Oda Nobunaga-The warlord who changed Japan!

Jaike

2012-02-01T09:06:00.001-08:00

I have translated this passage from the Shincho-Ko ki a long time ago and last year was able to visit the place. This story sounds good and a great opportunity for a River Monsters special.

Gyuichi (Elisonas/Lamers) The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga (pp. 96-97).

"In the middle decade of the First Month, a man called Matazaemon, a native of Fukutoku Hamlet in Ajiki Village, was walking along the embankment on a rainy evening. All of a sudden he saw a black thing, of a girth about as thick as one man could barely embrace, which rested with its trunk on the embankment while moving its head little by little across the dike toward the pond. The thing lifted its head when it heard Matazaemon approaching. Its head resembled that of a deer, and the eyes shone as bright as stars. When it stuck out its deep red tongue, it looked like an opened hand. The sight of the thing's glistening eyes and tongue scared the life out of Matazaemon. His hair stood on end, and fled to whence he came, running all the way from Hira to Onogi, where he had been staying. As Matazaemon told others about what he had seen, the story spread until it reached the ears of Lord Kazusa no Suke and

In the last decade of the First Month Nobunaga summoned this Matazaemon to interrogate him personally. Having heard what Matazaemon had to say, he issued orders to start draining the pond the next day in order to dredge up the serpent. The farmers of Hira Hamlet, Onogi Village, Takeda Five Hamlets, Ajiki Village, and Ajima Village were told to bring spades, hoes, and buckets for scooping water. On Nobunaga instructions, they lined up several hundred buckets, enclosed the Amagaike on all four sides, and scooped water for almost four hours. But once they had bailed out third of its contents out of the pond, the water level stayed the same, no matter how many more bucketfuls they took away. At this juncture, Nobunaga decided to go in the water and look for the snake himself. Clenching a dagger between his teeth, he plunged into the pond. After a while he emerged again, but he had seen absolutely nothing that looked like a serpent. Nobunaga told a man called Uzaemon, an experienced swimmer, to have a look under water as well. Uzaemon followed Nobunaga into the pond, but again nothing whatsoever was found. Nobunaga therefore went back to Kiyosu."

Tenka no tame!

Matsudaira KIA

2012-01-20T15:52:00.001-08:00

Photo: Fort Marune

On the eve of the Battle of Okehazama, Matsudaira Motoyasu (Tokugawa Ieyasu) attacked Fort Marune. The commander of Fort Marune, Sakuma Morishige was killed in action. The assault was successful, but the Matsudaira did suffer some casualties as well.

First source will look is Owada Tetsuo's Okehazama no Tatakai. On pages 206-207 Owada listed seven main samurai who were KIA.

Matsudaira Settsu no Kami Korenobu

Matsudaira Kozuke no Suke Masatada

Matsudaira Kiheiji Munetsugu

Matsudaira Chikamochi

Matsudaira Gorobei Tadayoshi

Kato Jingorobei Kagehide

Saigo Toshikatsu

Kuwata Tadachika's Okehazama*Anegawa no Eki has all the seven listed above as well (pp. 183-191). However, Kuwata has four others listed as KIA that are not included in Owada's book.

Ebara Magosaburo

Matsudaira Denichiro Shigetoshi

Kouriki Shinkuro Shigemasa

Kakei Matazo Masahisa

Owada did state on page 109 that the Sankouki list Kouriki Shigemasa and Kakei Masahisa as KIA. Also Owada has a list of those who participated in the Fort Marune siege (118-120). One name that did stand was Ebara Magosaburo (p. 120). According to Kuwata, Ebara was KIA.

Nobunaga no tame!

Atsumori at Ikoma Mansion?

2012-01-09T14:59:00.001-08:00

Photo of Nobunaga singing and dancing to "Atsumori" at Kiyosu Castle

During the last summer I bought Kanshi ni Araszu: Nobunaga wo Sukutta Otoko by Hattori Tooru. The book is about Nobunaga and his adviser Hirate Masahide. What caught my attention was the pages dedicated to Atsumori (pp. 153-171). Hattori claimed that Nobunaga's finest hour was not at Kiyosu Castle, but Ikoma Mansion. Hattori (p. 166) "Nobunaga tabitabi [Atsumori] wo utai, matta bashou ga aru. Sore wa Ikoma yashiki de atta." So before departing for the battlefield against Imagawa Yoshimoto (defeating Yoshimoto at the Battle of Okehazama), Ikoma mansion was the starting point. Personally I do not believe it. That being said, it might have been possible. David D. Neilson's thesis Society at War provides some clues.

Nobunaga held a dance party before the battle. Neilson (p. 71) "The party was not to be held at Kiyosu Castle, but at the Ikoma Mansion." Why? Nobunaga's concubine Kitsuno lived there as well as his children. Normally, a warlord would bring his concubine to his headquarters. Not Nobunaga, since he was not the conventional Sengoku warlord. Neilson (p. 17) "Nobunaga though is noted for flaunting convention and not doing what was expected of him. He was the daimyo. He was not beholden to anyone to behave in a certain way or to act in any way other than that which he wanted." Nobunaga often would spend time fishing or visiting Kitsuno at Ikoma. It was routine. If Nobunaga was defeated and killed, Ikoma provided a better chance to escape for Kitsuno if she stayed at Kiyosu Castle.

These examples are only clues. One reason why I do not believe that Nobunaga performed "Atsumori" at Ikoma Mansion was the war council at Kiyosu. Nobunaga was there at the war council practically giving his staff he was not up to the fight. It was late at night when he dismissed his retainers. Was it possible that Nobunaga left for Ikoma as well? Possible, but highly doubtful. It is all based on speculation in my opinion. In the end, Nobunaga stayed at Kiyosu Castle and performed "Atsumori" there on the eve of his greatest triumph.

Tenka no tame!

Happy 2012

2012-01-01T06:22:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year and as always we celebrate the way Nobunaga did in 1574. The lacquered skulls of Asakura Yoshikage, Azai Hisamasa, and Azai Nagamasa sure created a still at Gifu Castle in 1574. David D. Neilson's thesis Society at War explains Nobunaga's way of scaring the living hell out of people was effective. Neilson (pp. 305-306)

"Supposedly Nobunaga had his generals drink from the cups and then forced his wife who came from the Asai family to drink from the skull of her brother. While the taking of heads is nothing unusual, after they are presented to one's commander for reward for service in battle, they are usually given proper services and buried. The decoration of skulls in this manner does have some precedent in Chinese history and that may be where Nobunaga got the initial idea from. Still, the display of skulls as objects of art to be admired was probably a shock to many of those present. Probably that is precisely the effect that Nobunaga was hoping for; to make an impression on those present that he was not going to be bound by convention and the rules as previously understood, did not apply to him. He would go to any length to achieve unification and the creation of a unified and peaceful country justified whatever means he chose to employ. Doing the unexpected, the shocking, or outrageous was one of Nobunaga's favored strategies as it kept even his closest vassals off balance and unsure as to what he might do or how he might react. While on one hand, such acts did create an atmosphere of fear even among his top vassals; they also kept everyone on their toes and on their best behavior."

The Rules of Engagement did not apply to Nobunaga and he did scare the Bee-Jesus of his enemies and his vassals. One must remember that the sword was mightier than then pen in Sengoku Japan. For Nobunaga: It was my way or the highway!

Nobunaga no tame!

Tenka no tame!

2011 Awards

2011-12-20T07:34:00.000-08:00

Here are the 2011 Awards.

Book of the Year: The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga Translated and Edited by J.S.A. Elisonas and J.P. Lamers.

Historian of the Year: J.S.A. Elisonas and J.P. Lamers. Runner-up Wataru Kajino (Mr. Okehazama)

Movie of the Year: 13 Assassins

The Book of the Year was easy to decide. The translation of the Ota Gyuichi's Shincho-Ko ki into English as to be one of the most important works that has been published. If you are a scholar on Nobunaga or the Sengoku Era, this book is a must. You can order through the SA at: http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/9004201829

As for the Historian of the Year, enough said on the two who published the book. J.P. Lamers has also done scholarly work on Nobunaga s well. I added Wataru Kajino as the the runner-up since I was able to meet him this year. This man alone has really opened up the Okehazama research. Opened minded and a great sense of humor, Wataru has made sure that the Battle of Okehazama would continue to be the battle that changed Japan.

Movie of the Year was simple as well. 13 Assassins is a manly film that we all want to see. Lots of fighting and blood. No love story drama here. Highly recommend this film to all.

Nobunaga no tame!

Baptism of Fire

2011-12-10T08:06:00.000-08:00

Oda Nobunaga's Baptism of Fire was in 1547 against the Imagawa at Battle of Mikawa Kira Ohama. Lamers/Elisonas has the English translation available in the Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga (p. 55).

"The next year, [Tenbun 16 (1547)], Oda Saburo Nobunaga went on his first military campaign, accompanied by Hirate Nakazukasa no Jo. For this occasion, Nobunaga was attired in a red-striped head cover (zukin) and a half-coat (haori); his horse was fitted with armor. Nobunaga led his troops toward Kira and Ohama in Mikawa Province, where a Suruga force was stationed. After setting fires here and there, he had a field camp pitched for the day. The next day he returned to Nagoya from this expedition."

For more information, please see Okada Masahito's Oda Nobunaga Sogo Jiten page 310.

Tenka no tame!

Maeda Toshiie

2011-12-01T05:04:00.001-08:00

This a statue of a young Maeda Toshiie (1538-99) in front of Arako Station.

He was born in Arako Castle located in Owari Province in 1538 and served under Nobunaga. Toshiie was known as Inuchiyo, Matazaemon, and Chikuzen no Kami He was banished for awhile and participated in the Battle of Okehazama in 1560 taking a couple of heads, but did not win Nobunaga's favor until the Battle of Moribe in 1561. There he took the head of "Kubitori Adachi" Adachi the Head Taker! Toshiie was many of so called "Boys from Owari."

From David D. Neilson's thesis Society at War (pp. 91-92) "After his banishment, Toshiie began fighting with ronin for entertainment and drinking heavily, so Toshiie's general, Murai Nageyori, Shibata Katsuiie, and the Suda Nobuiie (Nobunaga's uncle) who was Toshiie's eboshioya, or godfather, consulted together and recommended that Toshiie go to Atsuta Jingu and ask to stay there for awhile to put his life in order. The priest told Toshiie that there was more to being a man than being strong and tough and locked him the shrine library. Owada Tetsuo says that while confined in the shrine library, Toshiie, for the lack of anything else to do to occupy his time came to develop a deep appreciation for books and learning and that this had a great influence on the man that he later became."

The pictures were taken during the summer of 2011.

Nobunaga no Tame!

Anegawa Poll

2011-11-22T08:27:00.000-08:00

Thanks for everyone who voted on the Anegawa Poll. There were 12 yes and 3 no. I believe that the Battle of Anegawa is Nobunaga's forgotten war. When one discusses Nobunaga's battle history, often it starts with the Unification of Owari, Okehazama, Conquering Mino, March to Kyoto, The Defeat of the Azai/Asakura, The Banishment of Ashikaga Yoshiaki, Nagashino, The Ikko-Ikki, and the Honnoji. Anegawa is only briefly mentioned and that is unfortunate.

The Battle of Anegawa was important for several reasons. The Oda/Tokugawa victory kept the Azai/Asakura at bay and still allowed Nobunaga a pass to Kyoto. If Nobunaga lost the battle, things would have turned messy. In fact, the Azai/Asakura gave Nobunaga a run for his money. Sure, the Shincho-Ko ki, Shinchoki, and the Mikawa Monogatari all have something written about the battle. I encourage people who can read Japanese to check them out themselves. As for a movie, the Nobunaga Taiga drama did have a great battle scene and well worth watching.

To those who are wondering, yes I have been to the Anegawa battlefield, Odani Castle ruins, and Ichijodani ruins. The Battle of Anegawa deserves the respect as one of the major conflicts during the Sengoku Era in my opinion. Links to the battle/books

http://www.asahi.com/travel/kosenjo/TKY200907080193.html

http://astore.amazon.co.jp/sengokuwalker-22/detail/4883251675

Tenka no tame!

Imagawa KIA

2011-11-08T06:51:00.000-08:00

Here is list of the main Imagawa samurai who was killed in action at the Battle of Okehazama. I have translated the names by myself along with some help from others. Again, nothing is perfect.

Imagawa Yoshimoto's Main Army

Katsurayama Harima no Kami Nobusada (KIA)
Ino Buzen no Kami Noritsura (KIA)
Miura Yoshinori (KIA)
Matsui Zaemon no Suke Munenobu (KIA)
Ii Shinano no Kami Naomori (KIA)
Azai Koshiro Masatoshi (KIA)
Ema Sakyo no Suke (KIA)
Yui Mimasaka no Kami Masanobu (KIA)
Ishikawa Shinzaemon Yasumori (KIA)
Sekiguchi Etchu no Kami Chikamochi (KIA)
Saito Kamon no Suke Toshizumi (KIA)
Ihara Mimasaka no Kami Motomasa (KIA)
Ihara Ukon Tadaharu (KIA)
Ihara Shogen Tadaen (KIA)
Ihara Kojiro Tadayoshi (KIA)
Asahina Kasue no Kami Hidetoshi (KIA)
Saigo Danjo Masakatsu (KIA)
Saigo Toshikazu (KIA)
Takai Kurando Zanehiro (KIA)
Tominaga Hoki no Kami Ujishige (KIA)
Mure Yasutoshi (KIA)
Shinomiya Zaemon no Suke Mitsumasa (KIA)
Hasegawa Iga no Kami Motokazu (KIA)
Matsudaira Settsu no Kami Korenobu (KIA)
Kato Kagehide (KIA)
Shimada Sakyo Mochichika (KIA)
Sawada Nagato no Kami Tadayori (KIA)
Niwada Mitsunori (KIA)
Kanai Shume no Suke Tadamune (KIA)
Hirayama Sen no Jo Tameyuki (KIA)
Nagase Nagayuki (KIA)
Hirakawa Sahe Akihiro (KIA)
Fukudaira Shuzei Tadashige (KIA)
Kanbara Kunai Shoyu Ujimasa (KIA)
Kuno Hannai Ujitada (KIA)
Yoshida Musashi no Kami Ujiyoshi (KIA)
Katsurayama Awai no Kami Motokiyo (KIA)
Ejiri Minbu Chikayoshi (KIA)
Matsudaira Hyoe Chikamochi (KIA)
Izu Gonhei Mototoshi (KIA)
Okabe Kai no Kami Nagasada (KIA)
Fujieta Iga no Kami Ujiaki (KIA)
Okazaki Jubei Tadazane (KIA)
Muragaki Okura Yorikazu (KiA)
Ohase Gontafu Tadazane (KIA)
Gomi Saburoemon (KIA)
Ochiai Nagamon (KIA)
Onoe Hikotaro (KIA)
Suzuki Mondo no Suke Shigezumi (KIA)

Ii Naomori's Army

Ono Genba (KIA)
Tanaka Sensaburo (KIA)
Okuyama Hikoichiro (KIA)
Okuyama Tarojiro Chikahide (KIA)
Ono Gengo (KIA)
Ueno Hikoichiro (KiA)
Ueno Genuemon (KIA)
Taku Goemon (KIA)
Kiga Shouemon (KIA)
Mikuriya Matabe (KIA)
Ichimura Nobuyoshi (KIA)
Makino Ichiuemon (KIA)
Ueno Magoshiro (KIA)
Okuyama Hikogoro (KIA)
Hakamada Jinpachi (KIA)

Nobunaga no Tame!

Update Sources

2011-11-01T05:20:00.000-07:00

Here is an update bibliography on the Battle of Okehazama. I highly recommend them if you want to fully understand the battle.

Kajino Wataru. Jimoto no Koro ga Kataru Okehazama Kassen Shimatsuki. K*H, 2007.

----------. Shinsetsu Okehazama Kassen. Nagoya-shi Kiyomizu Tochi Kukaku Seirikumaiai, 2010.

Kuwata Tadachika and Yamaoka Sohachi. Okehazama no Eki. Nihon no senshi. Tokyo: 1965.

Neilson, David D. "Society at War: Eyewitness Accounts of Sixteenth Century Japan." Ph.d. diss., University of Oregon, 2007.

Ota Gyuichi. The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga. Translated and Edited by J. S. A. Elisonas and J.P. Lamers. Leiden: Brill, 2011.

Owada Tetsuo. Imagawa Yoshimoto no Subete. Tokyo: Shin Jinbutsu Oraisha, 1994.

----------. Rekishi Documento: Okehazama no Tatakai. Tokyo: Gakushu Kenkyusha, 2000.

----------. Imagawa Yoshimoto. Kyoto: Mineruboa Shobo, 2004.

Oze Hoan. Shinchoki. ed. Kangori Amane. 2vols. Koten Bunko 58 and 59 Tokyo: Gendai Shichosha, 1981.

Paterson, Les. Oda Nobunaga: The Battle of Okehazama. Jet Lag Press, 2008.

Rekishi Kaido "Okehazama no Nazo." June 2010.

Tenka no tame!

Nobunaga podcast

2011-10-24T08:14:00.004-07:00

The SA (Samurai Archives) have finally composed a podcast on Oda Nobunaga. The podcast is a general analysis on Nobunaga's wars and his career. In my opinion, it is not that bad and highly recommended it to everyone. I certainly enjoyed the podcast.

Here is the link: http://bit.ly/i4k1hr

Nobunaga no tame!

Sandal Bearer

2011-10-19T07:09:00.001-07:00

This is a story about young Hideyoshi serving Nobunaga as a sandal bearer. Shogun and Samurai: Tales of Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu. By Okanaya Shigezane and translated by Andrew and Yoshiko Dykstra (pp. 67-68).

