Kusunoki Masashige (14th Century Japan)
A samurai warrior so devoted to honor that his final act wasn't a battle cry — it was a farewell to his 10-year-old son, teaching him how to live after he was gone.
Medieval Japan (1294–1336)
In 1336, samurai warrior Kusunoki Masashige knew he was marching to his death.
Before his last battle, he knelt before his 10-year-old son Masatsura and gave him one final lesson.
What he said still echoes 700 years later. 👇
The Emperor ordered Masashige into a battle he couldn’t win. He could have fled. He could have rebelled.
Instead, he obeyed — but first, he pulled his boy aside.
“When I am gone, the world will change. But your duty is to LIVE. Survive. Carry on what matters.”
Masashige died at the Battle of Minatogawa. His last words: “Would that I had seven lives to give for my country.”
His son Masatsura grew up to become one of Japan’s greatest warriors — not because his father trained him to fight, but because he taught him WHY to fight. 🇯🇵
700 years later, Masashige’s statue stands outside the Imperial Palace in Tokyo — one of the most photographed monuments in Japan.
A father’s final lesson outlasted empires.
What’s the best advice YOUR dad ever gave you? 👇
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