Ishikawa Goemon

Ishikawa Goemon
石川 五右衛門
Goemon as played by kabuki actor Arashi Hinasuke II (an 1863 painting by Toyokuni III)
BornAugust 24, 1558
DiedOctober 8, 1594(1594-10-08) (aged 36)
Cause of deathExecution by boiling
NationalityJapanese
OccupationThief

Ishikawa Goemon (石川 五右衛門, Ishikawa Goemon, August 24, 1558 – October 8, 1594) was the leader of a group of bandits during the Azuchi-Momoyama period in Japan. Over time, and especially during the Edo period (1603-1867), his life and deeds became a center of attention, and he became known as a legendary Japanese outlaw hero who stole gold and other valuables to give to the poor.[1]

He and his son were boiled alive in public after their failed assassination attempt on the Sengoku period warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. His legend lives on in contemporary Japanese popular culture, often giving him greatly exaggerated ninja skills.

  1. ^ Boye Lafayette De Mente, Everything Japanese, McGraw-Hill, 1989 (p. 140)