Hero

Late Meiji-Taisho Period: 1910-20’s

They call me a hero on the bridge but there is an interesting story as to just how I
earned this title…Japanese legend tells the following tale of “Benkei” (that’s
me). I am a popular villain-turned-hero. I desired to collect 1,000
swords because it was a fad in those days to make a collection of a
thousand objects of one type. I liked swords, so that was my choice. I had all but
my last sword, so I took a position on the Gojo Bridge. As you can see, I took a
menacing pose while waiting for a hapless traveler to come along. As it turned
out, the traveler was the hero “Yoshitsune,” who ended up conquering ME!
After that incident, I gave up on my sword collecting and devoted myself to the
service of Yoshitsune. After all, it not every day that you meet such a HERO.

Today, I am with many fellow samurai warriors on exhibit in the Multi-purpose
Room of The Maridon Museum. Please come in to visit all of us.