"On September first og 1558 when Nobunaga was hawking, Hideyoshi came by, and begged to be hired as a sandal-bearer. Still young, Nobunaga nightly visited women. For such private rendezvous, Nobunaga took along only his footgear men. Since Hideyoshi wanted to keep the job longer, he asked the supervisor of the footgear men, 'I want to learn everything, so I would like to accompany our lord on night duty.' The supervisor agreed, and allowed Hideyoshi to take charge of the night duty. The wondering Nobunaga asked the supervisor, 'I see the same young man nightly. Is that because the older ones are neglecting their duties?' The supervisor explained, 'No, sir. He volunteered for the job himself.'

On one snowy night when Nobunaga was to leave to leave a woman's place, and began to put his wooden clogs, he felt they were warm. 'You must have been sitting on them. What a rude rascal!' Scolding him, Nobunaga hit Hideyoshi with his stick. 'No sir. I did not sit on them,' Hideyoshi contradicted him. The angry Nobunaga continued, 'Don't lie to me. I will punish you!' Then a woman came out, and interceded for Hideyoshi who was still excusing himself, 'I did not sit on them, sir.'

Nobunaga insisted, 'Then why are these clogs so warm?' Hideyoshi explained, 'Since it's a cold night, I thought your feet might be cold. So I have warmed your clogs by putting them on my back under my kimono.' 'Show me proof!' Hideyoshi took off his kimono, and showed his back which was clearly marked by the clog thongs. The impressed Nobunaga immediately promoted Hideyoshi to supervisor of the footgear attendants."

Tenka no tame!

The Unthinkable

2011-10-01T04:55:00.000-07:00

In 1579, Tokugawa Ieyasu did the unthinkable. He ordered his wife Tsukiyama-dono (she was known to selfish and wicked) and son Nobuyasu to death. In modern times, nobody in their right mind would kill their wife and son. Ieyasu had to made a decision, it was his family or the Tokugawa house. The last thing Ieyasu wanted was a fragmented Tokugawa house, so he had to do the unthinkable. He had no other choice since Nobunaga carried the whip in the Oda/Tokugawa Alliance. Elisonas and Lamers did a great job explaining and it is one of the best so far.

The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga (p. 38)

"In 1579 Tokugawa Ieyasu's son and heir Nobuyasu and his mother Tsukiyama Gozen, Ieyasu's wife were denounced to Nobunaga for atrocious conduct and treasonous activities. Nobunaga demanded that Ieyasu put them to death; Ieyasu complied, forcing Nobuyasu to commit hari-kiri and having Lady Tsukiyama executed. According to a frequently repeated story, none other than Nobuyasu's wife, Nobunaga's daughter Gotoku, wrote her father the letter that incriminated her husband and mother-in-law. The author of this story, Okubo Hikozaemon reported that on hearing Nobunaga's verdict condemning his son, Ieyasu reacted with the words: 'It is something that cannot be helped. I bear Nobunaga no rancor.... As long as I am locked in conflict with a great enemy [Takeda Katsuyori] and depend on Nobunaga to back me up, I cannot very well defy Nobunaga. It cannot be helped.' In other words, Ieyasu had concerns that transcended his parental instincts; the survival of the house of Tokugawa was at stake.

Ieyasu is universally described as Nobunaga's ally. Yet the willingness to accept an intolerable demand without protest is a characteristic not of the ally but of the subordinate. If a special relationship existed between these two, it was skewed in favor of Nobunaga, who retained the whip hand."

Nobunaga no tame!

Starvation Sieges

2011-09-24T05:40:00.000-07:00

If you read the Shincho-Ko ki often like I do, you will often see that Nobunaga isolated and starved his enemies into submission. It was a barbaric and effective tactic. David D. Neilson explains in his paper Society at War:

(p. 287) "Starvation sieges were one of Nobunaga's favored tactics and the grim scene that we encounter here is one that was played out many times in different locales. Was this sort of tactic cruel? Without question it was. But it was also a practical one that enabled an enemy to be reduced to the point of submission or utter defeat without wasting Nobunaga's most valuable resource, his soldier's lives, by sending them them against a hardened defensive fortification."

Neilson also does a great job explaining who was likely to be spared or killed.

(pp. 287-288) "Nobunaga's decisions regarding whether a garrison should be spared or put to the sword seem to have been primarily based on his personal perception of the enemy. If it was a former ally who had betrayed him like Araki or an enemy for whom he held great personal enmity like the Ikko Ikki, he was more likely to demand total extermination. A daimyo's vassals who were merely doing their jobs as loyal retainers were much more likely to be spared."

Tenka no tame!

Imagawa Structure Before Okehazama

2011-09-13T07:51:00.000-07:00

I received Mikata ga hara no Tatakai by Owada Tetsuo last Friday and have to admit this book rocks. On page 55, Owada has a small chart with the Imagawa structure before Okehazama. Even though the chart is small and condensed, it does provide clues how Imagawa Yoshimoto had his vassals arranged. This drastically changed when Nobunaga defeated and killed Yoshimoto at the Battle of Okehazama in 1560.

Imagawa Family (Yoshimoto)

Gunshi Taigen Suufu (Sessai)

Elders: Asahina and Muira families

Katsurayama Castl/ Katsurayama Ujimoto
Yokoyama Castle/Okitsu Kiyofusa
Ihara Castle/Ihara Zaemon no Jo
Kakegawa Castle/Asahina Yasutomo
Takatenjin Castle/Ogasawara Ujioki
Futamata Castle/Matsui Munenobu
Inui Castle/Amano Kageyasu
Hikuma Castle /Ino Tsuratatsu
Ii no ya Castle/Ii Naomori
Utsuyama Castle/Asahina Zanetsugu
Noda Castle/Suganuma Sadamitsu
Yoshida Castle/Ito Motozane
Tahara Castle/Asahina Mototomo
Okazaki Castle/Matsudaira Motoyasu (Tokugawa Ieyasu)

Most notable are Matsui Munenobu and Ii Naomori since they were KIA at the Battle of Okehazama. One of the true survivors of the battle was Matsudaira Motoyasu who later became Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Nobunaga no tame!

Key Oda Warriors at Okehazama

2011-09-01T04:26:00.000-07:00

When I was in Japan in July, Mr. Wataru Kajino showed me a book titled Okehazama/Anegawa no Eki. This book had all the key Oda/Imagawa warriors who participated the Battle of Okehazama. A great piece of work by Kuwata Tadachika and Yamaoka Shohachi. Here is the list of the key Oda warriors who took part in the battle. Again, nothing is perfect (181-182).

Oda Genba no Jo Nobuhira (KIA)
Ino Omi no Kami Sadamune (KIA)
Ino Oki no Kami Nobumune
Sakuma Daigaku Morishige (KIA)
Hattori Genba
Watanabe Daizo
Ota Sakon
Hayakawa Daizen
Mizuno Tatewaki Tadamitsu
Yamaguchi Ebi no Jo Moritaka
Tsuge Genba no Kami
Maki Yojuro
Maki Sojuro
Ban Juzaemon
Sakuma Nobutoki
Kajikawa Shichirouemon Takahide
Mizuno Shirouemon
Oda Sake no Jo Kiyomasa
Kawajiri Yohyoe Hidetaka
Yanada Dewa no Kami Masatsuna
Sassa Kura no Suke Narimasa
Iwamuro Nagato no Kami (page)
Hasegawa Hashisuke (page)
Sawaki Tohachi (page, Maeda Toshiie's younger brother)
Yamaguchi Hida no Kami (page)
Kato Yasaburo (page)
Kato Toshosuke Yorimori
Kuwabara Kanuchi
Takei Higo no Kami Sekian
Sassa Hayato no Kami Masatsugu (KIA)
Senshu Kaga no Kami Suetada (KIA)
Maeda Magoshiro Toshiie
Mouri Kawachi no Kami Hideyori
Mouri Shinsuke Hidetaka
Kinoshita Uta no Suke Katsunobu
Nakagawa Kinemon
Sakuma Yataro Moriaki
Mori Kosuke
Ajiki Yataro Sadamasa
Uozumi Hayato no Kami
Hayashi Sado no Kami Hidesada (Michikatsu)
Ikeda Shosaburo Tsuneoki
Shibata Gonroku Katsuie
Mori Sanzaemon Yoshinari
Chujo Koichiro
Toyama Kagetsune
Toyama Kawauchi no Kami
Hattori Koheita Tadatsugu
Shimokata Kurozaemon
Oda Yoichi Nagasada
Oda Yosaburo Munemasa
Shimokata Sadakiyo
Nakagawa Hachiuemon Shigemasa
Mizuno Kiyohisa
Ban Shigetomo
Kubo Hikobei Katsuchika
Yuasa Jinsuke Naomune
Kanematsu Matashiro Masayoshi
Kanamori Gorohachi Nagachika
Hachisuka Koroku (Masakatsu)
Azai Michitada (Mizuno Nobumoto's warrior)

I had to make some changes due errors in the book. That being said, it is a must have. The total list for Imagawa Yoshimoto's main army and Ieyasu's is very long. It also includes the Imagawa KIA as well (long list of KIA included). I should have both the Imagawa and Ieyasu's main armies translated by the end of the month. To tell you the truth, I wish I the list three years earlier. Again, many thanks to Akitsugu, Yukio, and Wataru Kajino for all their help.

Tenka no tame!

More on Oze Hoan

2011-08-22T07:34:00.000-07:00

This passage comes from The Chronicle of Lord Oda Nobunaga. It describes the major differences why the two biographies are so far apart. I have both copies in my private library and the Nobunaga scholar should have them as well.

Elisonas/Lamers (pp. 34-35).

"...substantially different account of Nobunaga's career that bears the title Shinchoki. That other book is from the pen of the physician Oze Hoan (1564-1640), a Confucianist who cast his design of Nobunaga in the mould of a Confucian exemplar. Hoan based himself on Gyuichi's work. Hoan's prefatory statement acknowledges that fact and expresses his desire to improve on his predecessor. Indeed, his book is full of embellishments. because it subordinates historical fact to interpretation, falsifies events and documents, and is essentially a work of fiction, scholars today unanimously regard his Shinchoki to be of far less value than Gyuichi's Shincho-Ko ki. In the Tokugawa period, however, Hoan's was widely read work. Printed on that novel apparatus, the movable type press, it was first published no later than June 1612. In other words, Gyuichi must have experienced the dubious pleasure of seeing himself plagiarized in his lifetime. Whereas Hoan's Shinchoki was reprinted repeatedly during the Tokugawa period, Gyuichi's chronicle, available only in manuscript form until the Meiji era, did not reach nearly as large a readership."

It would be interesting if Gyuichi's work was published on a wide scale during the time when Hoan's work as out. It probably would have stirred up a major debate.

Nobunaga no tame!

Conquest of Mino II

2011-08-11T05:31:00.001-07:00

Earlier this year I mentioned that there was archaeological excavations that were done in Gifu. The results were stunning. When Nobunaga put the castle town to the torch in 1567, everything was burned down creating a hadakajiro (naked castle). One of the Saito mansions that was burned down was built during Saito Dosan's Era and it belong to a high ranking officer. Lots of Chinese pottery and the like were discovered and I wanted to take a look at them. Unfortunately, from what I have heard from the Gifu Tourism Volunteers that the only way to see them is to go to the Gifu City Hall (shiyakusho). Even then, you will be only able to see pictures of them. Hopefully, in the near future, the museum will display the artifacts.

The above photo is where the mansion was found. It is south of the Gifu Museum of History. You can also see where the archaeologists did their work from the white pavement.

Paul Varley does a great job explaining the effects of a naked castle. The economic and psychological damage was devastating. Paul Varley's "Oda Nobunaga, Guns, and Early Modern Warfare in Japan" (p. 115).

"While engaged in this arsonous activity, they also cut down and discarded all the crops they came across. Once the fields and villages around a fort had been denuded and/or put to the torch, it became, in parlance of the SK, a 'naked fort' (hadakajiro). This was both economic and psychological warfare. It was economic warfare because it eliminated the nearest source of food to which a fort's defenders had access when they were directly under siege; and it was psychological warfare because in many, if not most, cases the defenders of the forts were recruited primarily from nearby villages, the villages, containing their homes, that were being destroyed." The SK=Shincho-Ko ki.

One of great reasons why I love the Sengoku Era, everything was expendable. No PC warfare here.

Tenka no tame!

Conquest of Mino

2011-08-01T04:25:00.000-07:00

After many years of trial and error, Nobunaga finally captured Mino in 1567. I think the key to Mino was the Mino Big Three (Ando Morinari, Ujie Bokuzen, and Inaba Yoshimichi) switching over to the Oda. Once that happened, the Saito control of Mino quickly disappeared.

The Shincho-Ko ki's take on Nobunaga's conquest of Mino. This comes from the new English version of The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga by J.S.A. Elisonas and Jeroen Lamers (p. 114)

"In the first decade of the Forth Month, [Eiroku 9 (1566)], Nobunaga crossed the wide expanse of the Kiso River and deployed his troops at Kagamino in Mino Province. His enemy Saito Tatsuoki had his men sally from Inokuchi and take up positions in the village of Shin Kano. the terrain between the two armies was difficult and unsuited for cavalry action. Nobunaga therefore terminated this operation on the same day.

On the first day of the Eight Month, [Eiroku 10 (1567), the Mino Triumvirs-Inaba Iyo no Kamai [Yoshimichi], Ujie Bokuzen [Naomoto], and Ando Iga no Kami-agreed among themselves to defect to Lord Nobunaga's side and asked him to accept hostages from them. Accordingly, Nobunaga sent Murai Minbu no Jo [Sadakatsu] and Shimada Tokoro no Suke to western Mino to pick up the hostages. But even before these had arrived, Nobunaga suddenly sent his men up Mount Zuiryoji, a spur of Mount Inokuchi. While the Saito were still trying to guess whether these troops were friends or foes, Nobunaga had already set fire to the town, denuding Inokuchi Castle. That day, an extraordinary strong wind blew. The next day, Nobunaga divided the responsibilities for constructing the siege works and had a bamboo palisade put up all around the castle, sealing it off from the outside world. In midst of this, the Mino Triumvirs presented themselves before Nobunaga to pay their respects. They were bemused by all activity. but Nobunaga went about his business in his habitual offhand manner.

On the 15th of the Eight Month, while his garrison surrendered, pleading in various ways for mercy, Tatsuoki escaped in a boat to Nagashima in the Delta, going down an arm of the Kiso River. Nobunaga now commanded the whole of Mino Province. He moved his seat from Mount Komaki in Owari to Mount Inaba in Mino and renamed the castle from Inokuchi to Gifu. One year later, the following took place:"

This was important step to controlling the nation. He controls central Japan, controls Japan. it would only one year later when Nobunaga marches his army into Kyoto. For the Tenka!

Nobunaga no tame!
Tenka no tame!

Mr. Okehazama

2011-07-22T16:32:00.000-07:00

Me, Wataru, and Akitsugu Kajino at the Battle of Okehazama Research Center.

I was able to return to Japan this month and was lucky enough to meet Mr. Okehazama (Wataru Kajino). Wataru has probably wrote the best book on the Battle of Okehazama from a local perspective, Jimoto no Karo ga Kataru Okehazama Kassen Shimatsuki. Many thanks to Yukio and Akitsugu Kajino for setting up the meeting.

We all met at the Battle of Okehazama Research Center and quickly the conversation started. Topics included key points of the battle (Yanada Masatsuna's intelligence, rain, and the Arimatsu and Toyoake battlefields). Wataru mentioned one of the key aspects of the historian-be opened minded. We both agreed that both battlefields should be visited and both versions of Nobunaga's biography (Ota Gyuichi and Oze Hoan) should be read and discussed. Even though we both agreed that Ota Gyuichi's is the basic text. Also the role of the Men of the Fields was included in the conversation.

We spent the entire day visiting areas related to the battle and discovered that Wataru has left his mark on on several Okehazama landmarks. This man has spent the past twenty years or more making sure that Nobunaga's greatest triumph-the Battle of Okehazama lives on. While we were at Chofukuji Temple, I mentioned that Wataru Kajino should be called Mr. Okehazama. We all laughed and Yukio Kajino summed it up best, "You are right about that!"

I learned a lot on that day and thank Yukio, Akitsugu, and Wataru for taking their time to share their love for the Battle of Okehazama.

Tenka no tame!

Japonius Tyrannus Review

2011-07-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

Suzanne Gay did a review of Jeroen Lamers's biography on Oda Nobunaga, Japonius Tyrannus. A nice review and hopefully for those who do not have the book, will be convinced to buy it. It is worth its weight in gold. You have to trust me on this.

Here is some of the review by Gay:

"It is quite possible, it seems to me, that Nobunaga had the intellectual capacity, not to mention political shrewdness, to apply concepts of statehood to his rule. Mr. Lamers, however, seems to determined to portray him at all costs as a pragmatist."

The rest of the review can be read here:

http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=5303

Nobunaga no tame!

Dosan's victory

2011-07-02T12:07:00.000-07:00

Oda graves at Entokuji Temple in Gifu City.

Saito Dosan scored a major victory over Nobunaga's father, Nobuhide in 1547. Nobuhide attacked Mino, but failed. The losses were so high that eventually Nobuhide had enough and made peace with Dosan. The end result would be Dosan's daughter marrying the "Fool of Owari" (Nobunaga) a year later.

This passage is from the Shincho-Ko ki and the modern text was translated by Nakagawa Taiko. Please forgive me while my translation is not the best.

(pp. 28-29 Gyuichi/Nakagawa) Oda Nobuhide Invades Mino

"Now Nobuhide gathered all the troops from Owari, one month attacked Mino Province and the other month attacked Mino Province on the 16 year of the Tenbun (1547), On September 3rd with the men of Owari supporting, he (Nobuhide) invaded Mino Province setting fires here and there. On September 22 the army advanced to the villages of the foothills of Inabayama Castle (modern day Gifu Castle) where Saito Yamashiro Dosan had his headquarters. The villages were burned and advanced to the castle town. By this time, it was around 4:00 p.m. and the sun was beginning to to go down. Nobuhide began to disengage his army. When about half of the army had left the field. Yamashiro Dosan's forces suddenly attacked southward. At first, Nobuhide's army was able to put up a defensive fight, but many troops broke in the end because they were not able to hold the lines. Many big shot warriors were killed numbering around 5,000. Among them were Nobuhide's brother Nobuyasu, Oda Inaba no Kami, Oda Mondo no Kami, Aoyama Yoemon, Senshu Suemitsu, Mouri Juro and his vassal Terasawa Matahachi, his younger brother Mouri Tokuro, Iwakoshi Kisaburo, and many others."

