for the jōruri puppet theater by ...

'' and other works: * Suruga Jirō Kiyoshige ( 駿河次郎清重) * Kamei Rokurō Shigekiyô ( 亀井六郎重清) * Kataoka Hachirō Tsuneharu ( 片岡八郎常春) * Ise Saburō Yoshimori ( 伊勢三郎義盛)

References

Lists of samurai {{samurai-stub

See also

References