Banzuiin Chōbei

Who was Banzuiin Chōbei?

Banzuiin Chōbei was a historical street tough of Japan's Edo period who, according to later fictionalized portrayals of his life in literature and drama, fought against injustices, and to protect the common people from the abuses of the samurai aristocracy. Born in Karatsu as Tsukamoto Itarō, he established himself in the Asakusa district of Edo, where he led of a band of machi-yakko and founded an employment agency for ronin. Trained as a warrior, he was renowned for his swordsmanship.

In Asakusa, Chōbei organized a kumi which opposed the hatamoto-yakko in seeking to control the area's markets. He was eventually killed by hatamoto Mizuno Jūrozaemon.

Following his death, Chōbei became a popular figure in literature and drama. A 1974 prime-time television jidaigeki series, Banzuiin Chōbei Omachi Nasei, starred Mikijirō Hira as Chōbei.