Saturday, April 24, 2010

Okehazama 450 Festival Poster


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!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Ieyasu's Headquarters During Nagashino

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!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Nobunaga's Nagashino Headquarters

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

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!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Kinzei of 1568



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!

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Tenka Fubu Seal

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!