Tenka no tame!

Nobunaga and kid games

2011-06-27T09:18:00.000-07:00

This is another passage from Okanoya Shigezane and it quite a good one. The story involves Nobunaga playing games when he was a kid and gave away gifts on those who did well. The kids knew that young Nobunaga would be a great warlord someday. One reason because Nobunaga made it a policy to reward those on merit, not on lineage.

A Stone-Throwing Game: Translated by Andrew and Yoshiko Dykstra.

(pp. 28-29)

"The young Nobunaga, called Kipposhi, studied with forty or fifty children at a temple of Kiyosu. In his youth, on the fifth of May [which is Boy's Day], he used to love to play a stone-throwing game called injiuchi with other children who were divided into two teams called East and West.

For the occasion, his mother used to send him gifts including writing brushes, ink cakes, paper, three to of rice and one kan of Eiraku coins. Nobunaga gave the coins to the children who did well in the game. Thus he gave away all the gifts to the children according to their merits in the game, and did not keep any for himself. Those who watched this were all impressed, saying, 'This child will surely become a great lord and general.'"

Here are two links related to the archaeological work being done at Gifu Castle.

http://www.nobunaga-kyokan.jp/blog/archives/2011/06/post_98.html

http://www.nobunaga-kyokan.jp/blog/archives/2011/06/post_99.html

Nobunaga no tame!

Small Snake

2011-06-20T07:04:00.000-07:00

This story comes from Shogun and Samurai: Tales of Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu by Okanoya Shigezane (1835-1919). The text is translated by Andrew and Yoshiko Dykstra.

(p. 29)

"Once, when Nobunaga was playing in the yard, a small snake appeared. Grasping it in his hands, Nobunaga asked one of his attendants, 'Do you call my action brave?' The attendant replied, 'You don't need to be afraid of such a small snake.' The young Nobunaga asked again, 'The size of the snake has nothing to do with its poison. If you are not afraid of a snake because it is small, then do you disdain your lord if he is young and small?' At this, the attendant was most embarrassed."

Very clever by Nobunaga. It just goes to show that Nobunaga and most of the Sengoku warlords had much more common sense back then. It would be great if any of our modern leaders today had any common sense like Nobunaga and others had during Sengoku Japan.

Tenka no tame!

Punishing Higuchi Naofusa

2011-06-10T07:12:00.000-07:00

Book 7 Chapter 10 of Ota Gyiuchi's Shincho-Ko ki is translated by David D. Neilson and can be found in his paper Society at War (p. 299).

"Lord Nobunaga built a fort at Kinome Pass in Echizen and put Higuchi Naofusa in charge of defending it. Higuchi [made peace with the Ikko Ikki], abandoned the fort and escape with his wife and children to Koga [in Omi province]. Hashiba Chikuzen no Kami (=Toyotomi Hideyoshi) pursued them, captured, and killed them. He sent the heads of Higuchi and his wife to Lord Nobunaga's camp in Nagashima.

The Nagashima people were not prepared to fight a long battle and from the thirteenth day of the seventh month, many men and women, including people from both higher and lower classes of Nagashima, sought shelter in Nagashima Castle, and Nakae Castle. since the castles were under siege for three months, most of the people trapped there died of starvation. on the twenty-ninth of the ninth month, an apology (=a letter of surrender) was sent from Nagashima Castle [and hostilities ended]. As the [defeated] Ikki people were preparing to board the many waiting ships [and sail away], Lord Nobunaga ordered his men to form ranks and shoot them. Countless Ikki people were cut down and fell into the river. The most spirited of the Ikki people stripped off their clothes, drew their swords and attacked 700 or 800 of Nobunaga's men. In this battle, many notable warriors in Nobunaga's army (that is to say, not ashigaru, but higher ranking samurai), were killed, including some of Lord Nobunaga's relatives. The spirited Ikki people overwhelmed the undermanned Oda force and broke through an area uninhabited cabins and prepared to cross the river. Heading in the direction of Tagi Mountain and north Ise, they eventually escaped into Ozaka.

20,000 men and women who were besieged in Nakae and Okunagashima Castles were captured. A huge corral consisting many layers fences was set up to contain them. Lord Nobunaga ordered that fires be set from four directions, burning them to death. Lord Nobunaga was greatly pleased and returned to Gifu on September 29."

The wrath of Nobunaga strikes again! Mess with the best and die like the rest. A perfect example of WWND (What Would Nobunaga Do).

Nobunaga no tame!

Frois take on Mitsuhide

2011-06-01T18:48:00.000-07:00

Brandon C. Schindwolf's Toki wa ima is a great paper on why Mitsuhide rebelled against Nobunaga. He provided his paper with all sides of the story. That being said, my favorite is on Luis Frois's opinion on Akechi Mitsuhide.

(Schindewolf, pp. 23-24)

"He explains that Akechi was a man who, through his own resourcefulness, foresight, and cunning, gained Nobunaga's favor, though not being of any noble orgin. However, to those in Nobunaga's inner circle, Akechi was an outsider, and was not held in high regard--but ever so, Akechi had a mysterious or strange way of holding on to, and even increasing his standing with Nobunaga. A man prone to betrayal and to secret gatherings, cruel in handing out punishment, and a despot who was shrewd in disguising himself, he was skilled in conspiracy, strong in perseverance, and a master of deception and scheming."

Tenka no tame!

Nobunaga's Last Trip

2011-05-26T06:33:00.000-07:00

I recently translated Nobunaga's last trip to Kyoto before his tragic death at the Honnoji. This is by no means perfect, but at least you will get a clear picture on what happened.

Ota Gyuichi Shincho-Ko ki (translated by Sakakiyama Jun) Book 15 Chapter 30 pp. 299-300.

"On May 29th, Lord Nobunaga leaves for Kyoto. Protecting Azuchi Castle Group: Tsuda Genjuro (Nobuzumi), Gato Hekoto, Nonomura Mataemon, Toyama Shinkuro, Segi Yazaemon, Ichibashi Genpachi, Kushida Chube. Second Bailey Group: Gamo Katahide, Kimura Jirozaemon, Ujii Dewa no Kami, Narumi Sukemon, Sofue Goroemon, Sakuma Yokoro, Minoura Jiroemon, Fukuda Mikawa no Kami, Chifuku Totomi no Kami, Matsumoto Nariashi, Marumo Mitsukane, Ukai, Maeba Yagoro, and Yamaoka Kagesuke. He (Nobunaga) was also accompanied by twenty to thirty pages with him to Kyoto. During this time no soldiers accompanied with him."

It would be only a few days later when Akechi Mitsuhide betrayed Nobunaga at the Honnoji. If anything sticks out here, is the lack of soldiers he had on his journey to Kyoto. On reason why was his forces were spread to thin fighting all over Japan. Then again, he did not expect Mitsuhide to rebel against him.

Nobunaga no tame!

Bukoyawa Okehazama

2011-05-18T06:34:00.000-07:00

Since May is the month of the Battle of Okehazama, I would like to share with you part of the Bukoyawa's version. You can find in David D. Neilson's Society at War (pp.84-85).

"Having changed direction we (the Kashiwaishu and the Sassa Clan), [left Narumi] and arrived at Zenshoji. By that time, we numbered only eighty or so men. Because Nakajima Fort had already been occupied by the Suruga army, there was nothing we could do [there].

Just then, someone raised a battle cry near Taishidake. It was dark on all sides and thunder shook both heaven and earth. We were in a state of shock and took petrified to move. Before long, a triumphant shout echoed from Hazama, but we could not tell if it was raised by friend or foe.

When Sassa Kuranosuke realized that he was late [for the battle], his face convulsed and told his party to dismount. Looking out over an area three cho (one cho=2.45 acres), we saw that the field curtains (maki) [of the Imagawa camp] were lying in the mud. Fallen men and horses created a terrible scene.

The Suruga army had disappeared like the ocean tide. Sassa Kuranosuke and the Kashiwaishu, we were all so close to Dengakuhazama, [but because we went to Narumi as directed by the Sassa Clan general who met us on the road and because we helped the Sassa Clan to fight at Narumi, we were unable to arrive at Hazama as ordered by Lord Nobunaga]. It was a great blunder. Kazusanosuke-sama (=Nobunaga), saw us, but ignored our presence. He departed for Kiyosu holding aloft a spear to which Imagawa Jibusho's severed head had been tied by the hair. Everyone was downhearted and that evening, we went back to Ryuzenji Fort."

The men of the fields went along with the Sassa to attack Narumi Castle. However, they were late to join Nobunaga and did not participate in the battle. Also it is quite possible that the Sassa attacked Narumi without Nobunaga's blessings. Senshu Suetada and Sassa Masatsugu were killed fighting at Narumi.

Tenka no tame!

Nagashino

2011-05-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

May is the month that Nobunaga was born and I have decided to share some of his greatest triumphs in his career, Nagashino. Matthew Stavros's Military Revolution in Early Modern Japan has translated some of Ota Gyuichi's Shincho-Ko ki's Nagashino. I was able translate the Nagashino section earlier this year and was quite pleased with it. Here is Mr. Stavros's version:

Stavros (pp. 8-9)

"Upon our arrival at Nagashino on the eighteenth day, Lord Nobunaga set up a base at Gokurakuji temple on a mountain in the village of Shitara. Nobutada camped at Mt. Niimido.

The village of Shitara sat on land slightly lower than its surroundings. About 30,000 soldiers could take up position there and avoid detection from the enemy army of Takeda. Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu established camp at Mt. Takamatsu at the top of the Koromitsu incline. Takigawa, Hideyoshi, and Niwa made camp at Arumihara. Altogether, the forces allied with Nobunaga were arranged so as to surround the enemy, Takeda Katsuyori. Nobunaga thought, 'With the Takeda so close and backed up against a great river, this is a fine blessing from heaven. We must destroy them all!'

Calling Sakai to his side, Nobunaga pulled about 2,000 archers and skilled gunmen from Ieyasu's troops. He placed these men in Sakai's charge. Just after six o'clock in the morning, troops [of Nobunaga] having reached the top of the mountain, raised their flags high and shouted battle cries. Watching the enemy from atop Mt. Takamatsu, Nobunaga issued orders not to take action until his signal was given. He then ordered about a hundred infantry gunners into formation so as to receive the approaching enemy.

In the first wave, an enemy general, Yamagata, gave the signal and hit the drum, sending his troops charging forth. They were all either immediately cut down or sent back by gunfire. A second wave of infantry troops came forth. Again, in accordance with Nobunaga's orders, fire rained down, forcing more than half of them to retreat.
In the third wave, fighters from Nishi Kozuke sallied forth. Kanto soldiers tend to be skilled horsemen. They rode forth, pounding their drums. Here too, Nobunaga's gunners remained in formation, well hidden, awaiting the approach of the enemy. Each wave of fire would bring down more than half of the charging enemy. The rest fled.

In this way, Nobunaga's troops remained stationary despite the enemy's charge, answering their attack with fierce infantry gunfire. The Takeda army was overwhelmed by this [tactic], left with no choice but to retreat.

The forth wave came from the forces of Baba Minonokami, again sounding their drums. But again, Nobunaga's lines remained tight answering the assault with gunfire. Most[of the enemy] were cut down.

From sunrise until about two o'clock in the afternoon, fighting continued in the east, northeasterly direction. The Takeda army was badly struck until only a few of them remained. Finally, the various bands gathered around Katsuyori and fled..."

The entire text was not published in Stavros's article and some things are left out. That being said, it does give the reader on what might have happened on that day when Nobunaga and Ieyasu gave the Katsuyori an old fashioned butt kicking. Nobunaga arranged his troops close as possible to the enemy. Why? So the Takeda army did not have the ability to maneuver freely and it would be at a great disadvantage.

Nobunaga no tame!

Gruesome Letter

2011-05-04T16:46:00.000-07:00

This is a letter that Nobunaga wrote to Kobayakawa Takakage and Mori Terumoto in late 1573.

Passage comes from Jeroen Lamers's Japanius Tyrannus:

(Lamers p. 97-98)

"I forced Yoshikage to commit suicide and sent his head up to the capital. I took the majority of his remaining troops into my service, and with the whole province [of Echizen] being pacified, I ended my campaign there. I left behind district heads and quickly returned to northern Omi on the 26th [22 September]. I immediately attacked the castles of the Azai on the night of the 27th, which I captured the next day; I took the heads of father and son Azai, which I also sent to Kyoto so that the people of that town and its environs could admire them. It was due to the manipulations of the Azai that the Takeda from Kai Province and the Asakura clan from Echizen Province became my enemies in recent years. The Azai were also to blame for the treasonous ambitions of the shogun. You cannot imagine my happiness that I have slain them all, for I hated them deeply. If this current situation prevails, I will [shortly] incorporate Kaga and Noto into my domains. I have been on good terms for many years with Uesugi Kenshin from Echigo, so there will be no problem. As far as the Northern Provinces are concerned, they are completely under my command. Shingen from Kai has died from a disease and his succession will be a difficult task."

The heads of Asakura Yohikage, Azai Hisamasa, and Azai Nagamasa were sent as proof and a warning to those who are against Nobunaga. Proof that the three are dead and the Kyoto population can see the truth for themselves the bloody trophies. The warning was direct and head on. If were an enemy of the Demon King, this is the treatment you will receive. In the end, it was a perfect example of psychological warfare.

Tenka no tame!

Okehazama Edo Sources

2011-05-01T05:34:00.001-07:00

In March Mr. Yukio Kajino sent some information regarding souces written in the Edo Era relating to the Battle of Okehazama. Here are three and all three authors came from Nobunaga's home domain of Owari.

Okehazama Kassenki Published 1691-92
Written by Yamazumi Hidetatsu 1605-1703

Bishu Okehazama Kassenki Published unknown
Written by Yamasaki Manato 1736-1810

Shiken Okehazama Kassenki Published 1846
Written Tamiya Atsuteru 1808-1871

As for the Okehazama Kassenki, it could be the first chronicle related to the battle that is not from the standard sources (Shincho-Ko ki, Shinchokoki, Bukoyawa, or the Mikawa Monogatari).

As for the 2011 Arimatsu Okehazama Festival, it will be held on May 15.

http://okehazama.net/modules/event/index.php?page=article&storyid=42

Nobunaga no tame!

What if?

2011-04-27T08:17:00.000-07:00

What if Nobunaga was defeated by Imagawa Yoshimoto at the Battle Okehazama. Sengoku Japan would have been different fore sure. Luckily for Nobunaga, Okehazama was the shot heard all round Sengoku Japan. Neilson's Society at War wraps it beautifully on the what if question.

Neilson (pp. 88-89)

"The Oda victory at Okehazama is every bit as important as George Sansom recognized it to be. Why it has not been more widely recognized as the turning point which initiated the process of unification--and by extension, sounded the death knell of the Sengoku Period is something of a mystery. Had this battle resulted in the destruction of the Oda Clan--and by extension, the Maeno, Hachisuka, and Sassa Clans--all of whom later assumed important roles in the future of the country, Japanese history as we know it would very different. Nobunaga would have not spent the next twenty-two years in a struggle to unify the central provinces. Toyotomi Hideyoshi would never have lived to unify the country, invade Korea and menace China. Tokugawa Ieyasu might never have never become anything more than a vassal of the Imagawa and would never have had the opportunity to found a dynasty which would rule Japan for two and a half centuries."

The Arimatsu Okehazma Festival is in middle of May and plan to post information this weekend.

Tenka no tame!

Signore Part V

2011-04-22T05:12:00.000-07:00

The Signore (pp. 59-60)

"He had only one military and political principle: to win by power in a world of power. Having laid down this principle, he acted on it with every means at his disposal, regardless of such considerations as personal safety. His pages were fond of telling how, even when defeated in battle, he seemed quite calm, almost as if he viewed his own possible demise as just another move in the power contest. He was not one to shed tears of chagrin, and seemed an utter stranger to regret. A defeat meant simply that, in a meeting between a stronger and a weaker force, one's own had been the weaker; and for the Signore, after suffering defeat, the only possible course of action was to bolster the strength of the inferior force. I imagined that the look of composure on the Signore's face was a feature common to the men of his sort--men such as Cortes or Vespucci (whom my father had known in Florence)--who constantly confronted crises and who managed to overcome them with reason as their chief weapon."

The message is clear: When you are knocked down, get up quickly as possible and get back into the fight, and never give up. A great example is the conquest of Mino. It took Nobunaga seven long years after the Okehazama victory in 1560 to have Mino in his hands. He had some defeats along the way, but quickly recovered and finally defeated the Saito in 1567. This characteristic gave Nobunaga to conquer his enemies and eventually, most of Sengoku Japan.

Nobunaga no tame!

Nobunaga seminars

2011-04-16T18:42:00.000-07:00

Late spring and early summer should be a treat in anybody is in the Gifu area. The Gifu City Museum of History will be presenting five seminars related to Oda Nobunaga. Out of the five, four are must see in my opinion.

Battles between Nobunaga and Azai Nagamasa
Nobunaga, a God?
Nobunaga's rival Takeda Shingen
Nobunaga's Castle Towns

Here is the link with more seminar information:

http://www.nobunaga-kyokan.jp/blog/archives/2011/04/23.html

Tenka no tame!

Okehazama Festival 2011

2011-04-12T05:04:00.000-07:00

If you are in the Okehazama area during the first weekend in June, then by all means, visit the Toyoake City Okehazama battlefield. They will be holding their annual festival dedicated to the Battle of Okehazama.

