Musashi

The classic novel about the exploits of Musashi Miyamoto, Japan's greatest samurai, who as a young man fought more than 60 duels. Miyamoto also invented the martial art iaido and wrote an important treatise on swordsmanship. The novel depicts his unrequited love for Otsu, a young woman who eventually marries his rival, Kojiro Sasaki, and his bloody revenge against Sasaki at the famous duel of Ganryujima (an island in Tokyo Bay), which profoundly influenced Japanese culture and history.