Title:

熊坂長範 (kumasaka chōhan)
Kumasaka Chōhan

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This top depicts Kumasaka Chōhan, a legendary Heian period (794-1185) figure known as the original Japanese burglar. Kamasaka Chōhan first appeared in literary and performance works of the late Muromachi period (1336-1573). Most notably, he appears as an antagonist in the fifteenth-century Japanese war tale Gikeiki (義経記), where his band of thieves encounter the hero Minamoto Yoshitsune and the two battle.

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Hiroi Michiaki: This is Kumasaka Chōhan, the original Japanese burglar. Heh heh heh. He’s the first person to burgle.