Link: http://www.city.toyoake.lg.jp/sangyoshinko/kosenjo/kosenjo-gyoretu2.html

For those who are interested, the Arimatsu Okehazama Festival will be held in the middle of May. Last year's festival was a huge success.

I plan to clean up my translation today on the Battle of Anegawa (Shincho-Ko-ki's version).

Nobunaga no tame!

Battle of Anegawa

2011-04-10T16:51:00.000-07:00

Here is a report on the Battle of Anegawa (1570) in Nobunaga's own words. From Jeroen Lamers's Japonius Tyrannus (pp. 48-49).

"Today, at the Hour of the Snake [around ten a.m.], the Echizen army together with Azai Bizen no Kami [Hisamasa] advanced on a village called Nomura in an effort to relieve Yokoyama. They deployed their forces at two places: the Echizen army was about 15,000 strong, and the Azai army somewhere between 5000 to 6000 men. At the same hour, we attacked them and joined battle on both fronts. We scored a great victory. As far as heads are concerned, I have no idea at the moment how may [we have taken], so I cannot provide you with any lists. [But] the fields and paddies are covered with corpses. Ask yourself, what greater joy could there be for the sake of the state."

I also have the Shincho-Ko ki's version translated as well and plan to post it later in the future. The photo above is modern day Anegawa and it was taken about ten years ago. Slowly, I am gathering sources related to the battle and in my opinion, one that is often overlooked.

Tenka no tame!

Nobunaga's Holy Grail now in English?

2011-04-04T12:43:00.000-07:00

It looks like Ota Gyuichi's Shincho-Ko ki will finally be in English. J.A.S. Elisonas and J.P. Lamers are the two people who are credited with this awesome project. The release date will be on May 31. 2011. That being said, the price will be expensive.

http://www.amazon.co.jp/Chronicle-Nobunaga-Japanese-Studies-Library/dp/9004201629

I have three different copies of the Shincho-Ko ki in my private library

Kuwata Tadachika First Edition 1997

Nakagawa Taiko First Edition 2006

Sakakiyama Jun 1980

This is the Holy Grail in my opinion. I received my first copy of the Shincho-Ko ki in 2000 and have been slowly reading and translating to the best of my ability. To tell you the truth, I have about half the chronicle translated in one form or another. If you have read Lamers's book on Nobunaga or David D. Neilson's thesis Society at War, there were many parts of the Shincho-Ko ki translated. This modern translation will open many doors to everyone who is interested in Oda Nobunaga or the Sengoku Era,

This is great news and feel like a kid in a candy store. I do believe that if you do plan to purchase the book, it will be worth every penny. As for myself, I plan to buy the book and still be translating on my own until the book is on my doorstep.

Nobunaga no tame!

Signore Part IV

2011-04-01T03:38:00.000-07:00

This passage from the Signore made the case that Nobunaga was a lonely man. As the saying goes, it is always lonely at the top.

The Signore (pp.74-75)

"I knew that the Signore generally slept alone in a room with wooden floors, rather than one with straw matting. I wondered whether there were not perhaps a few days each month that he spent with his wife and children, but it seemed more probable that he was too preoccupied with responsibilities, ambitions, and crises to let himself relax even briefly. In the final analysis, he was living prove of the adage that the soul that seeks to rise above the common herd is perforce a lonely one.

In the Signore's case, however, I do not feel that the case of his loneliness lay only with himself. I had seen how those around him were quite unable to recognize his human qualities--either his strengths or his weaknesses--and imposed on him instead fearsome images of their own creation. I could not help feeling that the gloomy, chilly atmosphere that surrounded him was less a product of his own character that something others had, however unintentionally, fabricated around him."

Nobunaga had to give up his personal life in order to unite Japan. I also agree that other around him could not recognize his traits good or bad. The battle of Okehazama is fine example, but then again, very few knew what Nobunaga was thinking. In the end, I do believe that Nobunaga paid the price of his ambition to unify Sengoku Japan. Not only his life, but his personal one as well.

Tenka not tame!

Saito Dosan's jokamachi found?

2011-03-24T14:57:00.000-07:00

The past few years there have been many archeological diggings that have uncovered many relics related to Gifu Castle, Nobunaga, and Saito Dosan. One recent discovery was part of a mansion that was burned by Nobunaga when he attacked and conquered Inoguchi (Gifu) in 1567.

When Nobunaga made his final assault to take over Mino for good in 1567, he burned the castle town and soon Inabayama Castle (Gifu Castle) became a naked castle. You can find the conquest of Mino in the Shincho-Ko ki. According to the findings, the discovered site was not a townhouse, but a warriors mansion. Also the mansion was built during Saito Dosan's reign.

This is good news and I plan to visit the archeological site later this year. Here are two links that covered the story.

http://www.nobunaga-kyokan.jp/blog/archives/2011/03/post_96.html
http://www.47news.jp/CN/201103/CN2011030101000705.html

Nobunaga no tame!

Toki Wa Ima

2011-03-23T10:09:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine on the SA Citadel posted a great link on a thesis on the Honnoji Rebellion.

Brandon C. Schindewolf's thesis (Ohio State University, June 2010) Toki wa ima is one of the most freshest works on the Honnoji in a long time.

There are seven chapters which covers a variety of topics (Schindewolf, p. x).

Introduction
The Age of the Country at War: Japan's Political and Military Status, 1467-1603
Toki wa ima: Seeds of Rebellion and Problematizing The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga
Contemporary Sources: Jesuit Letters and Other Writings
Theories: Ambition, Vengeance, and Further Speculation
Modern Interpretations: Tenchijin and Sengoku Muso 2
Conclusions: History as Narrative and Akechi, the Failed Noble Rebel

There was a written account by an Akechi retainer by the name of Honjo Soemon, who claimed to be at the incident. In the future, I will explain why I do not believe his account. That being said, Schindewolf did include all sides to the story (Oda, Luis Frois, and Akechi).

Here is a great link on Akechi Mitsuhide

http://blog.goo.ne.jp/akechikenzaburotekisekai

More on The Signore later.

Tenka no tame!

Signore Part III

2011-03-19T14:54:00.000-07:00

Continuing with The Signore which focus on Gifu during Nobunaga's reign. This is one of better descriptions of my adopted hometown and I wish I was there when Nobunaga's Raku-Ichi Raku-Za economic policies were in full strength.
Photo at the Gifu Museum of History. An exhibit of what life was like during Nobunaga's time in Gifu.

The Signore (pp. 45-46)

"Gifu was a town of nearly ten thousand souls. To us, accustomed as we were to the spaciousness of the capital and the orderliness of Sakai, the place was a veritable Babylon. Markets lined the narrow streets, were all manner of people jostled each other day and night. Noisy throngs filled the open spaces. Men on horseback pushed their way through the congestion, being loudly berated for their efforts. There were merchants hawking their wares, people laughing, people crying out at finding themselves nearly trampled underfoot. Some shouldered heavy bundles, others were seated on the ground eating their meals. Carts were being loaded and unloaded. There were gamblers, merchants, revelers, women, small groups of children, visitors from other provinces, and ronins--masterless samurai--all marching or shuffling or strolling along to such a clamor that we had to speak loudly unto one another's ears to make ourselves heard."

Nobunaga's Gifu was one lively place and no doubt his capitalistic policies made the city prosper.

Nobunaga no tame!
Tenka no tame!
Nihon no tame!

God Bless Japan!

Signore Part II

2011-03-10T07:54:00.000-08:00

I plan to use the rest of the month focusing on The Signore. Here is one of my favorites as merchant from Sakai describing Nobunaga as a monster.

The Signore (p. 21)

"When we pressed to know who this Lord of Owari was and what sort of man he might be, the answer again was always the same: He was the most brutal and heartless warlord who had ever lived. One merchant told us with a scowl that the Lord of Owari had murdered his own brother, banished his uncle, and slaughtered many of his own vassals. What is more, he assured us, the man actually enjoyed the carnage."

"When this lord makes war," he continued, "he has no thought of mercy, but sees to it that his enemy is eliminated to the last man. He has burned a great many towns, and he destroys the temples of Buddha. He is under the spell of some evil spirit--perhaps he is a devil himself. the very thought of him makes me shiver....When he cam here to Sakai to demand a contribution of twenty thousand kan for his war chest, the town council flatly refused him. We drew up bridges, barred the gates, and set up fortifications; every last soul was prepared to take arms to defend the city. But it was worse than hopeless. The Lord of Owari had fifty thousand soldiers waiting at the capital for the least pretext to attack us. The lords of Miyoshi and Tango, harsh though they were, were never half so cruel as this Owari. At his coming, the gods themselves are put to flight and the Buddhas vanish, leaving only burning and killing. In form he is a man, but the truth he is a fearsome monster!"
The Great Satan Nobunaga has come to unify Japan! In Sengoku Japan, nice guys are dead!

As you continue to read The Signore, you will be amazed how much information it does have on Nobunaga's personal life.

Nobunaga no tame!

Book Review: The Signore

2011-03-01T10:10:00.000-08:00

Title: The Signore
Author: Kunio Tsuji Translated by Stephen Snyder
Publisher: Kodansha International
Pages: 197
Year: 1989
Original Japanese Title: Azuchi Okanki
Stars out of five: *****

If you are a Nobunaga fan or a Sengoku Jidai junkie, then The Signore is the book for you. Even though the book is fiction, it does provide details that Nobunaga's life was a lonely while unifying the Japan. I have to admit, I cried while reading this magnificent book. Here is the excerpt from the inside book jacket.

"Like the colorful, rapidly changing scenes of an old Japanese picture scroll, the events of this historical novel unfold in a series of unforgettable glimpses of misery and magnificence, cruelty and compassion.

Caught up in the late sixteenth-century struggle to unify Japan, a group of Portuguese missionaries react with curiosity, bewilderment, and admiration to the contradictions of this foreign land. Through the remote countryside and the streets of the capital, their dark-robed figures move amidst a shifting throng of fierce samurais, scheming Buddhist monks, wealthy merchants, and humble working folk. Their ultimate concern is with the common people; but the uncertainties of the age make the protection of the mighty essential. It is this need that brings them into contact with the enigmatic central figure of the story: the young lord Oda Nobunaga, who is obsessed with the task of imposing unity on a seething mass of rival forces. Ruthless, inquisitive, artistic, irreligious, he typifies the essential solitude of the man who seeks supreme power. Yet his relationship with the foreigners seems, paradoxically, to satisfy not only his thirst for knowledge-- of guns, of the other lands, of the universe-- but also a need for the human contact that his role makes impossible with his fellow countrymen. This strange relationship reaches a peak when Nobunaga has a splendid Catholic mission erected only a stone's throw from the magnificent castle that is the symbol of his hegemony. But the brilliance of the novel's climax is shattered at a single stroke by Nobunaga's sudden death. Thus, in its ending, this work-- so thought provoking in its picture of the meeting of the cultures--also seems to invite the reader to find beauty in the cruelty and impermanence of existence itself."

More later on The Signore which will include Nobunaga's appearance and a description of Gifu during Nobunaga's era.

Tenka no tame!

Battle of Okehazama: Takaneyama Map

2011-02-22T08:25:00.001-08:00

I received this photo map of Matsui Munenobu's last camp at Takaneyama. During the Battle of Okehazama, Matsui Munenobu moved his camp from Makuyama to Takaneyama which was the highest point on the battlefield.

As you can see from the photo Takaneyama faces towards the Oda forts of Tange, Zenshoji, Nakajima, and well as Narumi Castle (occupied the the Imagawa). On a clear day, the view is breathtaking. Many thanks to Mr. Yukio Kajino who provided me the map. As for Takaneyama itself, it is located near the Arimatsu Okehazama Battlefield.

Nobunaga no tame!

Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Fishing

2011-02-14T07:19:00.000-08:00

David D. Neilson's Society at War provided a passage from the Bukoyawa on a day of fishing in Owari.

Neilson (p. 94).

"The next morning he summoned his official in charge of the river (kawa yakunin) Murase Heiko, and they went out to catch fish in the Furukawa River. They dammed up the river and removed water until the water level was very low. Ichihashi Denzaemon and Sawaki Tohachi held the bridles of the horses and Kitokichi (=Toyotomi Hideyoshi), wedging his kimono between his buttocks and paying no attention to the cold, waded into the river with pail in hand. He got mud splashed all over him and looked completely miserable. Lord Nobunaga was sitting in the river and was very good at catching carp [tossing them into the bucket held by Hideyoshi]. The carp caught in the Furukawa River was exceptionally tasty and Lord Nobunaga was greatly delighted."

Tenka no tame!

Ota Gyuichi, Oze Hoan, and the Bukoyawa

2011-02-01T05:40:00.000-08:00

Here is more from Society at War by David D. Neilson. This section of his paper will sure raise your eyebrows (pp. 31-33).

"Perhaps the most radical and intriguing theory regarding the possible motivations behind the creation the Bukoyawa beyond the simple recording of the Maeno Clan history is a hypothesis put forth by one such amateur, Inunoe Tsutomu, in his book Mo Hitotsu no Sengoku Jidai, or 'One More Sengoku Age' (I do have a copy of the book). He makes the interesting claim that in addition to penning his own works, Ota Gyuichi had considerable influence over both Oze Hoan's Shincho Ki and more indirectly, the Bukoyawa. The Bukoyawa connection is plausible if you accept Inoue's theory that the name Ota Magozaemon that appears in both the Shincho Koki and the Bukoyawa was simply another name used by Ota Gyuichi. He also says that Magozaemon was a good friend of Magokuro, Maeno Shoemon's older brother, hence the possibility exists that there wasa sharing of information between Gyuichi and the Maeno/Yoshida families, perhaps over several generations on the Maeno side.

Ota Gyuichi was busy writing the Shincho Koki at roughly the same time that Yoshida Katsukane was working on the Bukoyawa. The Shincho Koki was intended to be Nobunaga's official history and as such, could not be too critical of Nobunaga for fear of Bakufu censorship which was sometimes accompanied by harsh punishments upon both authors and publishers alike. As this was the early Edo Period, the Tokugawa Bakufu was also compiling the Fudoki, its own version of events that because of the Bakufu's political primacy was to become the official history of the unification age.

Inoue claims that the Bukoyawa was also written with Gyuichi's collusion and that all three works are mutually supporting. He claims that this cooperation was intended to preserve historical facts that could not be included in or his own work and that were being overwritten by the victor's history that was the Fudoki. If this is true, it would mark the Bukoyawa, the Shincho Koki, and the Hoan Shincho-Ki as subversive histories that were intended to be oppositional to the Tokugawa Bakufu's version of events.

Inoue believes that Gyuichi's methodology was a follows: when the same events appear in both the Shincho Koki and the Hoan Shincho Ki and when they differ as to anything number-related, dates, koku, people, etc., the figures in the Hoan Shincho Ki are correct. He claims that Gyuichi did this intentionally and that the section he or she was currently reading is purposefully inaccurate. He claims that when Gyuichi wanted to convey something important, but could not be truthful because of the official nature of his work and was unable to criticize Tokugawa Ieyasu or the Tokugawa Bakufu openly, or contradict the Fudoki, that at the point in the text, he chose to insert mistakes to alert the informed reader to his subversive message. He then also inserted irrelevant digressions and stories at those same points to further distract the censors or overly-curious but uninformed readers from discovering his secret intent.

So, according to Inoue, if one wants to get a full and true picture of the activities that took place under the Oda and Toyotomi administrations, free from the omissions, embellishments and untruths that the Tokugawa Bakufu wrote into the Fudoki, one must read the Shincho Koki, Hoan's Shincho-Ki, and the Bukoyawa as one text. Each is incomplete and contains contrary or new information that is not contained in the others. He claims that Gyuichi's Shincho Koki is the skeleton, Hoan's Shincho-Ki is the flesh and the Bukoyawa is the parts, or details that flesh out the whole. While Inoue has come up with some pretty wild theories that are not discussed here, and his argument that the three works are intentionally intertwined may initially seem far-fetched, he has done a great deal of very tedious and precise comparisons that lend some credence to his theory. There is just enough substance to his ideas that if nothing else, demonstrates that they merit further investigation."

If Inoue theory is correct, it changes everything. My first thought came to mind was Nagashino and the guns. I like Inoue's theory since it radically different, but also agree that it needs more research on the matter.

Nobunaga no tame!

Okehazama Senki Final Volume

2011-01-27T19:24:00.001-08:00

Earlier this month I was finally able to buy Hideki Miyashita's Okehazama comic, Okehazama Senki. Volume five was the last in the series and I have to admit the comic was not bad at all. According to Mr. Yukio Kajino by e-mail, Miyashita spent a lot of time around the Okehazama battlefield and his work shows.

There were a couple things that caught my attention. One, Imagawa Yoshimoto was a lot slimmer and younger in the comic. In fact, Yoshimoto reminded me of Gackt believe or not. Comics are meant for enjoyment and I did not get too carried away from the historical inaccuracies. Second, people such as Yanada Masastuna, Matsui Munenobu, Okabe Motonobu, Hattori Tomosada appeared. Which I was pleased. Third, was the story in general. The five volume set covered both Nobunaga and Yoshimoto's career, a major plus in my opinion. The rain, intelligence, and the battles were done in good taste.

I am pleased to own all five and have to say, a must have for those who love Nobunaga and Okehazama in general. A special thanks to Mr. Yukio and Akitsugu Kajino for the comics. As for next month, more on Society at War.

Tenka no tame!

Atsuta landmarks at the Arimatsu Okehazama Battlefield

2011-01-20T16:52:00.000-08:00

As you know I was able to take many photographs during my personal Okehazama Battlefield tour with Mr. Yukio Kajino. The Nobunaga "victory wall" stands out very nicely at the Arimatsu Okehazama Battlefield Park.

This landmark represents Nobunaga's miracle Okehazama victory.
Here is the actual Nobunaga "victory wall" located at Atsuta Shrine. A must see in my opinion.

This small pond represents Ise Bay and beautifies the park. The Okehazama staff really took the time and effort to create a first-class park.

