Japenese Netsuke, The Two Heroes, Benkei and Yoshitune, 19th century. Musashibo Benkei (1155-1189), popularly called Benkei, was a Japanese warrior monk (sohei) who is commonly depicted as a man of great strength and loyalty, and a popular subject of Japanese folklore. Minamoto no Yoshitsune, ( 1159-1189) was a nobleman and military commander considered one of the greatest and the most popular warriors, and one of the most famous samurai fighters.