CHAPTER 1: THE BATTLE OF TWELVE SWORDS
NARRATOR: Samurai. Masters of the sword and bow. Men of history and legend. These fierce warriors were as much feared for their skills in battle as respected for their adherence to ethics and honor. Their feats of daring were known across the world. The samurai became larger than life legends -- battling monsters, spirits and demons. But among these heroes, one samurai captured the hearts and minds of children and adults above all others because according to legend, he single-handedly saved all of Japan. He is the Sword Saint, Takezo Kensei.
NARRATOR: The year was 1671 during Japan’s Edo or Tokugawa Period.
PROFESSOR DONNA DORN (University of Chicago, Japanese Studies): The Edo period launched one of Japan’s most prosperous periods. Up until now, war ... fighting had all ended and it was a time of development and enlightenment.
NARRATOR: Japan became isolationist, closing off its borders to all foreigners except China, Korea and the East India Trade Company. Only a bare minimum of imports and exports were allowed. The country’s stance was so rigid that unauthorized visitors were to be executed rather than deported. Japan had effectively shut out the rest of the world. But they never suspected that the true threat would come not from outside their borders, but from within.
NARRATOR: The warlord known only as White Beard took advantage of the peace and quickly swept across much of Japan. His forces were said to have numbered as many as seventy thousand strong.
PROF. DONNA DORN: White Beard crushed any resistance he met, cities destroyed. Entire villages were put to death. It was said that even the mention of his name would cause villages to desert. The country had gone from its most peaceful period to its most bloody.
NARRATOR: White Beard set his sights on Otsu, a tiny farm, seemingly insignificant. But White Beard knew if he captured Otsu so close to Kyoto, he could use it as his staging ground. From it, he could attack any city in Japan. He would be unstoppable.
NARRATOR: Otsu did indeed become a pivotal battle for White Beard, but not how he suspected.
PROF. DONNA DORN: Expecting easy victory, White Beard’s troops marched straight into Otsu. He was so confident about over-running this peaceful little town, that White Beard lead the march personally, bringing only a small company of men.
NARRATOR: This would prove to be his fatal mistake. For it was there that White Beard first encountered Takezo Kensei in what became known as the Battle of Twelve Swords. Kensei defeated White Beard and all of his men single-handedly. It was a decisive battle for both men. It marked the birth of a hero and a turning point of the warmonger. Kensei saved the people of Otsu. White Beard, barely escaping with his life, had tasted his first defeat.
CURATOR TATSUYA ATSUMI (Museum of Cultural History, Tokyo, Japan): Kensei knew that if Japan were to survive, he would have to stop White Beard. White Beard proved his [...]. Despite his large forces, he kept the location of his camp a closely guarded secret. No one can fight what they can’t find. This place became known as the "Hidden Fortress."
NARRATOR: To find this Hidden Fortress, Kensei followed a deadly path strewn with peril. This circuitous journey fought with adventure and mischief would become known as 'The Trials of Takezo Kensei.'