The day is in Heian Period. Military commander Samurai Minamoto no Yoshitsune gained a great fame on the destruction of the Heike clan in Dannoura in Yamaguchi prefecture. He got the order from the Imperial court to pursue and kill his brother Mianmoto no Yoshitomo, and received a mysterious drum “Hatsune-no-tsuzumi” Yoshitsune took this drum unwillingly and decided never to beat it throughout his life. However, suspicious Yoritomo sent soldiers to Yoshitsune to pursue and catch him. Yoshitsune ran away from the soldiers and hid in Mount Yoshino in Nara prefecture. Yoshitsune’s lover Shizukagozen came to Mount Yoshino to meet him, guarded by Yoshitsune’s vassal Sato Tadamobu on the way. Surprisingly, Shizukagozen found another Tadamobu there! Yoshitsune asked her to tell which is the real Yoshinobu. Shizuka gozen received the drum from Yoshitsune and beat it. Then, her body guard Tadanobu heard the sound of the drum and turned into a little fox, because the drum is made by the little fox’s mother’s leather. Shizukagozen found out that the fox took the shape of Tadanobu and protected her Yoshitsune got deeply impressed by the mother and child’s love and gave the “Hatsune drum” to the fox.
Japan traditional crafts
