RELIGIOUS FIGURE

Benkei

1155 - 1189

Photo of Benkei

Icon of person Benkei

Saitō Musashibō Benkei (西塔武蔵坊弁慶, 1155–1189), popularly known by the mononym Benkei, was a Japanese warrior monk (sōhei) who lived in the latter years of the Heian Period (794–1185). Benkei led a varied life, first becoming a monk, then a mountain ascetic, and then a rogue warrior. He later came to respect and serve the famous warrior Minamoto no Yoshitsune, also known as Ushiwakamaru. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Benkei has received more than 1,453,236 page views. His biography is available in 30 different languages on Wikipedia. Benkei is the 659th most popular religious figure (up from 662nd in 2019), the 95th most popular biography from Japan (down from 89th in 2019) and the 4th most popular Japanese Religious Figure.

Benkei is most famous for being a warrior monk who protected the emperor from his enemies.

Memorability Metrics

  • 1.5M

    Page Views (PV)

  • 69.84

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 30

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 4.95

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 2.91

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Among RELIGIOUS FIGURES

Among religious figures, Benkei ranks 659 out of 3,187. Before him are Basilios Bessarion, Francis Borgia, 4th Duke of Gandía, Pope Constantine, Pope Benedict IV, Evagrius Ponticus, and Menno Simons. After him are Romanos the Melodist, Je Tsongkhapa, Paulo Miki, Olaus Magnus, Empress Meishō, and Louis de Montfort.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1155, Benkei ranks 4. Before him are Isaac II Angelos, Alfonso VIII of Castile, and Niketas Choniates. After him are Henry the Young King, Ottokar I of Bohemia, Shahab al-Din Yahya ibn Habash Suhrawardi, Kilij Arslan II, Isaac Komnenos of Cyprus, Peter II of Courtenay, Hermann I, Landgrave of Thuringia, and Euphrosyne Doukaina Kamatera. Among people deceased in 1189, Benkei ranks 4. Before him are Henry II of England, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, and William II of Sicily. After him are Gerard de Ridefort, Matilda of England, Duchess of Saxony, Humbert III, Count of Savoy, Emperor Shizong of Jin, and Frederick, Duke of Bohemia.

Others Born in 1155

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Others Deceased in 1189

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In Japan

Among people born in Japan, Benkei ranks 95 out of 6,245. Before him are Joe Hisaishi (1950), Tadamichi Kuribayashi (1891), Kōbō Abe (1924), Kūkai (774), Emperor Itoku (-553), and Prince Shōtoku (574). After him are Empress Go-Sakuramachi (1740), Naoto Kan (1946), Akira Suzuki (1930), Paulo Miki (1564), Fukuzawa Yukichi (1835), and Empress Meishō (1624).

Others born in Japan

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Among RELIGIOUS FIGURES In Japan

Among religious figures born in Japan, Benkei ranks 4. Before him are Kane Tanaka (1903), Dōgen (1200), and Nichiren (1222). After him are Paulo Miki (1564), Empress Meishō (1624), Abe no Seimei (921), Sen no Rikyū (1522), Yamamoto Tsunetomo (1659), Mikao Usui (1865), Dom Justo Takayama (1552), and Ikkyū (1394).

Japanese born Religious Figures

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