Vagabond
Based on Eiji Yoshikawa's novel Miyamoto Musashi, Vagabond by Takehiko Inoue follows Musashi Miyamoto as he wanders feudal Japan seeking to become the greatest swordsman. His path leads inevitably toward a fated duel with Sasaki Kojiro, reimagined in this manga as a man born deaf. Serialized in Weekly Morning since 1998; on extended hiatus since 2015.
- Genre:
- 歴史 / 時代劇 / アクション / 青年漫画
- Medium:
- Manga
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Vagabond — Timeline17 events
Birth of Shinmen Takezo (later Miyamoto Musashi)
Born in Harima Province (or Mimasaka, by another account) as the son of swordsman Shinmen Munisai. His birth year of approximately 1584 is inferred from a passage in his own Book of Five Rings. Known from childhood for a violent temper, he was feared by those around him. The manga sets his hometown in the rural villages of Mimasaka.
Vol.1巻 — Historical: Birth year c. 1584 inferred from the Book of Five Rings. Birthplace disputed between Harima and Mimasaka; the manga follows Yoshikawa's Mimasaka setting.
Birth of Sasaki Kojiro in Echizen
Born in a village in Echizen Province (present-day Fukui Prefecture). His birth year is unknown historically; some accounts suggest he was young at the time of the Ganryū Island duel in 1612. In the manga, Kojiro is depicted as congenitally deaf, honing a primal sword instinct within his world of silence.
Vol.14巻 — Historical: Birth year unknown. The Echizen origin derives from traditions linking him to the Toda school. The deaf characterization is a manga-original invention by Inoue. Vol. 14.
Kojiro Discovers His Sword Talent under Kanemaki Jisai
Taken in by Echizen swordsman Kanemaki Jisai, a master of the Chujō-ryū school, the deaf Kojiro learned swordsmanship through sight and sensation alone, eventually revealing potential that surpassed his foster master. Itō Ittōsai recognized the young Kojiro's gift and urged him toward the wider world of the sword.
Vol.14〜15巻 — Historical: Kanemaki Jisai was a real swordsman of the Chujō-ryū; the teacher-student relationship with Kojiro is recorded in the Niten-ki. Vols. 14–15.
Battle of Sekigahara and Musashi's Flight
The Eastern Army under Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Western Army under Ishida Mitsunari clashed at Sekigahara. Musashi left his village with his childhood friend Matahachi Honiden and fought for the Western side. Defeated, he barely escaped from the battlefield strewn with corpses — an experience that set him on his long road of wandering.
Vol.1〜2巻 — Historical: The Battle of Sekigahara took place on September 15, 1600. Musashi's faction is disputed historically; the manga follows Yoshikawa and depicts him on the Western side. Vols. 1–2.
Monk Takuan's Counsel and Renaming as Miyamoto Musashi
Captured while fleeing, Musashi received counsel from the Zen monk Takuan Sōhō and was eventually freed from his confinement. He renewed his resolve to pursue supreme mastery of the sword, renaming himself from Shinmen Takezo to Miyamoto Musashi — a pivotal moment shared by both Yoshikawa's novel and Inoue's manga as the true start of his journey.
Vol.2〜3巻 — No historical record links Musashi to Takuan at this point; this element is a fictional interpretation from Yoshikawa's novel. Vols. 2–3.
Musashi's Warrior Pilgrimage and Duels Across the Country
Wandering the provinces in pursuit of becoming the greatest swordsman, Musashi fought challengers at dojos and in duels along the way. His own Book of Five Rings notes that by around age 21 he had engaged in dozens of fights without a single defeat. In the manga this period charts the gradual transformation of his character through encounters with formidable opponents.
Vol.3〜10巻 — Historical: Corresponds to Musashi's own statement in the Book of Five Rings that he began defeating warriors at age 13 and won continuously. Vols. 3–10.
Duel with Hōzōin Inshun at the Spear Temple
Arriving at Hōzōin, a sub-temple of Kōfuku-ji in Nara renowned for spearmanship, Musashi faced the second abbot Inshun in a spear-versus-sword confrontation. Inshun's mastery of the cross-bladed Hōzōin-ryū spear confronted Musashi with a genuine sense of mortal danger for the first time, marking a psychological turning point in his development.
Vol.10〜13巻 — Historical: No record of this duel exists in the Bukoden; it is a later tradition. Inshun is a major antagonist in the manga. Around vols. 10–13.
Encounter with Yagyū Sekishūsai in the Yagyū Valley
Visiting the Yagyū valley in Yamato Province, Musashi fought the four senior disciples of Yagyū Sekishūsai Munenori, founder of the Shinkage-ryū school, before finally facing the aged master himself. Confronted by Sekishūsai's unfathomable depth, Musashi was overwhelmed and realized that a dimension of the sword existed beyond mere strength.