I understand that Mr. Yukio Kajino did have a lecture last weekend in Nagoya discussing the Battle of Okehazama. Hopefully it went well and looking forward in the future to meet with him again. Next month, I plan to post more on Neilson's paper, Society at War.

Nobunaga no tame!

Young Hideyoshi

2011-01-10T07:46:00.000-08:00

If you own a copy of David D. Neilson's dissertation Society at War: Eyewitness Accounts of Sixteenth Century Japan, you know there is ton of juicy information. Today, I would like to share with you a story about young Hideyoshi.

Neilson (p.99) Source Bukoyawa?

"When Kyuan-sama (=Kitsuno, Nobunaga's wife/concubine), was in Ikoma Yashiki, he stayed close to her and kept her entertained (lit. flattered), her. Because he was good at talking, even in front of her, he unashamedly told sexual stories which usually, people [would] have difficulty telling [in front of such a refined person]. Once, when Lord Nobunaga came to Ikoma yashiki, Tokichiro was called before him to keep him company. Tokichigi (=Tokichiro=Hideyoshi), did not hesitate even in front of Lord Nobunaga., and as usual, told comical stories with many [hand] gestures which pleased Lord Nobunaga. Although he was small, he directly asked Nobunaga to hire him. Hachiemon, who happened to be present, could not help but say; 'Who the hell do you think you are? A little guy like you doesn't have the physical strength [necessary to be a soldier], and your sword technique is doubtful [as well].' Hachiemon tried to placate him, but Tokichiro asked Kyuan-sama to intercede with Lord Nobunaga on his behalf, saying 'I will do anything, even caring for the horses (umano kuchitori).' Her (Kitsuno-sama's) attendant recommended him to Lord Nobunaga. He became a courier for messages between villages (guson, lit. errand boy), [in Owari] and performed smartly. He finally ended up working in Kiyosu Castle. This was the beginning [of Hideyoshi's meteoric rise]."

Tenka no tame!

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T09:08:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all and God Bless! Today, we will celebrate the New Year Nobunaga style.

Ota Gyuichi's Shincho-Ko ki translated passage by Jeroen Lamers (Japonius Tyrannus, p. 32).

"On the first [day] of the First Month, all of the warriors from Kyoto and its surrounding provinces came to Gifu to present themselves before Nobunaga. Nobunaga hosted a banquet where each quest drank three rounds of sake. After the Provincials ['takokushu', lit. 'men from other provinces'] had left, there was another feast, which only His Lordship's Horse Guards were allowed to attend. During this second banquet, some extraordinary and unprecedented things were presented as accompaniments to the sake. These were the heads of:

Item Asakura Sakyo no Daibu Yoshikage
Item Azai Shimosuke [Hisamasa]
Item Azai Bizen [Nagamasa]

Their heads had been taken in the previous year [1573] in the Northern Provinces. The banquet began when these heads, coated with gold paint and placed on square trays, were brought out with the sake. Everybody sang a song for His Lordship and had a merry time; Nobunaga himself was happy that everything was under control."

This is how you should celebrate the New Year.

Nobunaga no tame!
Tenka no tame!

2010 Awards

2010-12-17T16:36:00.000-08:00

2010 is almost over at a quick pace. Here are some of my favorites.

Nobunaga Historian of the Year: Wataru Kajino
Nobunaga Book of the Year: Jimoto no Karo ga Kataru Okehazama Kassen Shimatsuki by Wataru Kajino
Non-Nobunaga Book of the Year: War and Faith Ikko Ikki in Late Muromachi Japan by Carol Richmond Tsang
Film of the Year: NHK Taiga Furin Kazan

Watau Kajino's take on the Battle of Okehazama was simply brilliant and as for him winning Historian of the Year was easy. His book was on the local perspective on the battle. If there was any faults with his book, it had to be that there was not enough pages dedicated to Imagawa Yoshimoto's career and family history. Other than that, a book that is a must for the scholar who wants to study the Battle of Okehazama in full depth.

I would love to put David D. Neilson's paper Society at War in the mix, but left it out. I received his work late last month and still reading it at the moment. To tell you the truth, if I received it during the summer as planned, it would be a slam dunk all the way. His
paper is right now the 2011 front runner.

War and Faith was suggested by of the SA members earlier this year as a must buy. Tsang's work opened new doors to those who want to study the history of the Ikko Ikki during its zenith. Her chapter on Ieyasu and the Mikawa Ikko Ikki is the highlight in my opinion. The dispute was not over religious doctrine, but who will control Mikawa region and its revenues. She did a great job on explaining how the Ikko Ikki not only consisted of peasants, but townsman, merchants, and samurai as well. Tsang nailed it the Oda/Tokugawa partnership problems regarding to Ieyasu as well. I have to say, many thanks to the SA for recommending me this book.

As for the film, Furin Kazan. I received the NHK Taiga drama as a gift last Christmas and was hooked from the start to finish. Furin Kazan was exciting and it was one of the better ones I have seen of late. Runner-up was Katen no Shiro. It was a nice film, but at times slow. I plan to write a full report sometime next year.

Nobunaga no tame!

2010 Highlights

2010-12-13T10:05:00.000-08:00

2010 is a very special year for me. 2010 is the 450th anniversary of the Battle of Okehazama and all the hard work I put into the book, research, time, and money is slowly starting to pay off. Sure, I made some mistakes, but that is part of the job. A friend from the SA told me once, "Good things happen for those who wait." The quote is true and will be always be true.
This is the interview I had with my good friend Mr. Yukio Kajino at the Arimatsu Okehazama Battlefield. Mrs. Yuko Hiwada of the Chunichi Shinbum Midori-ku Home Service wrote the article and took the photograph of me and Mr. Kajino. To tell you the truth, I was very surprised when Mr. Kajino told me that the local paper will be there at the battlefield to hold an interview with me.
Me, Yuko Hiwada, and Yukio Kajino.

The personal walking tour with Mr. Kajino was memorable and learned a lot from the local geography around the battlefield. His tour and the other landmarks that he showed me will definitely help when I add more data to my book in a couple of years.

During the all day tour I had with Mr. Kajino, I was able to finally visit Sogenji Temple where the priest Kaioh buried the Okehazama battle dead. A nice quiet place and the family who lives there were very nice and they enjoyed our company. At the time I was there, construction was taking place, but still a must see if you are a serious Okehazama scholar. we were able to visit other places such as Chofukuji Temple (a first for me) and the two heron landmark. To tell you the truth, I spent much time at the Toyoake Okehazama Battlefield than the Arimatsu battlefield that the personal tour was a rare treat.

If there one drawback to the trip, it was not able to meet Mr. Yukio Kajino's father, Wataru. Wataru Kajino wrote one of the best books on the Battle of Okehazama from a local perspective Jimoto no Karo ga Kataru Okehazama Kassen Shimatsuki. Even though I was not able to meet Wataru Kajino, he did sign his book for me along with the Rekishi Kaido magazine as well.

Another highlight I was able to visit Sokenin Temple in Kyoto. Sokenin is a subtemple of Daitokuji and it is only open during the fall. I was able to take photos of the graves of the following, Nobunaga, his sons, Nohime, and Onabe no kata. The one I was after was Onabe no kata's grave (one of Nobunaga's concubines) since the photo I took a few years ago did not turn out so well. The photo turned out well this time and plan to post it next year. As for Sokenin Temple, I plan to write in great depth next year since gathering more photos and data. There were many more memorable moments I had Japan while doing my Nobunaga and Okehazama research. More is coming along the way for sure.

Tenka no tame!

Neilson's Okehazama

2010-12-07T04:42:00.000-08:00

Here is David D. Neilson's Shincho-Ko ki Okehazama translation (Society at War pp.56-60).

The End of Imagawa Yoshimoto

Eiroku 3 (=1560), fifth month, seventeenth day.

Imagawa Yoshimoto came to Kutsukake leading his army. On the evening of the eighteenth, Sakuma Daigaku and Oda Genpa reported to Lord Nobunaga in Kiyosu that the Imagawa were probably planning placing men and food in Otaka Castle on the night of the eighteenth. Before [the] reinforcements [that they were requesting from Nobunaga] could arrive at Washizu and Marune Forts in the morning, having taken the ocean tide into consideration, the Imagawa [most likely] intended to attack and take control of the two forts that lay between [Imagawa's] Otaka Castle and [Oda's] Narumi Castle. However, Lord Nobunaga mentioned nothing of his military plans on that night and merely chatted with his generals. He noted that is was late and sent everyone home. The generals laughed at Nobunaga, saying "this is a perfect illustration of the maxim that when a man's luck runs dry, his wisdom becomes clouded" and left. As anticipated, at daybreak [on the nineteenth], messengers arrived with news from Oda Genpa and Sakuma Daigaku that the Imagawa had already begun invading Washizu and Marune Moutains. This is when Nobunaga performed the famous dance scene from [the noh play] Atsumori.

Ningen gojunen
Genten no uchi wo kurabereba
Yumemaboroshi no gotoku nari
Hitotabi shoete
Mesenu mono no arubeki ka

Then he ordered that the war conch be blown and that his armor and weapons be brought to him. He put on his armor immediately and ate while standing up. Then he put on his helmet and left for battle. He was accompanied by his pages; Iwamura Nagatonokami; Hasegawa Kyusuke; Sawaki Tohachi (Maeda Toshiie's younger brother); Yamaguchi Hidanokami; and Kato Yazaburo. [The] Master and servants totaled six people and they mounted their horses and rode the [first] three ri (approximately 12 kilometers) at a fast pace. At about eight in the morning when Lord Nobunaga looked to the east from [where he was standing] in front of Kamichikama no Yashiro [Shrine] smoke was visible and it appeared that Washizu and Marune Forts had already fallen. Nobunaga was accompanied by only six mounted men and two hundred zohyo foot-soldiers.

Lord Nobunaga thought that if he went by the way of the beach, it would be shorter, but because the tide was high, it would be particularly difficult for the horses. Therefore, he decided to go by the upper road from Atsuta and rode hard, arriving at Tange Fort. He then went to Zenshoji Temple where Sakuma Daigaku was in charge. There he set up camp and took time to asses the situation and decide on a battle strategy. He discovered that his enemy, Imagawa Yoshimoto, led forty-five thousand soldiers and was currently taking a break to rest his men and horses at Okehazama.

At noon on the nineteenth, Yoshimoto positioned his men to the northwest and captured Washizu and Marune Forts. Yoshimoto performed three [noh] songs and commented that he could not have been more satisfied [with how things had gone so far].

In this battle [Tokugawa] Ieyasu acted as [Imagawa Yoshimoto's] vanguard and made use of his akamusha red corps. He brought provisions with him to Otaka Castle so that his men and horses could rest, [but they still] had difficult time taking Washizu and Marune Forts.

Knowing that Lord Nobunaga had come to Zenshoji Temple, Sassa Hayatonosho and Senshu Shiro led three hundred men against Yoshimoto's men. Fifty-some cavalry including Sassa Hayatonosho and Senshu Shiro died in battle. Yoshimoto was delighted and said 'Even devils or gods cannot stop Yoshimoto! I feel good!' He was singing in camp as well.

Lord Nobunaga considered this and tried to move to Nakashima, but his generals stopped him by grabbing the bit of his horse. The generals said that the path to Nakajima was narrow and bordered on both sides by fields of deep mud and could only be traversed single file. The enemy would be able to see clearly that the force that Nobunaga led was very small and that was a bad idea. Lord Nobunaga shook off his generals and proceeded to Nakajima. His army at that point numbered less than two thousand men. [Finally, the generals were successful in stopping Nobunaga himself from going on, but] Lord Nobunaga sent his army beyond Nakajima. Lord Nobunaga said "Everyone listen! The Imagawa soldiers are exhausted because they haven't eaten last night and had a difficult time taking Washizu and Marune Forts. We are a fresh force. Do not be scared just because the enemy is large and we are small. Heaven decides who shall win and who shall lose. If the enemy attacks, retreat. If the enemy retreats, pursue them and attack. No matter what happens, overpower the enemy and destroy them. It's easy. Do not take heads, just cut them down and move on! If we win this battle, all who take part will bring honor and fame to their families forever! Fight hard!" At that time, [the generals] Maeda Matazaemon (=Toshiie), Mori Kawachi no Kami, Mori Juro, Kinoshita Yoshitoshi, Nakagawa Kinemon, Sakuma Yataro, Mori Kosuke, Ajiki Yataro, and Uozumi Hayato, arrived carrying the heads of some of the enemy. Lord Nobunaga repeated his orders to them.

The army then moved into the mountains. A storm blew in from our rear and suddenly it began to rain down upon the enemy with the power of stones or icicles. At the foot of Kutsukake Pass, large camphor tree was blown down in an easterly direction by the wind coming to rest at the foot of a small pine. Those present asked "Is this was a battle in which Atsuta Damyojin [The tutelary deity of the Oda Clan] is taking part?" Soon the rain slackened. Lord Nobunaga took his spear and raising it over his head yelled "Attack! Attack!" The enemy looked at Nobunaga's army as they [came out of the forest] and began their attack. The Imagawa troops were surprised, unprepared, and disorganized and they retreated, scattering [before Nobunaga's men]. Bows, spears, banners, and swords were scattered everywhere and [the camp] was in great confusion. Yoshimoto's palanquin was abandoned by the men around it and Lord Nobunaga yelled "Those are Yoshimoto's senior retainers (hatamoto) attack them."

About two in the afternoon we fought our way from the west [side of the valley] to the east and Yoshimoto's headquarters camp. About three hundred cavalrymen formed a defensive perimeter around Yoshimoto and attempted to retreat. They were attacked three, four, and then five times and their numbers declined until finally, they numbered only fifty riders. Lord Nobunaga dismounted and made his way to the vanguard, competing with his younger men to be the first to engage the enemy. He struck at the enemy but was knocked down. Hot-blooded young men fought desperately breaking [even] their sword guards in the heat of battle. Although it was a confusing battle, friend and foe were easily distinguished. There were countless dead and wounded, including horse-guards (umamawari) and pages. Hattori Koheta struck at Yoshimoto, but Hattori fell because he had already received a slash to the knee. [Then] Mori Shinsuke attacked Yoshimoto and took his head. People are saying that when Takehirasama was [recently] forced to take his own life at Kiyosu Castle and Mori Shinsuke captured Takehira's younger brother and saved his life that the blessing of the gods that he gained at the time brought him good luck today and was able to take Yoshimoto's head.

Again, this is Neilson's Shincho-Ko ki translation of the Battle of Okehazama. A superb job in my opinion. Nothing is perfect, but hopefully this will give the reader a clearer picture.

Nobunaga no tame!

Nobunaga had a plan and did not trust....

2010-12-01T05:58:00.000-08:00

Last week I finally received David D. Neilson's paper Society at War: Eyewitness Accounts of Sixteenth Century Japan. His work contains rich information on Okehazama and Sunomata, as well as other information related to the Sengoku Era.

After reading his take on Okehazama, I have concluded that Nobunaga had a plan and did not trust his generals due to bribery and defection. Nobunaga trusted the Men of the Fields who did contribute to his success at the Battle of Okehazama in 1560.

(Neilson, p. 70)

"Furthermore, the Men of the Fields could function as spies, and quartermasters, and because of their familial relationship with Nobunaga, were probably more reliable and less susceptible to bribery and offers of defection than others who served Nobunaga in the capacity of leaders and generals."

Nobunaga kept his plan secret and his general staff did not even know what was going on. To have any sort of success, Nobunaga had to play the role as a fool and coward.

(Neilson, p. 75)

"For all Nobunaga knew, he may had Imagawa spies among his own general staff. So, while he continued to attend strategy sessions with his own generals, Nobunaga appeared distracted, aloof, and unsure of what to do. His strategy, which he seemingly shared with no one, was appear to be unprepared. At the same time, while appearing to be engrossed with fishing, dancing, and living out his last days in idleness, Nobunaga was using these activities as excuses to meet with the Maeno, Hachisuka, and the Men of the Fields. Since Nobunaga stayed at Ikoma mansion when visiting Kitsuno, he could meet with the Men of the Fields without attracting the attention of Imagawa spies and not even his people would suspect that Nobunaga was actually implementing a plan behind the backs of his own general staff. For the plan to succeed, everyone, even his own generals, had to believe that Nobunaga was cowardly and unprepared. It was an unlikely plan, which was even less likely to succeed. In the end, it was perfect."

Nobunaga had a plan all along.
Did not trust or wanted his own general staff to know his plan.
Used the Men of the Fields or middlemen to help him who were more loyal and trusted than his own staff.

Tenka no tame!

Obaiin

2010-11-17T07:48:00.001-08:00

This is one the many sub-temples at Daitokuji in Kyoto. Unfortunately, Obaiin was closed. However, I was able to take a photo of the sign.

Obaiin Temple was constructed in 1562 when Oda Nobunaga ordered Hashiba Hideyoshi to build a small hermitage in order to hold a memorial service for his father, Oda Nobuhide. The graveyard include such figures such as Oda Nobuhide, Oda Nobunaga's second daughter and her husband, Mori Motonari and his wife, and three sons, and other members of the Mori family.

Nobunaga no tame!

White heron

2010-11-12T04:21:00.000-08:00

It was said that two white herons from Atsuta Shrine, where Nobunaga prayed right before the Battle of Okehazama, flew to battlefield. The story can be found in the Oze Hoan Shinchoki.

From the pamphlet:

There is a legend associated with egrets in this region. Oda Nobunaga stopped at the Atsuta Shrine to pray for victory on the way to Okehazama. As he was offering a prayer, two white egrets flew up into the sky from the shrine. They guided the Oda army to Okehazama and perched in a huge tree in the Ishizuka-no-Mori. Based on the legend, Mr. Yamaguchi Masayoshi erected this monument.

