The legendary duel between Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojiro took place on April 13, 1612, on Ganryu Island in the straits between Honshu and Kyushu. Kojiro, known as "The Demon of the Western Provinces," wielded his famous nodachi—a sword longer than standard katanas—with devastating precision. Musashi, already a renowned swordsman despite being in his late twenties, arrived hours late to the appointed time, likely a deliberate psychological tactic to unsettle his opponent. When Musashi finall