Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Sena Ujitoshi's Camp during Okehazama



Sena Ujitoshi, a retainer of the Imagawa, camped around the Okehazama area on May 17th, 1560 for tactical reasons. However, the English translation on the bulletin board stated the year date as 1563, which is wrong. A big mistake.

Sena Ujitoshi had around two hundred soldiers with him at the time.
The location of the three landmarks are at the Arimatsu Okehazama Battlefield. The open country area is where Sena Ujitoshi camped and the Senpyo-no-matsu is only a three minute walk from the camp area.

As for the photos, they were taken in October while I was in Japan.


Nobunaga no tame!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Nobunaga Forum in Gifu This Weekend

I just want to remind people that the Nobunaga Forum in Gifu is this weekend. If anybody is planning to attend, let me know how it went. I wish I could be there to see Owada Tetsuo and my former Gifu University professor Matsuda Yukitoshi.

http://www.city.gifu.lg.jp/c/40124773/40124773.html

I also ordered the 2002 Taiga Drama Toshiie to Matsu and looking forward how Nobunaga was portrayed in the series.


Tenka no tame!

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Shincho-Ko ki link II

I found this link on the Shincho-Ko ki yesterday. This is the Ota Gyuuichi version, not the one written by Oze Hoan. You must have Adobe Reader 9 or something similar to download the text. I love this link and text since it is easy to read. I have download at least four parts of the book and printed some several sections for research. Here is the link:

http://www.page.sannet.ne.jp/gutoku2/kouki.html

I am currently writing a short fictional story on the meeting between Nobunaga and Saito Dosan at Shotokuji Temple in 1553. The text is about five to six pages long and the first draft is finished. I plan to post the story in several parts after Christmas or in January.


Tenka no tame!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Azuchi Castle Facts


Advertisement for the movie Katen no Shiro in Kyoto.

Azuchi Castle was Nobunaga's greatest building project ever. No doubt about it. Warlords, Artists, and Commoners Japan in the Sixteenth Century edited by George Elison and Bardwell L. Smith contains some nice information on page 304.

The Shincho-Ko ki mentions that Niwa Nagahide was the commissioner of construction. However, Nagahide did not stay on the job for long since he was sent to the Osaka front to fight. The man who replaced was Kimura Jirozaemon as the new commissioner of construction.

Kimura has done some previous construction projects for Nobunaga and was the perfect replacement. He also witnessed the the horrible castle destruction June of 1582 as well.

As for Okabe Mataemon, he was the main carpenter of the Azuchi construction project.
Azuchi Castle ruins.


Nobunaga no tame!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Imagawa Yoshimoto's Tombs


While I was studying and writing about Okehazama, one subject caught my attention. Imagawa Yoshimoto has various tombs in around Aichi Prefecture and in Shizuoka. The one above is located at Daisyoji Temple Aichi Prefecture, Ushikubo Town.

There are seven known to date.

  1. Shogakuji Shinkawa Town, Sukaguchi
  2. Nishio-shi
  3. Daisyoji Temple, Ushikubo Town
  4. Rinzaiji Temple, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka Prefecture
  5. Tokai-shi
  6. Okehazama Battlefield (Toyoake City location)
  7. Okehazama Battlefield (Arimatsu location)
All are in Aichi Prefecture with the exception of Rinzaiji which is located in Shizuoka. I have visited all but two. The two are in Nishio and Tokai and did not know about them until I read Mr. Wataru Kajino's book Jimoto no Karo ga Kataru Okehazama Kassen Shimatsuki pages, 98-101.

Here is a photo of the Okehazama Walking Tour that I participated in last month.
Here is also a link to the Moon Viewing Festival.

http://okehazama.net/modules/katudou/index.php?page=article&storyid=18

Here is another link from my friend Dohaland. The Sengoku big armor festival with Nobunaga and the gang.

http://ameblo.jp/samuraicountry/entry-10381030213.html

Tenka no tame!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Okehazama Moon Viewing Festival

Good Evening friends!

I received an e-mail from my great friend Mr. Kajino with a link to last weekend's Okehazama Moon Viewing Festival. The photos are sublime. Here is the link:

http://okehazama.net/modules/katudou/index.php?page=article&storyid=16

Also I received a photo from Mr. Kajino on October's Okehazama walking tour and plan to post it before the weekend.

The Moon Viewing Festival was held at the Arimatsu battlefield location.


Nobunaga no tame!

Aichi Sengoku Warriors in Armor

Aichi Prefecture is getting ready for next year's big Sengoku bash. There is a video where the big three Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu are present and in armor. Here is the link from Dohaland's blog.


http://ameblo.jp/samuraicountry/

The date from her blog is 11/05/09.

I wish I was there and dying to see next year's Okehazama's 450th anniversary festival.


Tenka no tame!

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Kyoto's Nanbanji Landmark



When I was Kyoto last month I finally found the landmark that eluded me for years. Nanbanji Temple was the Christian church built during the Nobunaga Era. No doubt, that Nobunaga's compadre, Luis Frois prepared Mass here.

Then question I have: Did Nobunaga ever entered Nanbanji to have a chat with Luis Frois? A must see landmark anybody who studies Nobunaga and Christianity in Japan.


Nobunaga no tame!