The Legend of Saitō Musashibō Benkei

The legendary warrior monk who bound his life to the famous general Minamoto Yoshitsune.

Benkei strikes Yoshitsune at the Ataka barrier (Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Noh theater, Kabuki theater, and ukiyo-e prints—pillars of Japan’s rich cultural he…