Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Happy Wedding Anniversary?

According to Okada Masahito's Oda Nobunaga Sogo Jiten, Nobunaga and Nohime were married on February 24 1549. Most historians has accepted that the couple were married in 1548. If you read the timeline in Okada's book, he has both dates listed. Page 6 has 1548 as the year the marriage was planned and accepted by both the Saito and Oda.

A high possibility is that the marriage arrangement was finalized in 1548 by Hirate Masahide, but Nobunaga and Nohime were married the following year. I tend to stick with the most accepted date, 1548.

Okada's book on page 157 has more details on the wedding. His reference is the Mino no kuni shokyu-ki, Tenbun 18 Year Second month 24 Day both Nobunaga and Nohime were married.

A word of caution: the date could be the Lunar calendar and not Gregorian, so be careful. I suggest the correct year should be 1548 since Owada Tetsuo, Okamoto Ryouichi, and others have agreed that 1548 was the year.

Happy Wedding Anniversary you two.


Nobunaga no tame! Nohime no tame!

Friday, February 20, 2009

Oda Nobunaga Otoko no Miryoku

I will review Owada Tetsuo's Oda Nobunaga Otoko no Miryoku sometime next month. I bought the book at Book-Off earlier this week. The book was published in 1991 and was written as a supplement for the following year NHK Tiaga drama Oda Nobunaga.

Here is a nice quote about Nobunaga in Sources of Japanese Tradition Volume 1, p. 303. This sums up Nobunaga nicely.

"Nobunaga had schooled himself in self-reliance, alertness, and adaptability, and he looked for these qualities in his men, prizing those who could act without orders and granting them the utmost freedom of action."



Tenka no tame! Nobunaga no tame!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

More on Nobunaga's Human Side

There is actually more information on Nobunaga's human side. The information comes from Neil McMullin's Buddhism and the State in Sixteenth-Century Japan, p. 84. There are two examples.

In 1572, Matsui Yukan was sick with a tumor and Nobunaga sent help. On February 6, 1572, Nobunaga ordered doctors from Kannonji in Omi to quickly depart to Azuchi to treat Matsui Yukan.

Another example deals with a foot soldier. After a battle in 1573, Nobunaga noticed one of his foot soldiers feet was bare and covered with blood. Nobunaga then took a pair of sandals from his waist and gave it to bloodied foot soldier. The sandals were a lucky charm of sorts for Nobunaga since he carried with him into battle.


Tenka no tame!

Monday, February 2, 2009

Soft side of Nobunaga

Believe it or not, Nobunaga was human and did show his soft side at times. The most famous and well known incident is letter to Hideyoshi's wife, Ne-Ne. This was written around 1576 0r 1577. Nobunaga showed some sympathy and tried to cheer her up.

Text is from Berry's Hideyoshi, pp. 56-57

"Your recent journey here [to Azuchi] for the first time and your visit with me were felicitous events. I cannot exhaust mu brush or my eyes [in appreciation of] the great beauty of the gifts [you brought]. Although I thought I might send something in gratitude, I have given up the idea at the present as I can make no fitting return for the pleasant things I have received from you. When we meet again i shall present something. I particularly looked with admiration upon your features and your appearance which seemed doubly [beautiful] since we last met. That Tokichiro [Hideyoshi] is said to be ceaselessly dissatisfied is a great wrong, beyond words. However far he searches, this bald rat will never find again anyone like yourself. Thus from now on be steadfast, become strong as a wife, and do not give in to jealousy. It is best, in your role as a woman, to leave some things unsaid. Please show this letter to Hashiba [Hideyoshi]."

It is rare to find a letter with such concern since most of the surviving letters from Nobunaga are business like.


Nobunaga Rex! (latin for king) Nobunaga no tame!