The landmark is near the Toyoake Okehazama battlefield. The two white herons did appear in the NHK Taiga drama Toshiie to Matsu, believe or not. Again, this story is found in Oze Hoan's work, not Gyuichi's. That being said, I was happy to visit and take photos of the landmark. A must see for anyone who is interested in the battle.

Tenka no tame!

A rare grave

2010-11-08T16:43:00.000-08:00

A statue of Nohime located at Kiyosu Castle.

There are many mysteries on what happened to Nobunaga's wife, Nohime (1535-1612). It was a fact that she did not produced any children and highly possible she was barren. Nohime does a have a grave at Sokenin, a sub-temple of Daitokuji in Kyoto. Believe it or not, she does have a grave located in Gifu City.

Located in Gifu City, Fudo-cho Nohime's grave.

I was lucky to hit the jackpot on this rare find. There are two graves that are related to Nohime and that is fantastic news in my opinion. This is an ihatsu grave, the lock of the deceased's hair.

Nobunaga no tame!

Kamagatani's geography during the Battle of Okehazama

2010-11-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

Here is an old photo from the late Taisho or early Showa Era of Kamagatani. The geography was different then and I think the photo represents how Okehazama looked during the time of the battle. Or close to it. If you visit the Okehazama battlefield now, it will hard to get a clear picture how the geography was like during the battle. The old photos that I posted early this year gives the historian clues and a much clearer picture as well. To tell you the truth, it opened my eyes as well. I think the area was much more open with tress, bushes, hills, and rice paddies surrounding Okehazama.

Tenka no tame!

Kamagatani

2010-11-01T08:10:00.000-07:00

This is one of the new landmarks at the Arimatsu Okehazama Battlefield.

(Kamagatani) Oda Nobunaga and his forces reached here secretly and hid themselves in the thunderstorm. Right after the rain he ordered to attack Imagawa's right wing and found Yoshimoto's whereabouts. He quickly told his forces to make a dash and won a decisive victory.

Here is another landmark near the Kamagatani area. The Nobunaga slope/hill.

June 22, 1560
Oda Nobunaga's forces rushed up this hill charging into Imagawa Yoshimoto's main camp. This became known as the famous "Battle of Okehazama." The victory of Oda's forces led to the dawn of Japan's early-modern period.
A picture overlooking Kamagatani. These landmarks were new and was lucky to take a photo. Many thanks to Yukio Kajino who led the tour.

Nobunaga no tame!

Arimatsu Okehazama Imagawa Yoshimoto's Honjin landmark

2010-10-24T20:23:00.000-07:00

I finally was able to take photos of the new Arimatsu Imagawa Yoshimoto's Honjin at Okehazamayama. The Toyoake location is well known, but this landmark is new and refreshing. Wataru Kajino wrote the paragraph using Ota Gyuichi's Shincho-Ko ki as his base. The notice board starts out with Imagawa Yoshimoto is resting at Okehazamayama, the thunderstorm, and then the surprise attack by Nobunaga. It continues with Nobunaga conquest of Mino and Azuchi Castle.

The landmark is very close to the Arimatsu Okehazama Battlefield Park and is part of the Okehazama Battlefield Walking Tour. The Imagawa Yoshimoto Honjin Landmark was nicely done and fits in beautifully with the newly constructed battlefield park. I have to thank Mr. Yukio Kajino and his Akitsugu for all their help and support. The one person who I have not met and would like to in the future is Mr. Wataru Kajino.

This still begs the question which landmark is correct, Arimatsu or Toyoake? As for now, Arimatsu is the correct landmark. That being said, I have always stated that both landmarks are legit and have historical significance.

Tenka no tame!

Okehazama trip II

2010-10-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

My one week trip back to Japan was a huge success. Many thanks to the Kajino family and Yuko Hiwada. I have to say the walking tour with Mr. Yukio Kajino was the major highlight of the trip. In my opinion, you will need at least one day to walk around both Okehazama battlefields and an extra day as well to visit other landmarks related to the battle.

Even though I have written a book about the battle, I have to admit that there is a ton of new information that has been published the past year or so. Mr. Wataru Kajino has updated his book and must say, a must have. That includes the fiction novels, magazine articles, and the like.

The statues were a real treat to look at. I thought they would be bigger, but the size suit the battlefield park nicely. Here is one fact that caught me by surprise. This is the first Imagawa Yoshimoto statue in Japan. Even the great Sengoku historian Owada Tetsuo was a little surprised as well. As for the Nobunaga statue, it was different from the usual that I have seen. My favorite statue is the Golden Nobunaga in Gifu city, but this new statue blends right in with the Okehazama battlefield.

I have many more photos to share and plan to post them later in the future.

Nobunaga no tame!

Okehazama trip

2010-10-08T16:36:00.000-07:00

I am heading back to the Okehazama battlefield very soon and looking forward to the two statues, the landmarks, and Professor Kajino. As Always, I plan to take many photos as possible.

Here is a fun Nobunaga link that my friend Dohaland suggested.

http://tenkaichi.jp/nobublo/112.html

Tenka no tame!

Nobunaga Food

2010-10-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

Nobunaga was known to love strong flavored country foods. According to the Shincho-Ko ki, he ate melons, persimmons, chestnuts, and crammed rice cakes (mochi) in his mouth. There was a story that Nobunaga almost killed a cook because the food was not up to his tastes.

It was well know Nobunaga ate some form of chazuke (rice porridge) before the Battle of Okehazama. Simple country foods, strong flavor, and packed with nutrients kept Nobunaga healthily and stable.

A great link with some information in English on Nobunaga and his diet:

http://www.busho-aichi.jp/english/index.html

According to the link, he was also fond of dumplings and were nicknamed "Uesama dango" (His Highness's dumplings). Perfect and fit for a king. Of course, on certain occasions, the food would be more elaborate.

Nobunaga no tame!

Taigen Suufu's (Sessai) Parents

2010-09-27T09:07:00.000-07:00

Taigen Suufu (Sessai) was Imagawa Yoshimoto's military advisor. Suufu's father was Ihara Saemon no Jo and his mother was from Okitsu family. Owada Tetsuo has more information on Suufu and his relationship with the Imagawa in his book, Imagawa Yoshimoto. At an early age, Suufu entered Kyoto's Kenninji Temple.

His death in 1555 was a huge blow for the Imagawa family. If Suufu was still alive during Yoshimoto's Kyoto campaign, the chances were high in my opinion that Nobunaga might not have triumphed at Okehazama.

Tenka no tame!

Nobunaga's signature

2010-09-15T10:01:00.000-07:00

Just before heading off to work over the weekend, I found this interesting article by Tsuchiyama on Nobunaga's hand signature (Nobunaga no kao wa naze bimyo ni henka no ka). The article stated that in 1567, right after the conquest of Mino, Nobunaga's hand signature was now formal. However, his signature changed every year and on pages 4-5 displayed his handwriting and how it evolved.

Here is the link to the article. The article is in Japanese.

http://nobunagagaku.com/cn16/essay09_03.html

Nobunaga no tame!

Public Works

2010-09-08T08:14:00.000-07:00

Nobunaga was one hard core warrior. That is a fact. That being said, he was known as a builder as well. Before Azuchi Castle was constructed, Nobunaga had experience building roads, dikes, bridges, and the like.

Nobunaga building a road providing safe travel. The passage comes from Luis Frois in Lamers Japonius Tyrannus, p. 140.

"He had the roads repaired from the city of Anzuchi to Miaco, a distance of fourteen leagues, in such a way they formed one single road-flat, clean, and straight, and five or six tatamis [ken] wide. Trees were planted on both sides of the road, to provide shade in the summer, brooms were suspended from these trees at certain places and local residents were assigned the task of keeping the road swept clean. He had clean gravel and small pebbles placed beneath the trees along the entire stretch, so that the whole road looked like a garden. There were houses at regular intervals where travellers could relax and take a rest, enjoying the abundance of foods on sale there. And whereas previously it had not even been safe to travel by day in these regions, at least not without company, the people always travelled by night in Nobunaga's era-especially during the summer-and when they wished to test, they could put down their luggage and sleep next to the road as safely as they did in their houses. Nobunaga carried out the same arrangement and repair of roads in many of the provinces under his rule."

Nobunaga made travel safe again. This was important. Goods can move more quickly and safely(good for Nobunaga's coffers) and the morale of the people. The people under his rule knew normality was coming back.

Tenka no tame!

More Books

2010-09-01T04:19:00.000-07:00

Just before my training started last month, I bought some books at Book-Off.

I plan to read Hisaka Masashi's Takugen over the weekend. That being said, I am trying to schedule my trip back to Japan as soon as possible. Next week I should have post on Nobunaga's public works projects.

Nobunaga no tame!

Dosan/Nobunaga Meeting Fiction Story Part III

2010-08-12T05:26:00.000-07:00

At the main temple hall, Dosan was having second thoughts. Was this a big mistake? Is he really the "Fool of Owari?" Dosan was walking impatiently as he was for his son-in-law. Nobunaga was taking his time on purpose since he knew psychological warfare was part of the game. Then the Saito attendants started to hear footsteps on the creaking wooden floor. "Who goes there?" Doku yelled with a snobbish attitude. Then Doku gasped for air. "Oh my! It is your son-in-law my lord." The "Fool of Owari" was a new man. He was dressed as if he was an aristocrat. His attire was brown colored with a white tunic. His hair was nicely done and now looked handsome. Dosan quickly noticed Nobunaga's nagabakama that stretched almost three feet long.

"I am Hotta Doku, a retainer of the Saito. Lord Nobunaga, please take your seat." Nobunaga acted as if nothing happened as he took his seat. The Doku introduced the Viper to Nobunaga. "This is Lord Saito Yamashiro Dosan." Nobunaga responded in a pompous voice, "Is that so." Dosan and Doku's faces expressed more disbelief. Then Nobunaga replied in an elegant matter. "I am Oda Kazusanosuke Nobunaga. It is a pleasure to finally meet the 'Viper of Mino' at last." Dosan shook his head in agreement.

After the introductions, the two began to talk. "Father-in-law, on my way here earlier today I noticed someone hiding in abandoned cabin. In fact, I think it was you." Beads of sweat started to form on Dosan's head as Nobunaga embarrassed him. Dosan had no choice but to create a story as he laughed quietly. "You are mistaken by someone else. I used to be an oil merchant in my younger days." Dosan knew he had to change the subject quickly before the conversation went out of hand. Then Dosan noticed the dagger he gave to Lady Noh before the marriage on Nobunaga's sash. "How is my daughter? "She is fine. Not only Noh is beautiful, but she is the best wife in Japan. Dosan was delighted to hear Nobunaga's answer. "Nice to hear that my daughter is safe." The situation was much calmer and the two felt very comfortable with each other. Then Dosan ordered Doku and the rest of the attendants to leave, as he wanted to have a private discussion with his son-in-law.

The two started to eat their meal. While they eating, Dosan began the dialogue. "Nobunaga, it is okay to leave your guard down. I have no ill will towards you. Your father Nobuhide was a brave man and admired his courage." Nobunaga thanked Dosan and then replied in a much serious manner. "The Imagawa are a threat not only to me, but you too. They can march to Kyoto at any moment and I must meet them head on." Dosan did not have any faith in the Imagawa, as he knew the Matsudaira were being used. Nobunaga continued, "I would rather fight and die against the Imagawa than submit to them. Look at the situation in Mikawa. They are used as pawns." Dosan nodded in acknowledgment. Then told his son-in-law that he would help him fight the Imagawa. "Nobunaga, I will assist you against the Imagawa. Just let me know and I will help you." "Thanks! I am counting on your support."

The end was near then Dosan asked Nobunaga what he thought of him. "What do do think of me?" Nobunaga replied with enthusiasm. "Oh that is easy. The 'Viper of Mino.' What about me?" Dosan answered back with a smile, "The Fool of Owari." Both were laughing out loud that it could be heard throughout the temple precincts. both were elated that they were able to meet each other. Dosan rapidly knew his son-in-law was no fool and was an extraordinary man who could survive Sengoku Japan.

Dosan escorted Nobunaga's army for a few miles. Then he spoke from the heart, "Nobunaga.... I am glad that I had the opportunity to meet you. May our friendship continue to grow. Again, I will assist you against the Imagawa." Nobunaga merrily replied, "Thanks. As I said before, Noh is the best wife in the entire nation. When the Imagawa decides to attack, let us both send them to hell!"

As Nobunaga's army headed back to Nagoya, Dosan again noticed the Oda spears were twice as long. He shook his head in disgust, but knew the Imagawa could not be trusted. "Nobunaga is a damn fool my lord. He did not have any attendants with him and he was rude." Yelled Doku. Another Saito retainer, Inoko Takanari said something similar. Dosan answered quietly with mixed emotion. "Doku, you are loyal to the Saito house and I thank you for that. However, Nobunaga is a rare bird. He has the ability to conquer Japan. My children are no match for him. Regrettably, my children will come to him begging. Doku and Tango, if I leave this world unexpectedly, serve Nobunaga." Doku and Tango were taken aback by Dosan's answer. they could not believe that their lord admired Nobunaga. However, they had no choice but to accept Dosan's request. It was either Nobunaga or the Imagawa. Both Doku and Tango knew the Imagawa could not be depended on.

As the Oda marched home to Nagoya, Tsneoki wondered how the meeting with Saito Dosan went. "How as the meeting my lord?" Nobunaga nearly fell down laughing as he made his father-in-law submit to him. "The Viper's venom was sweet. However, Dosan is a remarkable man. He is a self-made man just like myself. He is the only parent I have at the moment and will be a great help against the Imagawa." The Oda army finally arrived at Nagoya Castle in full glory and Nobunaga was greeted by his wife who was deeply worried. The two later viewed a beautiful garden on the castle grounds. Lady Noh then put her arms around Nobunaga tighter and tighter as she was elated that her husband returned safely. "Noh, I am glad that I met your father. The Viper is a fine friend and respect him a lot. The alliance will continue with full steam ahead." The sun was setting as the two sat and viewed the lovely garden. As for Nobunaga, his bright future to unify Japan was about to begin.

Tenka no tame!

Dosan/Nobunaga Meeting Fiction Story Part II

2010-08-11T15:48:00.000-07:00

Nobunaga was alone lying on the wooden floor. He was thinking about the meeting and knew this was the perfect opportunity to show his true colors. Then a voice called was out by one of the attendants. "Lady Noh has arrived." "Please enter and make yourself comfortable,"Nobunaga happily said. Noh brought some miso yakionigiri for her husband for a simple meal and quickly crammed them in his mouth. "Delicious!" Then Lady Noh spoke to her husband. "I understand that you will meet my father." Nobunaga shook his head in agreement. "Be careful my lord. My father is truly a viper." Nobunaga replied laughing, "I cannot wait to see him. Noh, I want take you with me, but I must know your father's true intentions. After the meeting, I will let you see your old man."

Nobunaga's head was resting on Lady Noh's thigh. Her kimono was a mix of various colors ranging from pink, red, yellow, and shy blue. Her gorgeous long jet-black hair was shiny and her lips were dark ruby red. She began to clean Nobunaga's ears and he felt nothing but pure satisfaction. Then Lady Noh took out a dagger and gave it to her husband. "This is the dagger that my father gave to me right before our marriage. I was supposed to kill you if you were really an idiot. I was wrong. If the viper gets to close for comfort, use this dagger to kill it." Nobunaga's face expressed astonishment, but took the dagger since he had no choice. "To tell you the truth, I do not think there will be any chaos of any kind. I have heard stories about your old man. He has heard the same about me." Nobunaga finished up on his meal and asked for seconds.

The Oda and Saito agreed to have the meeting at Shotokuji Temple in Tonda. Shotokuji was a branch temple of Osaka's Ishiyama Honganji. The temple was near the Mino/Owari border and seven hundred houses or so surrounded it. It was the perfect place for the two to meet. Nobunaga crossed the Kiso and Hida rivers by boat and prepared to show his father-in-law, The Boys from Owari.

Dosan arrived early so he could make preparations. Then he ordered his troops to surround the temple area. His troops were armed with archers and gunmen, but he started to feel a bit tense. Doku was a little surprised by Dosan's facial expression. "Are you okay my lord? You look nervous." "Yes I am. I wonder what my son-in-law looks like. I have only heard stories about him. Minute by minute, the time is almost near to meet him." Doku then received a suggestion from one of his attendants that an abandoned shack is the ideal place to spy on Nobunaga. "Great idea Doku!" Dosan responded. "I can see what my son-in-law looks like without him seeing me." Dosan and Doku laughed as they left the temple's main hall.

Dosan and Doku entered the shack. The shack had plenty of cobwebs, chicken feces, and other critters that created a tenacious odor. "Oh my! It reeks in here!" Doku said covering his face. "I do not mind for the time being. Nobunaga is more important now than some disgusting smell. Deal with it for now." Dosan replied with a serious look.

A messenger came with the news Dosan was waiting for. "The Oda army is coming my lord. Lord Nobunaga is located in the middle of the procession with his bodyguards." "Good. Now let us see what my son-in-law is made of." The Oda army marched along the main road with confidence. They came prepared to show the Saito how strong the "Boys from Owari" was capable of doing. First, came the spearmen. The spears were longer than usual and Dosan noticed it. "What is this? The Oda spears are twice as long than ours." The spears were crimson lacquered and eighteen feet long. then came the archers, three hundred of them. Dosan was feverishly stroking his moustache and scratching his bald head. Then came the moment he was waiting for.

Nobunaga was on the opposite side of his horse. His attire was infamous and shocked both Dosan and Doku. Nobunaga's trousers were made of tiger and leopard skins, his robe was tan colored scattered with a purple colored Oda crest with one sleeve down. His hair was tied up chasen mage style with a green cord and carried several other personal belongings. he was equipped with two swords, short and long. The long sword's scabbard was decorated with gold and silver. He was clearly enjoying the moment. Dosan expressed disappointment. "Is that him? Is that my son-in-law Nobunaga?" Doku replied with a heavy heart. "Unfortunately, yes it is my lord." However, the procession was not over yet. Nobunaga brought over five hundred rifles with him. This terrified Dosan and the rest of the Saito army. "Nobunaga's physical appearance is above average. That being said, he lacks proper etiquette. I feel sorry for my daughter. Nobunaga is truly the 'Fool of Owari,'" said Dosan with disbelief.

