Keyamura Rokusuke (毛谷村六助) (role )
Kida Magobei (貴田孫兵衛)Hida Magobei Masatoshi (比田孫兵衛正俊)
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Biography:
Elena Varshavskaya in her article in Andon 60, 'Pictorial formulae of martial attributes in Kuniyoshi's warrior prints' in September 1998 on page 8 wrote: "During Hideyoshi's campaign against the island of Kyūshū, the leading lords organized wrestling contests in order to entertain the warriors during breaks between the actions and also or maybe primarily to replenish their troops. The one who lost the battle became a vassal of the lord of the winner. So high was the fame of Keyamura Rokusuke, highly accomplished in swordmanship, that a rivalry developed among the warlords to get him in their service. Everyone tried to put forward the best of their wrestlers against Keyamura but he turned out to be invincible. One day, however, after he had been victorious in more than 30 bouts," he was confronted by Kimura Matazo, who won the battle. Thus Keyamura was made a vassal of Kato Kiyomasa, Kimura Matazo's suzerain, changing his name to Kida Magobei Muneharu in this new capacity."
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Stephen R. Turnbull wrote in the preface to The Samurai Sourcebook published by the Cassell Group in 1998: "Yet as well as the great heroes of samurai history, the reader will also find the bit-players in the great drama that was Medieval Japan. There is Miura Yoshimoto, famous for little except for the legend that he is supposed to have cut off his own head, and there is also Keyamura Rokusuke, who died the most ignominious death in samurai history by being pulled over a cliff edge by a Korean courtesan."
On page 48 Turnbull wrote: "A print by Kuniyoshi from the series Taiheiki Eiyuden showing Keyamura Rokusuke (also known as Hida Masatoshi) fighting in Korea. He wields a spear and is surrounded by discarded Chinese weapons."
On page 49 he wrote: "He was one of the victorious Japanese commanders during the second siege of Chinju in 1593. That night the Japanese high command celebrated in Chinju castle. Keyamura Rokusuke was lured out on to a balcony by a Korean courtesan called Nonkae. Taking him in a passionate embrace, Nonkae allowed herself to topple backwards, taking Rokusuke with her to his death. A shrine to Nonkae stands on the site."