There are ten dangerous death row convicts that are sent to the mysterious island in order to retrieve the mythical elixirs. Accompanying them are ten elite ronin that bear the name Yamada Asaemon. There are ten Asaemons on board, one for each convict. Their main job is to escort the convict assigned to them and make sure that none of them tried to escape. If any of those criminals dares to flee, then the Asaemons will instantly cut their head off.
The Yamada Asaemon group has a lot of power in this expedition. After all, they pretty much hold the undisputed authority over everybody on the island, and they also have the strength and skills to back it up. But who are they actually? Who are these skilled samurai who all bear the name Yamada Asaemon? There are so many mysteries surrounding this group of people, so let’s take this chance to peel back the curtain a bit and find out more about this clan.
The Origin of The Yamada Clan
The Yamada Clan actually begins as a family of sword testers. At a certain point, their reputation grew so big that they became the official sword tester for the Shogun. And that is how they’ve gained the prestige that they enjoy right now. One of the reasons why they are so good at what they do is because the Yamadas test the swords on the corpses of human bodies. Since the main purpose of the swords are to cut through human flesh and bones, this testing method tells you everything you need to know about how the swords would perform in real life.
Interestingly enough, since the people of the Yamada clan cut through people’s corpses all the time, they are incredibly knowledgeable about human anatomy. This makes them know every best places to cut through the flesh and bones effectively and efficiently. Some of the people at Yamada clan can even behead a corpse in a single clean slash. This unique ability is the reason why the Yamadas are the ones that are called whenever the local government needs to behead a criminal. They turn out to be so good at it that being executioners becomes the second profession of the people of Yamada clan.
At this point in time, the Yamada has become the official sword testers and executioners of the Shogun. But since they are technically not a retainer of the Shogun, the Yamadas are basically a group of ronin (Masterless samurai). Not to mention being sword testers and executioners doesn’t really bring much money to the clan, so they have to find other means to earn an income. And that is where their knowledge of a human body comes in. Not only that, since the Yamadas have an endless supply of human’s corpse, they get lots of chances to perform autopsy, and even harvest some organs. So they started to dabble in the world of medicine by being a doctor or making medicines. Their best-selling product is called the Asayama Pills, an all-purpose medicine that is made out of human’s liver and brains.
Those Who Earned The Name Yamada Asaemon
Unlike in medieval Europe that uses a large guillotine to behead criminals, the beheading process in medieval Japan still requires a man with a katana. But since the spine in the neck is a particularly strong and intricate bone, it is extremely difficult to cleanly behead somebody. Oftentimes, the executioner ended up having to swing his swords multiple times in order to fully separate the neck and the body. Which is an extremely painful process for the criminal, and a gruesome sight for those present during the ceremony.
That is why skilled swordsmen that know the intricacies of human anatomy like those in the Yamada Clan are often called upon to perform a clean and swift beheading process. That being said, not everybody in the Yamada can be an executioner. They have to undergo strict training and study human anatomy for years first in order to be given such honor. Once the clan head and the other important people at the Yamada acknowledge the skill and knowledge of a particular swordsman, he/she will be granted the title Yamada Asaemon.
As an interesting side note, although the Yamada Clan is often referred to as a family, most of them are actually not related by blood to the current head of the clan. Because the head of the clan has the privilege to take strangers and let them join the clan by giving them the surname Yamada. As a matter of fact, some members of the Yamada Asaemon squad are orphans that were granted the name of Yamada by the clan head when they were small.
The Yamada Asaemon Ranking System
In the story of Hell’s Paradise, there are only 12 people who have earned the title of Yamada Asaemon. Each of them are ranked based on their skills. First being the strongest, while 12th is the weakest. It is important to note, however, that the weakest Yamada Asaemon, which is a title currently held by Yamada Asaemon Sagiri, is way stronger than your average samurai. Furthermore, Yamada Asaemon ranking also determines their place as the heirs to the clan head position. That means Yamada Asaemon Rank 1 is basically the current next in line to lead the Yamada Clan.
Most people may think of the Yamadas as ruthless people who won’t hesitate to kill somebody and take advantage of their corpse. However, they are actually one of the few meritocratic families at the time. Only in the Yamada Clan can a woman like Sagiri be acknowledged as a skilled swordsman. Sure, there is still prejudice even from within the clan itself. But for all intent and purpose, in a society that still puts men and bloodline above all else, the Yamada is a rare clan where you can make it to the top as long as you have the skills, knowledge, strength, and mental acuity.