To be continued.

Nobunaga no tame!

Dosan/Nobunaga 1553 Meeting Fiction Story

2010-08-10T16:56:00.000-07:00

Noh will be used in place for Nohime in this story.

It was early spring 1553 at Inoguchi and the weather was on the cool side. At Inabayama Castle, Saito Dosan, Saito Yoshitatsu, Hotta Doku, and various Saito vassals were sitting and chatting about tactics. They knew the Oda house was in turmoil after the passing of Oda Nobuhide and Hirate Masahide. However, Dosan had other ideas and knew something extraordinary was about to come.

"The Oda are weak and now is the time to invade Owari my lord," said Yoshitatsu. "What about Lady Noh? She is now with the Oda. We will have to figure out a way to rescue her. I feel sorry that she has to put with that idiot Nobunaga," answered back Doku. Yoshitatsu continued to pressure his father to attack the Oda at once. "This is our golden opportunity to attack Owari!" Yoshitatsu shouted with vigor.

Dosan was not interested starting another war with the Oda at the moment. He already defeated Nobuhide twice in the 1540s, but somehow knew Nobunaga was a rare bird. Doku spoke with urgent care about the Saito house. "My lord, the Imagawa will surely invade and overtake Owari soon. We must do something. The Saito are no match against the Imagawa."

"Do you think we are weaker than the Imagawa at the moment? I do not think so. I built Mino into a prosperous domain with blood, seat and tears. I am not going to give Mino all away to that fat Imagawa warlord." Dosan said while scratching his bald head. He soon began to rub his mustache as if he already knew the answer to the problem.

"Doku. Yoshitatsu. What do you think of my son-in-law, Nobunaga?" Yoshitatsu answered unkindly. "Nobunaga is a complete fool. He is at all times wearing a simple robe with a rope sash. Always dancing, playing the hand drum, and riding horses." Doku knew Nobunaga was out of the ordinary. "My lord, your son-in-law swims and shoots the rifle well. He rarely loses in battle and showed little or no feelings towards the loss of his father or Hirate Masahide. I am terrified and concerned about Lady Noh."

Dosan clinched his fist with the armrest by his side. After a brief moment of silence, he spoke. "I have decided to meet my son-in-law. I want to know how Nobunaga ticks. All I have heard is rumors and want to know the truth. If he is truly an idiot, then we will kill him and invade Owari, creating a buffer zone against the Imagawa." The chamber was completely quiet. Doku, Yoshitatsu, and the other Saito vassals were stunned by their lord's decision to meet the Fool of Owari.

Meanwhile, Nagoya Castle was lively. Young Nobunaga with his hair tied up chasen mage style and a simple robe was conducting shooting practice. Nobunaga loaded the rifle and shot the target dead on. "Now, make ready and prepare to fire!" Nobunaga yelled. His gunnery squad quickly loaded their weapons. "Fire!" The next unit came. "Fire!" Then the next until Nobunaga was satisfied with the results. While loading their rifles, Nobunaga and Ikeda Tsuneoki were chewing the fat. "You know Tsuneoki, the gunnery unit is getting better by the day. I will unify the Oda house in no time." Tsuneoki nodded with a smile. Then there was a loud cry. A messenger on a horse arrived unexpectedly.

"I have a letter from Inabayama Castle. Let me in at once!" The castle guards let the messenger in and Nobunaga quickly wanted to know what was all the fuss about. "Bring me the letter to me at once!" Nobunaga yelled. He opened and briefly read the dispatch. The letter was from his father-in-law, Saito Dosan. Tsuneoki was curious to find out. "What is it my lord? "Bad news?" There was no emotion from Nobunaga. Then he spoke as if nothing happened. "The Viper of Mino wants to meet me."

There were only a few people in the main room. One of them was Hayashi Hidesada. He had some troubling concerns about the proposal of meeting Saito Dosan. Nobunaga then entered the room and Hayashi and others bowed. Nobunaga was in the center with an armrest by his side. "I do not think it is a good idea my lord to meet Saito Dosan," Hayashi said. Another spoke, "A terrible idea. The viper will surely kill you." Nobunaga knew his vassal's opinions were rubbish. "I want to see my father-in-law as soon as possible. I want to taste his venom. This is the only opportunity I have to see the Viper with my own eyes. Is my father-in-law really a snake or simply human? The meeting goes on as planned!" Nobunaga said with the up most confidence. The wooden floor soon had an evil chill as he told his vassals to leave.

To be continued.

Tenka no tame!

Nobunaga Shiki

2010-08-08T14:19:00.001-07:00

Nobunaga Shiki is one of many great books written by historian/novelist Tsumoto Yo. If you have read is best selling novel on Nobunaga Genten wa Yume ka, then this book is also a must. The ten chapters explain Nobunaga's make up, guns, tactics, intelligence, leadership, ladies, economics, Honganji, the Honnoji Incident, and Nobunaga's dreams.

I have both hardcover and paperback. The paperback edition includes a couple pages written by Owada Tetsuo, a major bonus.

Nobunaga no tame!

Saito Dosan and his fall

2010-07-28T06:57:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of Saito Dosan since he was one of the very few who understood Nobunaga. It was a blessing that I was able to have the chance to live in Gifu and study Nobunaga and Dosan.

Saito Dosan was born in 1494 and he was first known as Minemaru. Then just before he became a teenager, Dosan entered Myokakuji Temple in Kyoto and was known as Horenbo.
He later became an Oil dealer and more important, a Sengoku warlord. Dosan's nickname was "The Viper of Mino." He made Mino into a prosperous domain due to free market principles and was able to defeat Oda Nobuhide in the 1540s. Eventually, Nobuhide and Dosan made peace and Nobunaga would have the Viper's daughter Nohime (1535-1612) as his wife.
So where did Dosan's decline began? The starting point is the meeting between Dosan and Nobunaga at Shotokuji Temple in 1553. Everyone thought his son-in-law was a fool. However, the meeting between the two changed everything. Dosan right away knew Nobunaga was no fool and the Oda/Saito alliance was good enough to continue. One reason why Dosan knew his son-in-law was no fool since both were self-made men. Dosan saw a little bit of himself when he met Nobunaga. As for Nobunaga, Dosan would be his last parent as his father Nobuhide died in 1551 and his adviser Hirate Masahide took his own life in 1553.

Dosan did provide aid to his son-in-law in 1554 at the Battle of Muraki against the Imagawa. It was a victory for Nobunaga. As for Dosan's son, Yoshitatsu, he was not a happy man. all the love went to Nobunaga. In Yoshitatsu's mind, Nobunaga was still the fool from Owari. This was a drastic mistake on Yoshitatsu part for underestimating Nobunaga's true abilities.

Dosan then gave Yoshitatsu Inabayama Castle (Gifu) and was the new heir to the Saito throne. As for Dosan, he moved to his retirement castle, Sagiyama. In a way, Dosan sealed his own death warrant. Yoshitatsu now had everything including the Mino Big Three (Inaba Ittetsu, Ando Morinari, and Ujie Bokuzen). The situation turned to worse when Yoshitatsu tries to find out who is his real father.

Dosan had took in a wife or concubine by the name of Miyoshino (Inaba Ittetsu's sister). Miyoshino at the time was with Toki Yoshinari (1501-82). Dosan later banished Yoshinari from Mino. Miyoshino then had a child, and it was Yoshitatsu. The debate now, was Miyoshino pregnant when Dosan took her in? I highly doubt it. Yoshitatsu then believes his true father was Toki Yoshinari. Blood starts to boil as the two cannot get along and it nothing but bitterness.

Dosan then married Nohime's mother Omi no Kata (1513?-51) around 1533. Omi no Kata was the daughter of Akechi Suruga no Kami Mitsutsugu and gave she birth to Nohime in 1535. It was also possible she was the mother of Dosan's son's Magoshiro and Kiheiji.

It got even uglier when Yoshitatsu killed Dosan's son's Magoshiro and Kiheiji in 1555. It was now all out war and Dosan knew his time was near. Dosan was outnumbered and Mino Big Three switched over to Yoshitatsu. Mori Yoshinari (Mori Ranmaru's father) would leave the Saito and joined Nobunaga. Just before the Battle of Nagaragawa in 1556, Dosan wrote his will and gave the Mino deed to Nobunaga. Nobunaga tried to lead his army to help his father-in-law, but it was too late. Dosan was killed in battle and Yoshitatsu was now the supreme ruler of Mino.
Dosan's grave (Gifu City).

Nobunaga never had the chance to provide aid for Dosan. Two reasons why. First, Kiyosu was too far away from Mino. Nobunaga realized this in the earlier 1560s and he moved his headquarters from Kiyosu to Komaki in 1563. Second, Owari was not yet fully unified. A major problem since he still had enemies in his domain. If Owari was unified, Dosan still had complete control of Mino, and the Mino Big Three stays with the Viper. Yoshitatsu would never revolted against his father.

Nobunaga scored a major coup when he defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto in 1560. Saito Yoshitatsu knew he was next. The chickens came to roost. He probably was thinking Dosan was right from the start that Nobunaga was no fool. Yoshitatsu passed away in 1561 and Nobunaga quickly attacked Mino and defeated the Saito at the Battle of Moribe (1561). Mino would be a tough nut to crack even with a young Saito Tatsuoki as the heir. Nobunaga would soon chip away the Saito and convince the Mino Big Three (Inaba, Ando, and Ujie) to switch to the Oda. With the Mino deed as his backing, Nobunaga eventually conqueror Mino in 1567 and changed Inabayama to Gifu.

Saito Dosan was a classic example who used gekokujo to the fullest extent. He knew how to win on and off the battlefield using politics, economics, and of course war. When the perfect opportunity came, the Viper of Mino took full advantage.

Tenka no tame!

Owari in 1559

2010-07-20T09:03:00.001-07:00

Here is a map of Owari in 1559 and here is the list of castles and families.

ODA

Kiyosu Oda Nobunaga
Shobata
Iwakura
Inuyama Oda Nobukiyo
Obata
Suemori
Moriyama Oda Nobutsugu

Non-Oda

Kariyasuga Azai
Kuroda Wada Shinsuke
Ichinomiya Seki
Okuchi Nakajima Bungo no Kami
Koori Ikoma
Hira Sasa
Natsuka Sakuma Daigaku
Ikatsu Sakuma
Shimoyashiro Shibata Katsuie
Nagoya Hayashi Hidesada
Iwasaki Niwa
Gokiso Sakuma
Yamasaki Sakuma Nobumori
Hoshisaki Okuda
Narumi Yamaguchi/Okabe
Odaka Yamaguchi
Arako Maeda
Shimonoisshiki Maeda
Kanie Irimon
Ninoue Hattori
Ogawa Mizuno Nobumoto
Kariya Mizuno Nobumoto
Tokoname Mizuno
Narawa Mizuno

Other Provinces

Mino Inabayama Saito
Mikawa Okazaki Matsudaira

Nobunaga no tame!

Sagiyama Castle

2010-07-14T09:52:00.000-07:00

Sagiyama Castle ruins is located in Gifu City. The castle was Saito Dosan's last place of residence before he was killed in the Battle of Nagaragawa in 1556. Sagiyama Castle could be known as Dosan's retirement castle as his son Yoshitatsu occupied Inabayama Castle (Gifu Castle). Also Nobunaga's wife, Nohime spent considerable time at Sagiyama and the chances are high that she was born there.
Tenka no tame!

Tokugawa Ieyasu, Isogi Kikoku

2010-07-07T10:59:00.000-07:00

This the very last chapter in Ota Gyuichi's Shincho-Ko ki where Tokugawa Ieyasu finds out about Oda Nobunaga and Nobutada's death. Ieyasu knows he has to leave Sakai at once. Again, the translation is not perfect.

"The group of Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu, Anayama Baisetsu, and Hasegawa Take learned about the the deaths of Lord Nobunaga and his son while in Sakai of Izumi. Then they moved out to Ujidahara Pass. Along the way, Anayama happened to meet with an insurrection and was killed. Lord Tokugawa and Hasegawa Take took a boat from Kuwata and arrived at Atsuta harbor safe and sound."

Nobunaga no tame!

Unifying the country was not easy

2010-06-30T07:14:00.000-07:00

Unifying Japan was not easy for Nobunaga. Since he was the aggressor, casualties came with the price of unification.

1552 Yamaguchi Noritsugu rebels against the Oda and switched their allegiance to the Imagawa.
1553 Hirate Masahide committed suicide in protest.
1556 Nobunaga's brother, Nobuyuki revolts not once, but twice. Nobuyuki's death 1557.
1570 Mori Yoshinari was killed at the Battle of Usayama against the Asakura/Azai.
1571 Sakai Masahisa was killed at the Battle of Katada against the Asakura.
1571 Ujie Bokuzen was killed in Ise Nagashima.
1572 Hirate Hirohide was killed at the battle of Mikata-ga-hara.
1573 Hayashi Shinjiro was killed in north Ise fighting the Ikko-Ikki.
1576 Ban Naomasa was killed fighting the Ishiyama Honganji.
1578 Manmi Shigemoto was killed during the siege of Arioka castle.

However others were either banished, revolted, or punished by death.

1575 Mizuno Nobumoto was punished by death for allegedly helping the Takeda.
1577 Matsunaga Hisahide revolted and was killed.
1578 Araki Murashige revolted against Nobunaga resulting in the siege of Arioka Castle.
1580 Sakuma Nobumori and Nobuhide were banished to Mt. Koya.
1580 Hayashi Hidesada was banished.1580 Ando Morinari and Hisanari was banished.
1580 Niwa Ujikatsu was banished.

There were a few more, but Nobunaga paid a heavy price for unification. The price was always paid in blood.

Tenka no tame!

Komaki Castle

2010-06-23T06:05:00.000-07:00

In 1563, Nobunaga moved his headquarters from Kiyosu to Komaki. This was an important strategical move since Kiyosu was just too far to wage war against the Saito. Komaki was closer to Mino.
I took the two pictures almost ten years ago and was sorely disappointed. It was one of the worst castles I have ever been and felt lost. However, that being said, you will be rewarded nicely if you visit the Komaki battlefield instead. The only positive point I have with the castle is when you are on top of the mountain, you can a nice view of the city.

The story goes that Nobunaga wanted to move to Komaki, but he knew his retainers were not in the mood to relocate. So Nobunaga suggested Ninomiya. His retainers refused to move there since Ninomiya was very steep and constructing a castle would be difficult. Then Nobunaga suggest his first choice Komaki. His retainers could not refuse their lord for a second time and approved Komaki. In the end, Komaki was built and everybody moved there in 1563.

Nobunaga only stayed in Komaki for a brief time. His objective was Mino and finally he achieved his goal in 1567. Ota Gyuichi's Shincho-Ko ki Introduction book, Chapter 42 has the story of Komaki.

Nobunaga no tame!

Oda Nobuhide's mother

2010-06-16T09:19:00.000-07:00

I have been splitting my between studying and watching the World Cup on the tube. So far, so good at the moment. As for my sources for this post, see Okada Masahito Oda Nobunaga Sogo Jiten, pp. 140-143 and Yasuhiro Nishigaya Oda Nobunaga Jiten, p. 238.

Oda Nobuhide's mother was known as Inui or Onunu no kata. She was from the Oda Tozaemon branch and her father was Oda Chikuzen Sukeyori/Yoshiyori. Inui or Onunu no kata passed away in June 24, 1527.

Oda Nobusada (Nobuhide's father) also had a concubine (died in 1545) who gave birth to Oda Nobuyasu's (Oda Ise/Iwakura branch) wife. Nobusada had other daugthers who were married as well. One was married to Matsudaira Kiyosada. Second, Masa Nagayoshi. Third, Otsuya no kata who was first married to Toyama Takumi no suke, who passed away in 1572. She would later marry AkiyamaNobutomo. Otsuya no kata passed away in 1575.

As for Inui/Onunu no kata, I would like to thank Kitsuno and Lordameth of the SA for their help. For more information on Oda Nobusada's wife and daughter's Okada Masahito's Oda Nobunaga Sogo Jiten, pp. 140-143 is your best bet.

Tenka no tame!

Nobunaga to Komaki

2010-06-09T11:41:00.001-07:00

I bought Oda Nobunaga to Komaki last year while in Nagoya during a festival. This book is a gold mine containing a wealth of information on Nobunaga's relationship with the Komaki area. As to Komaki Castle, I have only been there once and it is my least favorite of the Nobunaga castles.

The book has some nice Komaki Castle relief maps and photos the Owari region during Nobunaga's time. In my opinion, the photos with maps leading to the historical landmark steal the show. For example, if you want to travel to the Dota Castles (the area where Nobunaga's mother Dota Gozen came from) ruins, the book provides photos and a map on how to get to the landmark.

Other hits include the Battle of Ukino, the Ikoma family landmarks, and the explanation why Nobunaga moved his headquarters from Kiyosu to Komaki.

Nobunaga no tame!

Honnoji by Luis Frois

2010-06-02T05:33:00.000-07:00

Today is June 2, the day that Oda Nobunaga was betrayed by the evil Akechi Mitsuhide. I will use Luis Frois's writings in Michael Cooper's They Came to Japan: An Anthology of European Reports on Japan, 1543-1640 (page 103).

"As our church in Miyako is situated only a street away from the place where Nobunaga was staying, some Christians came just as I was vesting to say an early Mass, and told me to wait because there was a commotion in front of the palace and that it seemed to be something serious as fighting had broken out there. We at once began to hear musket shots and see flames. After this another report came, and we learned that it had not been a brawl but that Akechi had turned traitor and enemy of Nobunaga and had him surrounded. When Akechi's men men reached the palace gates, they at once entered as nobody was there to resist them because there had been no suspicion of their treachery. Nobunaga had just washed his hands and face and was drying himself with a towel when they found him and forthwith shot him in the side with an arrow. Pulling the arrow out, he came out carrying a naginata, a weapon with a long blade made after the fashion of a scythe. He fought for some time, but after receiving a shot in the arm he retreated into his chamber and shut the doors.