Vol.16〜20巻 — Historical: No record confirms Musashi visited Yagyū. In the manga, this episode is central to his spiritual growth. Around vols. 16–20.
Duel with Yoshioka Seijuro at Rendaino
Musashi, aged 21, dueled Yoshioka Seijuro — head of the Yoshioka school, which held the prestigious title of swordsmanship instructor to the Ashikaga shogunal family — at Rendaino, a cremation ground north of Kyoto. A single wooden-sword blow shattered Seijuro's shoulder and decided the match. Seijuro subsequently renounced the sword and took Buddhist vows.
Vol.21〜22巻 — Historical: The 1604 Rendaino duel is documented in several sources, though details vary. Vols. 21–22.
Duel with Yoshioka Denshichiro
Denshichiro, second master of the Yoshioka school and Seijuro's younger brother, challenged Musashi to avenge the family's defeat. Fighting with an oversized wooden sword, Denshichiro put up a fierce contest before ultimately being defeated by Musashi. The manga renders the contrasting personalities of the two brothers and the difficulty of the bout.
Vol.23〜24巻 — Historical: The Sanjūsangen-dō location for this duel is considered a fictional detail from Yoshikawa's novel. Around vols. 23–24.
Battle of Ichijoji Sagarimatsu — Musashi vs. the Yoshioka School
Having lost two successive masters to Musashi, the Yoshioka school rallied more than seventy disciples around a young successor and lured Musashi to the pine grove of Ichijoji for a group ambush. Musashi fought alone and defeated them all, bringing his conflict with the Yoshioka school to an end. This is depicted as one of the defining trials on his path to becoming the greatest.
Vol.25〜26巻 — Historical: The 1604 Ichijoji confrontation is a well-known legend but thinly documented in contemporary records. Around vols. 25–26.
Kojiro's Warrior Pilgrimage and Mastery of Tsubame Gaeshi
Guided by Itō Ittōsai on his warrior's pilgrimage, Kojiro fought challengers across the country and perfected his signature technique, Tsubame Gaeshi (Swallow Counter). Tradition holds that he derived the move from observing a swallow's flight at Ichijō Falls in Fukui. In the manga, Kojiro's heightened non-auditory senses are shown giving rise to a technique unmatched by sighted swordsmen.
Vol.14〜20巻 — Historical: The Tsubame Gaeshi legend is associated with Ichijō Falls in Fukui. Kojiro's relationship with Ittōsai is not historically documented.
Kojiro Appointed as Sword Instructor to the Kokura Domain
Having built a formidable reputation, Kojiro was engaged as a fencing instructor by the lord of the Kokura domain in Buzen Province. He took the title 'Ganryū' and is credited with founding a sword school of that name. According to tradition, the island where he fought Musashi was named Ganryū-jima after his sobriquet.
Vol.20巻以降 — Historical: Sources record Kojiro as a fencing instructor in the Hosokawa domain. The 'Ganryū' title is documented historically.
Musashi and Kojiro — Their Fated First Meeting
Having each pursued mastery by separate paths, Musashi and Kojiro became aware of each other's existence. The manga depicts encounters, direct and indirect, that build toward the inevitable confrontation. No historical record confirms whether the two met before their final duel.
Vol.30巻以降 — A manga-original portrayal. No historical record documents pre-duel contact between the two swordsmen.
Musashi Settles in a Village and Meets Iori
Gravely wounded after the Yoshioka battles and questioning his path, Musashi took refuge in a farming village and worked the land alongside the orphan Iori. Trading his sword for a hoe, and facing famine and natural disaster together with the villagers, he was driven to deeper questions about the meaning of life itself.
Vol.35〜37巻 — Corresponds to the 'farm arc' in vols. 35–37 (the final published volumes; the series has been on hiatus since 2015). Historically Iori was Musashi's adopted son, but the date of their meeting is uncertain.
Land Reclamation and Struggle Against Famine
Alongside the villagers, Musashi cleared new land and worked at rice cultivation. Facing crop failures caused by bad weather and pests, he chose to live as a farmer within a community rather than as a wandering swordsman. The manga portrays his inner transformation through agricultural labor, framed around the concept of 'inner infinity.'
Vol.35〜37巻 — Vols. 35–37 (the final episodes before the hiatus). No historical parallel event is documented.
Duel on Ganryū Island — Musashi vs. Kojiro
On Funajima (Ganryū Island) in the strait off Kokura in Buzen Province, Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojiro fought a one-on-one duel. Musashi arrived considerably late, unsettling Kojiro's composure, then felled him with a single blow from a wooden sword. Kojiro died on the spot. The duel is remembered as one of the most celebrated single combats in Japanese history.
Vol.未到達（連載休止中） — Historical: April 13, Keichō 17 (May 13, 1612). The island is located in what is now Toyoura, Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Details vary across historical accounts.
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