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Mikogami Tenzen

1569 – 1628

Japanese samurai

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About Mikogami Tenzen

Lived 1569 – 1628 (aged 58–59). Mikogami Tenzen was a Japanese.

or Ono Jiroemon Tadaaki (1565-1628) was a Japanese samurai of the early Edo period, who was renowned as a swordsman. He founded the Ono-ha Ittō-ryū style of swordsmanship after his teacher, Itō Ittōsai, made him head master of the Ittō-ryū. He was one of two official sword masters for Tokugawa Ieyasu and his style, along with Yagyū Shinkage-ryū became one of the official ryūha of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

The term Tenzen (典膳) refers to the assistant cupbearer of the Emperor, and seems to have been a court title under the Ritsuryō system. Tadaaki received this honorific from the Bakufu.

In 1589, he took part in the assault on Mangi Castle whilst serving as a retainer of Satomi Yoshiyasu, where he fought a duel with Tokishige Masaki, who was serving the Satomi clan. However, the result of the duel was indecisive.

In Eiji Yoshikawa's book Musashi, Tadaaki appears as an aging samurai, instructor to the Shogun. He faces Sasaki Kojiro and gives up when realizing that he is now too old to fight people as skilled as Kojiro. He then withdraws from public life and goes to live as an hermit.

Shuhei Fujisawa's historical fiction novel, The Duel's Crossroads, features Mikogami Tenzen as a major character.

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Important facts

Born
1569
Birth century
Nationality

People in Mikogami Tenzen's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Mikogami Tenzen's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Mikogami Tenzen?

Japanese samurai

When was Mikogami Tenzen born?

Mikogami Tenzen was born in 1569.

When did Mikogami Tenzen die?

Mikogami Tenzen died on 2 December 1628.

What nationality was Mikogami Tenzen?

Mikogami Tenzen was Japanese.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Mikogami Tenzen

· Wikidata: Q6850068

· DBpedia: Mikogami Tenzen

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Mikogami Tenzen. https://biography.guide/mikogami-tenzen/

MLA: "Mikogami Tenzen." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/mikogami-tenzen/.

Chicago: "Mikogami Tenzen." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/mikogami-tenzen/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-21 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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