Some say that he cut his belly, while others believe that he set fire to the palace and perished in the flames. What we do know, however, is that of this man, who made everyone tremble not only at the sound of his voice but even at the mention of his name, there did not remain even a small hair which was not reduced to dust and ashes."

Sad indeed! Here is some Taiga drama videos related to the Honnoji Incident.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R23xalSkevo&feature=related

Tenka no tame!

Recently bought books

2010-05-29T15:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I bought two books on Nobunaga at my local Book-Off branch in San Diego.
Nobunaga by Sakaguchi Ango is a novel about young Nobunaga. I have only read the first chapter so far and it is good. The conclusion, Okehazama, of course. Published by Takarajimasha with the first printing in 2006.

The next book is by Huyuji Domon, the publisher is Nikkeibp, and published in 2003. Covers Nobunaga's career, but only skimmed through the book so far.

Next weekend is the Toyoake City Okehazama festival. I hope my good friend Mr. Yukio Kajino will visit the festival and take some pictures.

Nobunaga no tame!

What if?

2010-05-27T18:17:00.001-07:00

A portrait of the "Viper of Mino" Saito Dosan.

What if Saito Dosan was still alive and in power during Okehazama? Would the "Viper of Mino" still support his son-in-law? Would Yoshimoto still attack Owari and continue his crusade to Kyoto? These are some great questions that need to be asked and I do have answers to them.

I still believe that Dosan would have supported Nobunaga. Dosan did provide aid to Nobunaga during the Battle of Muraki in 1554, a battle that Nobunaga won. After the meeting in 1553 at Shotokuji in Tonda, Dosan knew Nobunaga was a rare bird and a self-made man. Dosan had to build his empire by himself as well. He knew the Imagawa was a threat to his son-in-law, but to him as well.
Imagawa Yoshimoto was no fool. If he knew that Dosan was still in total control of the Saito house, the Kyoto crusade would have to wait. Dosan still had the Mino Big Three: Inaba Ittetsu, Ujie Bokuzen, and Ando Morinari in his pocket along with several others. If the Oda/Saito alliance was still strong, Yoshimoto could not afford to waste any valuable resources he had. Sure, Yoshimoto did have Mikawa and Totomi as revenue cash cows, but Mino was stronger in my opinion.
More important, it is very hard to defeat self-made men like Nobunaga and Dosan. They saw the Sengoku world much differently than the traditional powers such as the Hojo, Takeda, and Imagawa. A Nobunaga/Dosan combo team would be hard to beat.

However, this was not the case. Dosan was betrayed by his evil son Saito Yoshitatsu in 1556 and Nobunaga had no more allies. Which make his success at Okehazama much more remarkable.

Tenka no tame!

Old photo of Senpyo no matsu

2010-05-24T18:16:00.000-07:00

Here is an old photo of the Senpyo no matsu (war council pine tree) taken during the late Taisho or early Showa Era. The location is the Arimatsu Okehazama battlefield. Again, many thanks to Mr. Yukio Kajino for the pictures. The area has sure changed, but the spirit of Okehazama among the locals has not and still going strong.

More links with photos of Arimatsu Okehazama festival.

http://okehazama.net/modules/katudou/index.php?page=article&storyid=30

http://okehazama.net/modules/katudou/index.php?page=article&storyid=31

The second link (31) is awesome. The photo of Nobunaga with the spear and finishing off Yoshimoto was classic!

Nobunaga no tame!

History was made today

2010-05-19T10:24:00.000-07:00

Today is the day that Nobunaga turned Japan upside down. His victory over Imagawa Yoshimoto at the Battle of Okehazama changed Sengoku Japan forever. The victory would launch Nobunaga's career to new levels never seen before.

An old photo of Dengakutsubo, the area where Imagawa Yoshimoto met his death. Kajino Wataru and Owada Tetsuo has mentioned that Dengakutsubo was place where Yoshimoto was killed.

The four key points in my opinion were the rain, Yanada Masatsuna's intelligence, Nobunaga's small army, and Okehazama itself. Imagawa Yoshimoto's lack of vigilance and total disrespect of Nobunaga was his demise.

Here is a great line from A.L. Sadler's book on Tokugawa Ieyasu The Maker of Modern Japan, "...Oke-hazama..., was one of the decisive actions of Japanese history, in that it placed Nobunaga in front rank of military leaders, and placed the acquisition of supreme power within his grasp."(p. 56)

More photos from last weekend's festival:

http://okehazama.net/modules/katudou/index.php?page=article&storyid=28

As for the Rekishi Kaido Okehazama issue (pp.56-57), Kajino and Owada got right when they wrote that Yanada Masatsuna provided the detail information on Yoshimoto's whereabouts. After all, he was rewarded with Kutsukake Castle and cash. However, Katsuhiro Taniguchi disagreed due to the Oze Hoan Shinchoki. My take, Yanada Masatsuna did provide the intelligence.

Nobunaga no tame! Tenka no tame! Okehazama no tame!

Okehazama Festival Pics

2010-05-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from last weekend's Okehazama Festival in Arimatsu. From what I heard, it was a huge success!

http://twitpic.com/1o9jvj

http://okehazama.net/modules/osirase/index.php?page=article&storyid=124

The Nobunaga and Yoshimoto statues look awesome and will certainly beautify the battlefield.

The Toyoake City Okehazama Battlefield will hold their festival on June 5th and 6th.

A book on Imagawa Yoshimoto and Taigen Sessai has been written by Emiya Takayuki and should be out in stores in Japan this week.

http://okehazama.net/modules/miniamazon/index.php?lid=36

Tenka no tame!

King of Zipangu Guide Book

2010-05-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

I finally found and bought the Nobunaga Taiga "King of Zipangu" official guide book. Not bad at all, but my favorite is the interview with the actors who played the role as Nobunaga in previous Taigas. They include Takahashi Koji in Taikoki, Sugi Ryotaro in Ten to Chi to, Takahashi Hideaki in Kunitori Monogatari, and Yakusho Koji in Tokugawa Ieyasu.
I am still reading the Rekishi Kaido Okehazama issue and pleased to say that Fujimoto Masayuki's longstanding theory (Okehazama was not a surprise attack) was mentioned. Why am I pleased? The answer is simple, it means that his theory was thought out carefully, stuck to his gut, and did not give in to the trends (theory first appeared in 1982). I still disagree with his theory because it was a surprise attack. Even Owada Tetsuo mentioned it a frontal surprise attack.

As for the Okehazama Festival, here is a video with Wataru Kajino speaking.

htpp://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6934929

http://ameblo.jp/mikawa-hide/entry-10527598150.html

Nobunaga no tame!

Okehazama Rekishi Kaido Part II

2010-05-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

I received my copy of the Okehazama Rekishi Kaido magazine today and what an issue. There are articles from Owada Tetsuo, Taniguchi Katsuhiro, Mr. Wataru Kajino, and others. The Okehazama issue contains lots of color photo as well as all of the landmarks. Some of the photos are some nice black and white from the early Showa. I plan to read the magazine tonight and give my opinion on it.

Some juicy information on the magazine, Owada Tetsuo, Taniguchi Katsuhiro, Wataru Kajino, and others gives their opinions on how Nobunaga won on pp. 56-57. Owada Tetsuo stated that Nobunaga's attack was a frontal surprise while Taniguchi Katsuhiro's opinion was frontal.

Mine has always been a surprise attack of some kind. So I go will Owada on this one. More later.

I would like to express my thanks to Mr. Yukio Kajino and the Okehazama staff for the magazine and postcards.
Tenka no tame!

Nobunaga Clothing at Kiyosu Castle

2010-05-09T17:49:00.000-07:00

If you plan to visit Kiyosu Castle anytime soon, take a look at the Nobunaga clothing from the recent Taiga dramas.

Clothing from the following Taiga drama: Tenchijin, Toshiie to Matsu, Hideyoshi, and of course, Nobunaga. My favorite is the the "Owari no utsuke" outfit worn during the Nobunaga Taiga.

The photos come from my Aichi friend's blog Dohaland,

http://ameblo.jp/samuraicountry/entry-10530654659.html

Update: The link has been unfortunately deleted.
Nobunaga no tame!

Okehazama Rekishi Kaido

2010-05-07T04:34:00.000-07:00

Rekishi Kaido magazine has a special issue on Okehazama. The title "Okehazama no Nazo" should be an interesting read. I would love to get my hands on it. Earlier this week I received an e-mail from my great Okehazama scholar friend, Mr. Yukio Kajino. He was very kind enough to inform me on the Okehazama issue.

The link to the magazine: http://okehazama.net/modules/osirase/index.php?page=article&storyid=117

Next weekend will be the Okehazama festival. If you are around in the Aichi Prefecture next weekend, by all means go to the festival.

I finally saw the movie Katen no Shiro and plan to write my opinion on it. The movie was sure different from the others I have seen of late.

Tenka no tame!

Okehazama Statues

2010-05-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

Here are two links with a nice huge photo of Oda Nobunaga and Imagawa Yoshimoto. Each photo contains a brief summary. Only a couple of weeks away from the big party. Nobunaga's victory at Okehazama in 1560 definitely started the fusion process in my opinion.

http://okehazama.net/modules/battle/ODA_NOBUNAGA.html

http://okehazama.net/modules/battle/IMAGAWA_YOSHIMOTO.html#01

Nobunaga no tame!

Okehazama 450 Festival Poster

2010-04-24T13:33:00.001-07:00

Here it is, The official Okehazama 450th anniversary poster. The two big days are May 15 and 16. If you are in Japan around this time, by all means go! Wataru and Yukio Kajino and the Okehazama staff has done a brilliant job in my opinion. I wish I could be there. I will be there in spirit. Unfortunately, it looks like I will be in Japan in the fall season. Dohaland, are you going to the festival?

The SA has something on it as well. My great friend Obenjo beat me to the punch! Ha Ha Ha!

If you can read Japanese, here is a great link for you. The link has all the books related to the Battle of Okehazama. I have most of the books listed in my private Nobunaga/Sengoku library.

http://okehazama.net/modules/miniamazon/

Grandpa, thanks for everything. May you rest in peace.

Tenka no tame!

Ieyasu's Headquarters During Nagashino

2010-04-21T14:06:00.000-07:00

Tokugawa Ieyasu's headquarters during the Battle of Nagashino according to the Shincho Ko-ki was Takamatsuyama. However, according to Owada Tetsuo/Kobayashi Yoshiharu's Nagashino-Shitaragahara no Tatakai, Ieyasu's camp has several listings.

Nagashino-Shitaragahara no Tatakai, p. 82.

Takamatsuyama Shincho-Ko ki and Shinchoki

Yatsurugi Takamatsuyama Matsudaira-ki

Danjouyama Nagashino nikki and Sokenki

Nothing noted down Mikawa Monogatari

Here is a link with photos of Tokugawa Ieyasu's camp at Yatsurugi Jinja

http://ameblo.jp/mikawa-hide/entry-10498553857.html

Nagashino-Shitaragahara no Tatakai is a must read for anyone who is studying the Battle of Nagashino. A must have no matter what. The book is difficult to read, but has tons of rich data.

Nobunaga no tame!

Nobunaga's Nagashino Headquarters

2010-04-15T12:23:00.000-07:00

If you read Ota Gyuichi's Shincho Ko-ki and other sources related to Battle of Nagashino Nobunaga's headquarters was first at Gokurakuji which was true. However, just before the battle began, Nobunaga moved his main army to Chausuyama.

Here is a link with photos of Nobunaga's headquarters at Chausuyama:

http://ameblo.jp/mikawa-hide/entry-10498549761.html

Hide has some nice photos of Nobunaga's Chausuyama camp. I have been to the battlefield a couple of times, but never visited the landmarks related to the battle. Hide at the moment is doing yeoman's work on Nagashino. Sublime job in my opinion.

Tenka no tame!

Nagashino/Shincho Ko-ki

2010-04-15T05:46:00.000-07:00

I have been busy of late translating the chapter on Nagashino and found it quite interesting.

Nobunaga orders the carpenter Okabe Mataemon to repair Hachikengu located in Atsuta Shrine.
Nobunaga camps at Shitara Gokurakuji, Nobutada at Niimidoyama, and Ieyasu at Takamatsuyama.
The battlefield's geography is mentioned often. Lots of mounatins and rivers.
Sakai Tadatsugu leads a party to attack Tobigasu with some of the best archers and gunners. Nobunaga also includes 500 gunners led by Kanamori Nagachika and others.
Only 1,000 guns mentioned by the Shincho Ko-ki under strict orders from Nobunaga lead by Maeda Toshiie, Sasa Narimasa, Nonomura Masanari, Fukutomi Hidekatsu, and Ban Naomasa. No rotating volley mentioned at all.
Yamagata Masakage led the first wave for the Takeda. The Shincho Ko-ki mentions that the Takeda are skilled horsemen.
10,000 dead and some starved in the mountains or fell off the bridge and into the river and drowned.
Due to the Takeda loss at Nagashino, Akiyama Nobutomo is holed up at Iwamura Castle.
Nobunaga returns to Gifu on May 25, 1575.

Tenka no tame!

Kinzei of 1568

2010-04-07T06:08:00.001-07:00

This is a prohibition notice at the grounds of Toji temple in Kyoto. Issued in September of 1568 when Nobunaga marched to the capital with Ashikaga Yoshiaki. Notice the red seal on the lower left corner. The seal is the oval shape (daenkei).

Prohibition on the grounds of Toji temple

Plundering and vandalism by my soldiers
The encampment of soldiers, arson, and unlawful duties.
Cutting bamboo trees in the mountain forest

The violator who commits these crimes, quick, and severe punishment will take place immediately.

Eiroku 11 year September Oda Danjo no chu Nobunaga (red seal)

Nobunaga no tame!

Tenka Fubu Seal

2010-04-01T11:58:00.000-07:00

When Nobunaga finally took over Inoguchi for good and renamed the city Gifu in 1567, something also appeared for the first time. The Tenka Fubu seal. There are three Tenka Fubu insignias. The first one one appeared possibly in November of 1567 and it was an oval (daenkei). The second one a horseshoe (bateikei) and that appeared most likely in 1570. The last one was the twin or two dragons. My personal favorite, the horseshoe Tenka Fubu!

The Nobunagagaku forum as a great article on the Tenka Fubu seal. Even though the article is in Japanese, you can see the three types of the Tenka Fubu insignias.

http://nobunagagaku.com/cn16/essay09_02.html

Tenka no tame!

Fujimoto Masayuki's theory since 1982?

2010-03-30T17:44:00.000-07:00

I bought Suzuki Masaya's book Sengoku 15 Dai Kassen no Shinsho last week and read his take on Okehazama. The book was published in 2003 covering battles from Okehazama to Osaka. What was his take on Okehazama? Suzuki noted that Fujimoto Masayuki's theory first appeared in 1982 (p.14)? Does anybody know about this? If this is true, let me know.

If this is true, then Fujimoto's theory (Okehazama was not a surprise attack) is not new. His theory was calculated a long time ago. As everyone knows, I disagree with his opinion and respect it as well.

Nobunaga no tame!

Edo Era Okehazama Map

2010-03-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

This a reproduction of a Okehazama map from the Edo Era. the map has all the key places such as the Oda forts, Imagawa castles, and the story of the battle. I have translated the story of the battle, but quickly found out it is very similar to Ota Gyuichi's Shincho-Ko ki. There is one key element that is different. Yanada Masatsuna is mentioned in the story. A big plus in my opinion.

"Yanada Masatsuna returned from scouting with a dispatch. 'Imagawa Yoshimoto is resting at Dengakuhazama!'"

It is great map, but it is from the Edo Era which sometimes can distort the truth.

Tenka no Tame!

Narumijo wo Houi shite toride wo kizuku

2010-03-24T15:49:00.000-07:00

Ota Gyuichi's Shincho-Ko ki (modern translation by Nakagawa Taiko) Introduction book; chapter 35, p. 84.

"Yoshimoto's army came to invade Owari. Nobunaga said, 'This is a serious matter' as he made preparations which he took to heart. The Suruga forces occupied Narumi Castle. On the south side was the Kurosue River which the tides flowed into the bay. Continuing east was the valleys, the west was deep paddies, from the north to east was the mountains. Built ready for use was Fort Tange which was twenty cho from the castle. Mizuno Tatewaki, Yamaguchi Ebi no Jo, Tsutsugen Ban no to, Maki Yojuro, Maki Sojuro, and Ban Ju zaemon were deployed at Tange. The historic ruins from the east was Zenshoji. sakuma Nobumori was placed at stronghold. The south was a small village of Nakajima and here Kajikawa Takahide was deployed. On the opposite side of the Kurosue River were two forts to counter Narumi and Odaka Castles. Sakuma Morishige was deployed at Marune and Io (Ino) Sadamune at Washizu."

My translation is not perfect. However, it will give a clue on Nobunaga's preparations against Imagawa Yoshimoto.

Nobunaga no Tame!

What happened to the five pages after Okehazama?

2010-03-22T10:33:00.000-07:00

After Nobunaga turned the world upside down at Okehazama, what happened to the five pages after the historic battle? To tell you the truth, a sad one.

In 1561, Iwamuro Nagato no Kami was killed at Okuchi (Okuji) and the other four were killed fighting at Mikatagahara in 1572. Gato Yasaburo, Hasegawa Hashisuke, Sawaki Tohachi, and Yamaguchi Hida no Kami were killed in action.

Taniguchi Katsuhiro's Nobunaga no Shineitai, pages 214, 224, 233, and 239 has some information on the four. Also if you read Ota Gyuichi's Shincho-Ko ki on the Battle of Mikatagahara, the four are mentioned as well.

Tenka no tame!