This article explores the connections between a coming-of-age ritual in rural Japan and one of the important narratives underwriting the rise of Japan’s warrior class. the Genpei War that brought it to power in 1185. Through an explication of the narrative and performative elements of the ritual, Oyler demonstrates how one problematic story about Japan’s history is reworked into a palatable narrative and incorporated into the ritual life of geographically and socially diverse populations.